Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 16:06:31 -0400

I went to Ireland in late July and met McNerney relatives in Glin, County
Limerick. I'm waiting for more information from them, but did get some when
I was there. My brother John told me to go ahead and "post" what I have, so
here goes.

First I found four different spellings of the name, same family. On the
Griffiths Primary Valuation of the mid-1800's, the name is spelled
McEnerney. On baptismal certificates for my great-great grandparent's
children, it's McEnery. Irish relatives now spell the name McInerney. It
seems that today, in the "States" the name is consistently spelled
McNerney.

An important story about the family: "McInerneys came from Clare to Glin in
the late 1700's. Legend has it that they (three brothers) won a prize of a
bottle of brandy, offered by the Knight of Glin, in a swimming contest
across the Shannon from Clare to Glin. Three McInerneys are listed in the
1820/30 Land records: Patrick in Tullyglass, John in Kinard, and James in
Caheragh. There is no record of James after 1852. John's family lived in
Kinard until 1865. One of them emigrated with his family--Thomas and his
wife Mary Enright and their eight children. Patrick of Tullyglass had
several children. Paddy, John, Timmy, Peter, William, Nora, Mary, Tommy,
Bridget, Catherine are most of the names listed in Glin Parish Register.
They could be children of brothers John and Patrick. Two things we are sure
of, John is the ancestor of our branch and Patrick is the ancestor of the
Tullyglass family." This information is written down by Sean Wallace, a
McInerney descendant. His father told me the brothers who won the bottle of
brandy were always called the "Brandys," but not to their faces!

The story tells us the family was originally from County Clare, and settled
in County Limerick. Probably many McInerneys are from and still in Clare.
For clarification, Kinard, Tullyglass, and Caheragh are areas in Glin
parish, which is roughly the equivalent of a US county.

Sean Wallace also writes down: "Tom Brandy married Mary Brandy in 1861.
Their daughter was called Mary McInerney. Witnesses: Catherine McInerney
and Timmy McInerney." In my family, I always heard the story that my great
grandfather's (Timothy) sister Mary McNerney married Thomas McNerney from
across the Shannon, or Clare County. My great grandparents are Thomas
McNerney and Mary Enright. There can be no doubt it's the same family! Sean
Wallace's grandmother was a McInerney.

Pretty fantastic, isn't it. I hope to hear back from these Irish relatives
with more details. They know which family members left for the USA and it
may be helpful information for McNerneys in the USA looking for lost Irish
relatives. As Sean put it, "Yanks looking for roots." If anyone has
questions, please let me know. I'll be sending more when I get it.

Rosemary McNerney Winkler