Step 4) Revisiting the new church at Kilmihil, County Clare (re BUTLER and FITZPATRICK ancestors)

The new church at Kilmihil was built in 1831:

It seemed that there was still a presence of the Fitzpatrick name in this church, as the donors of some of the stations of the cross around the church walls.

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Outside of the church, towards the back of the building in the far corner of the block, I made a discovery. Marjorie and Keith had reminded me that Margaret BUTLER, when paying for the immigration deposits for her siblings, James and Maria BUTLER, gave the name of Rev. McMahon, Parish Priest at Cragg/Kilmihil as a reference. So, I was searching for references to a Father or Reverend McMahon.

In the far-back corner of the church grounds there were a number of graves and memorials to various priests and nuns who had served in the parish. On one of the plaques was a memorial to a V. Rev. T. Canon McMahon, P.P., Kilmihil 1872-1916. He was born in 1825 and died on 13 August 1916. It appeared that this was the Parish Priest when the BUTLER family lived in or near Kilmihil in the 1870s and 1880s. The priest would have been in his mid to late 50s at the time. Although there was a plaque to his memory, I could not find his name on any of the graves in the church yard.

Towards the end of this visit to the church, I asked the church warden for directions to Craggaknock and Cragg. From what he told me, it was easier to find Craggaknock, via the village of Creegh, so I headed towards Creegh, to get to Craggaknock.

Next step on my County Clare journey:

Step 5) From Kilmihil to Creegh and back again, via Leitrim Graveyard  (re BUTLER and FITZPATRICK ancestors)