West Cork
Co. Cork
Ireland

No doubt that far back in the dim and distant past there were several Mr and Mrs Donovan families from whom some of us descend.  We do have just a few names of cousins of Frank O'Donovan who were confirmed through DNA testing and established family trees.  These would have a Most Recent Common Ancestor (MRCA) varying between 4 and 7 generations back and consequently it is virtually impossible to specify some specific connections.  The ramdomness of DNA testing and the small number of descendants who have submitted their DNA results reduces the ability to identify specific relationships.  Of course there are examples of what we might call 'double marriages' where say two brothers marry two sisters or cousins and this may influence the MRCA result.  Looking at Chart 1 below we see a case where John Kingston's niece, Rebecca Donovan, marries Jeremiah Donovan who is the younger brother of John's wife, Mary Donovan.  While we have examples of cousins bearing the same surname as say Donovan it does not mean that their common acestor was a Donovan; it could be that two sisters of any surname married two Donovan males who were not related.  In Chart 2 below we shown the ancestral line of Frank O'Donovan and no evidence has been found to indicate a relationship between the various Donovan lines in this chart or indeed the Hayes girls.  Note the number of Patrick Donovan names in Chart 2   There is DNA evidence relating Frank O'Donovan to all those at the end of Chart 1.

Each name included below has a DNA relation to Frank. The names are linked to their respective page on this site (the order of the names is random):-

Jeremiah Donovan*

Michael Donovan*, born c. 1802

Denis Donovan, Corran

John Donovan had a son Michael who went to Wales and married there

John Donovan Scartagh married Catherine Donovan Bawn

Catherine Donovan married Jeremiah Murphy+ (brother of James Murphy)

Parent of Mary Donovan who married James Murphy+ (brother of Jeremiah Murphy)

William Donovan, Maulagow and New York

Michael Donovan, Brulea and Livingston, New York

Daniel Donovan, Carhoogarriff, Rosscarbery

* We know that Jeremiah and Michael were brothers as they stayed in Ireland and descendants of both were aware of the specific relationships.  From family lore Jeremiah and Michael were born in Keamore, Leap.  This is a townland stretching to the West and to the North-West of the small village of Leap.

Chart 1

 

 

Chart 2

Note: cousins of Frank on his paternal line who have Donovan as the common ancestor may be from either the Michael Donovan or Jeremiah Donovan line

 

Barony divisions in West Cork

There are 4 Barony Divisions with the Carbery name in West Cork, viz. Carbery West (West Division), Carbery West (East Division), Carbery East (West Division), Carbery East (East Division) as indicated on the below map.

 

District Electoral Division (DED):
District Electoral Divisions originated as subdivisions of Poor Law Unions, grouping a number of townlands together to elect one or more members to a Poor Law Board of Guardians. Today, DEDs are known as Electoral Divisions (EDs) and are mainly used for collecting and organising census figures and for voting.  Below we can see the number of people with the surname Donovan in DEDs in County Cork in the Census of 1901.  Clearly there are some DEDs which do not have a Donovan resident then. Apart from Cork Urban some of the most frequent Donovan surnames in DED locations are shown on the map hereunder.

The number (#) of people with the surname Donovan found in District Electoral Divisions (DEDs) in County Cork in Census 1901

