A visitor from the United States to Co Tyrone is on the search for information on family members who may be living in the east of the county.
Dee Giguere from Connecticut is appealing for anyone who may have information about her descendants, who she believes to be from the Ardboe area.
From accessing public records and speaking to people in the village this week, Dee has found that her great great grandfather was Francis Joseph Devlin, from the ‘Baldy’ Devlins as they were known at the time.
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He married her great great grandmother Anna Mallon in the late 1800s, before moving to America.
Dee also believes descendants of the family may have had a successful business in Cookstown in the late 180s and early 1900s.
Speaking to MyTyrone she said it would mean a lot for her to trace her roots in the area and find any surviving family members.
“I’m having trouble finding anybody that is descended from them,” Dee said.
“I was fortunate to make a visit to Ardboe earlier this week and found the gravestones of who would have been Nanny’s aunts and uncles remaining in Ireland.
“Many of the family emigrated to North or South America, but I was told by someone in Ardboe that some remained and started a successful business in Cookstown, around the late 1890s or early 1900s.
“I would be so happy to locate any descendants still living while I am here until next month.”
With many different Devlin clans in the Ardboe area, Dee said the challenge has proved particularly difficult, but mentioned that the family has specific links to the Kinrush townland.
She added: “The Devlins seem to be all over the place in Ardboe.
“Hopefully there is somebody still alive around the area, they are probably going to be quite old, who remembers hearing about them.
“My great great grandfather Francis Joseph Devlin lived with his family in Kinrush townlands.
“They lived on lands owned by Robert Alexander. Their Devlin nicknames were Fox, Baldy, and Feather.
“I met two older people in Ardboe this week who remembered the Baldy Devlins.”
Dee has urged anyone with information about her relatives to get in touch via email on deejagair@gmail.com.
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