Connecting Belleville and Ireland: the Example of Sabina Devaney

One of the difficulties of tracing families back to Ireland is the fact that it is hard to find a record that gives anything more than "Ireland" as a place of birth. Sometimes a county is given, but rarely a townland or parish. But there are certain records that can supply this information,

Among the women who had come through Watson House was Sabina Devaney. We know from those records that she was from County Mayo, and had arrived as a 20-year-old in 1927 on the Republic. She went to live with her brother John at 572 Washington Avenue.

Through the Ellis Island website, we can find the ship manifest for the Republic. Fortunately, she came at a time when the manifest requested information about the closest relative in the country whence the passenger came, and the closest relative in the United States.

We find from the manifest that Sabina was a 20-year-old domestic who was born in Swinford [i.e. Swineford], County Mayo. She was 5' 2' tall, of fair complexion, with brown hair and green eyes. She left Cobh, Ireland on 2 October 1917 and arrived in New York on 11 October. She planned to remain permanently, and seek citizenship. She had $25 on her person when she arrived. Her last permanent residence was Swinford, and her mother was Mrs. Bridget Devaney of Cuilmore, Swinford. Her closest relative in the U.S. was her brother John Devaney, living at 470 Washington Ave. Added, in pencil, was a notation that her sister was Mary Wallace.

Cobh, Ireland

 

Ellis Island

To find more information about the Devaney family of Cuilmore, we can check the 1911 and 1901 Irish censuses. We may also be able to find church records, and a civil birth record.

Swineford is just over seven miles from Bohola, County Mayo, from which place a number of other Belleville families, including the Monahans, left to seek a new life across the sea.