Research In Ireland

Research in Ireland is difficult because many records were never created and many of the records that were created were destroyed. One of my genealogy challenges is that my Great-great Grandfather Andrew Buchanan was from County Tyrone, Ireland. For generations, we have been trying to find his parents. 

I recently sent the following message to two people who are trying to help me solve the puzzle of why Andrew's descendants have such as close YDNA match to the Buchanan families of Kirlish and Cooel townlands near the village of Drumquin.

My mind keeps returning to these records, https://cotyrone.com/tithe/longfieldwest.html

1826 Tithe Applotments for Longfield West Parish:
BUCHANAN   Andrew   Cooel [Coolavannagh] (south of Drumquin)

BUCHANAN   James   Lackagh  (just west of Drumquin)
BUCHANAN   John   Cooel [Coolavannagh]
BUCHANAN   Robert  Meencargagh (between Drumquin and Castlederg)
BUCHANAN  William  Cooel [Coolavannagh]
BUCHANAN   William   Curraghamulkin (south of Drumquin)

(For townland maps see https://www.townlands.ie/en/search/?q=west-longfield)

The three Buchanans living in Cooel in 1826 almost have to be closely related.

This could be my Andrew Buchanan and his father and a brother. 

Andrew named two of his sons William and John.(and two others James and Robert). 

Andrew was living in Learmore townland, 2 miles west of Castlederg , when his sons Robert, Charles and William were christened in the Derg Parish church in 1815-1824.

By 1840 Andrew was living in Binnawooda, but what about the nearly 15 years in between?

Son Robert had a daughter Jane, born in 1840, and Robert was living in Binnawooda at that time. "Jane Buchanan, d/o Robert and Jan Buchanan, of Binn., b 26 JUN 1840, c 28 JUL 1840".  Son Charles was married in Killeter Presbyterian Church, Termonamongan Parish, Tyrone, Ireland in 1843, and son William was married in 1846 in Lower Longfield Parish, Tyrone, Ireland.

The 1833 Tithe Applotments for Ardstraw Parish (where Binnawooda is located) has no Andrew Buchanan. So it does not appear that Andrew was living in Binnawooda at that time, So Longfield West seems like a good possibility. (There does not appear to be 1826 Tithe Applotments for Ardstraw.)

If Andrew was living in Cooel in 1826, it seems probable that his father was either John or William. The Cooel connection helps to explain the YDNA match with M. B and the autosomal DNA match with D, K, who both share the Cooel line. 

 

I am wondering if we can find corroborating evidence.

Bill