District Electoral Division	#		District Electoral Division	#		District Electoral Division	#
Cork Urban No. 5	271		Castlehaven South	27		Carrigboy	7
Cork Urban No. 4	243		Ightermurragh	27		Dunderrow	7
Knockskagh	194		Lisgoold	27		Gowlane	7
Carrigbaun	175		Matehy	27		Laherne	7
Ardfield	166		Macroom	26		Mogeely	7
Clonakilty Urban	164		Ballinadee	25		Ballybane	6
Ruthbarry	163		Carrigtwohill	25		Cullen	6
Rosscarbery	158		Mitchelstown	25		Dunbeacon	6
Myross	136		Monkstown	25		Kanturk	6
Clonakilty	125		Templemartin	25		Kilbrin	6
Dunmanway	121		Ballintemple	24		Kilbrittain	6
Skibbereen Urban	121		Kilmaloda	24		Mallow North Urban	6
Seafin	105		Shanballymore	24		Rahan	6
Templeomalus	100		Coolagh	23		Warrenscourt	6
Manch	99		Glenlough	23		Watergrasshill	6
Kilfaughnabeg	97		Youghal Urban	22		Youghal Rural	6
Blackrock	96		Cashel	21		Glenlara	5
Kinsale Urban	93		Kilmoylerane	21		Inchigeelagh	5
North East Ward	92		Kinneigh	21		Knockroe	5
Toormore	87		Coole	20		Leighmoney	5
Aghadown South	84		Crookhaven	20		Meens	5
Ballydehob	83		Coolmain	19		Monanimy	5
Argideen	81		Coolmountain	19		Murragh	5
Castlehaven North	78		Cape Clear	18		Rathclarin	5
Sheepshead	77		Durrus West	18		Ballygarvan	4
North West Ward	76		Kilshanning	18		Bauncross	4
Kinsale Rural	75		Clenor	17		Fermoy Rural	4
Cloghdowell	72		Firmount	17		Glanworth East	4
Drinagh	70		Gurtnascreeny	17		Glanworth West	4
Shreelane	69		Templebrady	17		Knockmalone	4
Abbeymahon	66		Bantry	16		Skahanagh	4
Courtmacsherry	66		Cahereag	16		Aglish	3
Midleton	62		Dripsey	16		Ardagh	3
Ballingurteen	57		Garranes	16		Ballygroman	3
Castleventry	57		Inniskenny	16		Caherduggan	3
Killeenleigh	57		Aghadown North	15		Conlagh	3
Cahermore	56		Ballincollig	15		Corkbeg	3
Coolcraheen	56		Blackpool	15		Kilbonane	3
Ballymoney	55		Clonmoyle	15		Killeagh	3
Clonkeen	55		Clonmult	15		Kilphelan	3
Queenstown Urban	55		Cork No. 7 Urban	15		Kilworth	3
Skibbereen Rural	55		Milane	15		Mallow South Urban	3
Ballymodan	51		Ballyhoolahan	14		No.2 Urban, North Centre	3
Rossmore	51		Gortnaskehy	14		Rostillan	3
Bandon	50		Inishannon	14		Teerelton	3
Ballymackean	47		Killaconenagh	14		Ballyarthur	2
Woodfort	46		Templecarriga	14		Banteer	2
Boulteen	45		Ballinamona	13		Brinny	2
Kilcoe	45		Ballyfeard	13		Castletown	2
Queenstown Urban No. 1	45		Castlemartyr	13		Castletownrock	2
Lowertown	44		Rathcormac	13		Clonmeen	2
Whitechurch	44		Dunmanus	12		Curryglass	2
Douglas	43		Fermoy Urban	12		Glenville	2
Rathcooney	43		Kilpatrick	12		Imphuck	2
Cork Urban No. 7	41		Ballynoe	11		Kealkil	2
Dromdaleague South	41		Castlelyons	11		Lehenagh	2
Aultagh	39		Dangan	11		Leitrim	2
Tullagh	39		Dungourney	11		Rahalisk	2
Timoleague	38		Durrus East	11		Ahil	1
Kilbrogan	37		Gortroe	11		Ballyclough	1
Kilkerranmore	37		Kilmacdonagh	11		Ballyfoyle	1
Knocks	37		Queenstown Rural No. 2	11		Ballymartle	1
Ballinspittle	36		Riverstown	11		Ballymurphy	1
Caheragh	36		Scart	11		Bere	1
Kilmalooda	36		Castlehyde	10		Caherbarnagh	1
Butlerstown	35		Cork No. 7 Urban, West Ward	10		Carraig	1
Kilnagross	35		Farrenbrien	10		Charleville	1
Dromdaleague North	34		Garryvoe	10		Churchtown	1
Bantry Rural	33		Greenfort	10		Clondrohid	1
Garrown	33		Knocknatota	10		Coolclough	1
Moviddy	33		Ovens	10		Derragh	1
Blarney	32		Templemologa	10		Doneraile	1
Bredagh	31		Greenville	9		Kilberrihert	1
Carrignavar	31		Mealagh	9		Kildinan	1
Saint Mary's	31		Roskeen	9		Kildorrery	1
Kilcatherine	30		Templebodan	9		Killathy	1
No. 2 Urban	30		Aghern	8		Kilmeen	1
Teadies	30		Ballycotton	8		Liscarroll	1
Bishopstown	29		Kilcor	8		Liscleary	1
Cloyne	29		No. 1 Urban, Centre Ward, Cork City	8		Macloneigh	1
Goleen	29		Templemichael	8		Middleton	1
Schull	29		Baurleigh	7		Miltown	1
No. 6 Urban, South Centre	28		Carrigaline	7		Queenstown Rural No. 1	1