#52ancestors
Mary Finn was born about 1826 and married John Barrett in 1850. She died in 1886.
Mary Barrett née Finn death certificate
I know very little about Mary’s background, but I do know that she had a relative, Matthew Finn, who was a Dean in the Catholic Church in Swinford, Mayo, Ireland. In various newspapers, he has been described as an uncle to some of Mary’s children. Because of the uncle references and the fact that he was a similar age to Mary, I have presumed he is her brother.
Dean Finn was a popular priest, so it isn’t difficult to find information on him. One thing I have discovered about Irish obituaries is they often include a family history, and if someone is related to a Catholic priest or nun, this always gets a mention.
John Finn, parish priest of Killasser was Matthew’s brother. From research I have discovered that John’s mother was Bridget Durkan.
The Finn family was from the Gorteen-Ballymote area of County Sligo (one obituary for Matthew says Gurteen/Gorteen and another says Ballymote).
By researching Mary’s newsworthy brothers, I hope to glean more information on Mary herself.
Funeral of Dean Matthew Finn 1891 listing those present
Shell's Family 52 Ancestors 