My Lynch family come from the townland of kibberidogue (also known as Tibberdogue, Glebe and now called "Kibb" by the locals). It can be located on the maps page (map 2) almost half way down on the far left. History states that the Lynch family originally came from County Galway. You can read more about the Galway link at the bottom of this page but for now I will stick with the Fermanagh family.

My direct line is through my grannie (Susan McConville, nee Beggan). Her mother was Susan Lynch (married to John Beggan of Drumacritten). Susan Lynch was born around 1864, although I do not have her birth details, I am going by her gravestone inscription (see gravestones John Beggan's wife Susan d. 21st March 1924 aged 60). Susan Lynch's parents were Patrick Lynch and Ann Flanagan and Patrick Lynch's father was the Bernard Lynch mentioned on this gravestone for Mary Lynch (McMahon).

Bernard Lynch married three times so his children can be difficult to keep track of. I have, however, with the help of a file, written by Anne Hollingshead, managed to get some information together. I have made a file based on this and details I have got hold of and here is my Bernard Lynch descendent tree.

Marriage one was to the Mary McMahon from the gravestone inscription. From what I can gather, they had one son, Bernard Lynch, in 1814. This son Bernard married Catherine Murphy and the pair of them emigrated to Torquay, Tasmania, Australia and had a large family out there. These descendants would be, I suppose, half cousins of mine. Mary McMahon died in 1816 leaving Bernard a widower.

Marriage two was to a woman with the surname McElroy (first name is unknown). There seems to be a John and Peter Lynch, and two female Lynch children from this marriage although the details are quite vague. I also don't know what became of the McElroy woman but Bernard married again. For a more in depth look at the desendants of Bernard's son, John, who married ? McCabe, go here

Marriage three was to a woman with the surname Carroll (first name unknown). From this marriage came a son called Patrick Lynch. I do not know if Patrick had any siblings apart from what would be half brothers from Bernard's previous marriages. This Patrick, born about 1825, is my gg grandfather.

Bernard Lynch had 8 siblings and details of most of these are given in the "Lynch Family Register" written, in 1864, by Bernard's nephew, Bishop Patrick Neison Lynch. Conlaw Lynch was another sibling but was not mentioned as this register was written by Conlaw's son and so the information was not needed by him.

According to a piece of literature written by the Grandson of Conlaw Lynch, the Lynch family "sprung from one stock". This Grandson was possibly a Robert Lynch.

"Hic Lynchaeorum bene prima ab origine notas, Diversas notas stirpes nobilis ecce domus." Which reads in English, "From one proud stock, for ages known to fame, These different branches of Lynches came."

In the year 1066, when William the Conqueror invaded and conquered England, one of his famous Generals was Hugo Delentz. William, the King, bestowed upon him large estates in England. In the Dooms-Day book, comprising 4 immense volumes containing the names of the people to whom the King granted land, is found the name Lenche. And Delenche, the son of Hugo, remained in England, but Andrew's youngest son, Jack or John, settled in Galway in 1261. He was one of 13 English families who settled there. These 13 families are known as the 13 tribes of Ireland. To quote from Harriman's History of Galway, under the title "Lynch" we find:

"This is one of the most ancient and until the middle of the 17th century, one of the most leading families of Galway. John Delenche was the first settler of the name in Galway. He was married to the daughter, and sole heiress, of William Mareschall. During the greater part of the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lenches possessed the principal authority in Galway. Thomas, the son of John, was the first Provost or Mayor of the city in 1274, whilst Thomas Lynch was the last Mayor in 1654. For 169 years of the history of Galway, prior to 1654, no less than 84 Lynches had served as Mayor of the City. In 1654, when Cromwell captured the City of Galway the "ancient inhabitants" who refused to submit to English rule, were dispossessed of their property and banished. Every Lynch out of the 45 families of the name then residing in Galway refused to submit to England and were banished. Among them our direct ancestor, Peter Lynch, who upon being driven out of Galway settled in Clones, County Monaghan, where his descendants are to be found today. The house which he owned in Galway, which was confiscated and granted to an English soldier, according to the records, was, 'a stone house, slated, three-story, yard and garden.' Our Grandfather, Conlaw Peter Lynch, who settled in Cheraw, S.C., was the Great Great Grandson of the Peter Lynch who was banished from Galway in 1654."

One slight error in that text, as with most texts on the history of the Lynch family, is that it states Clones, County Monaghan as the place the Lynch family settled. In fact it should be Clones Parish in County Fermanagh. As I have stated on other pages, Clones Parish was made up of townlands from both Fermanagh (town of Roslea) and just over the border in County Monaghan.

Another interesting piece of documented information is that Che Guevara also descended from the Lynches of Galway. Read more here