Many of the records of Catherine Barry (1835-98) were specific that she had been born in Killarney, Co Kerry. As the parish records there are earlier than most, they include the births of her father Richard Barry (1794-1856) and mother Catherine Real (1791-1888), their marriage in 1823 and the birth dates of four of her siblings. Her paternal grandparents were Gerard Barry and Catherine Radley and her maternal grandfather was Patrick Real.

Richard and Catherine Barry moved to London sometime after Catherine’s birth in 1835 so it is not known yet whether they moved as a result of the Famine in 1854-50 or whether they had moved earlier. At her marriage in 1863, her father’s occupation was shown as “gatekeeper” but, since he appears to have died in 1856, that role probably reflected where the family was living many years previously.

My sisters and I have links to 8 descendants in Canada and Indiana (USA) of Garrett Barry (1818-1900) and Michael Barry (1816-91) so they could well be cousins of Catherine Barry. Garrett Barry was born at Inchigeelagh, Co Cork (about 45km from Killarney) and his parents were Richard Barry & Julia Lucey so it is possible that he was a half brother of Catherine from a different mother.