Finding Roach Ancestors in Midleton, Co. Cork, Ireland

This blog post is one of several that I hope will assist me in locating the townlands and parishes of my ancestors in Ireland. My brother, sister and I will be visiting Ireland and staying in Co. Clare in 2019.

My 2nd great-grandmother Catherine Roach/Roche (1811-1872) married my 2nd great-grandfather Denis Moynahan (1787-1885) in St. Anne's Church in Detroit, Michigan.



Keeping in mind that the document records names and place names given to the priest with a thick Irish brogue and then written in french, what we know of Catherine Roach/Roche is that she had resided in Detroit only 7 months; that she came from he parish of Glanworth in the Diocese of Midleton and that her parents were John Roche and Helena McKeley

Source: Early U.S. French Catholic Church Records (Drouin Collection), 1695-1954

The Roche (Roach) Surname History

The Roche family name is very numerous in Ireland especially in Munster and South East.In fact the area round Fermoy was once known as Críoch Róisteach (Roches' Country)

Roche, together with its variants Roach, Roch, etc., is a name of Norman origin. Although the obvious derivation is from the French roche, "rock", the earliest bearer of the surname in Ireland, Richard FitzGodebert de la Roche, in fact adopted the surname after his place of origin in Wales, Rhos in Pembrokeshire. He was one of the first Norman arrivals, coming in 1167, and acquiring with others of his family large tracts of south Co. Wexford.

Over the centuries the family became thoroughly hibernicized, to the point where they were prominent in the many rebellions against English rule, the best-known being Father Philip Roche, who led the Irish in the Battle of Horetown in 1798.

The name is still strongly linked Castletownroche (Cork). This last name reflects the prominence of the family around the modern town of Fermoy in Co. Cork, where they prospered greatly. They became Viscounts Roche, a title which became extinct in the 18th century. Source: John Grenham's "Irish Ancestors"

Source: https://www.johngrenham.com/findasurname.php?surname=Roache

The Roche family name is very numerous: Munster and South East etc. Ir. de Róiste, from French roche, a rock. Normans who became established in Wexford and Munster after the Invasion. The area round Fermoy was known as Críoch Róisteach (Roches' Country). IF.

Source: Roach surnames and baptisms in Glanworth, Cork

Roche Links

• Roche Family Tree website - an online account of the Roche Family of Curraghanearla, Macroom, County Cork, Ireland, and descendants.  http://www.rochetree.com/pages/home.aspx
• Anthony J. Roche's page http://homepages.iol.ie/~ajroche/
• Roche Lineages welcomes all people who are interested in exploring their family history.  Since this family name came into existence, diverse spellings have evolved (Roche, Roach, Roache, Roch, etc). https://rochelineages.wordpress.com/
• Roach, Roche DNA group https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/roache/about/background 

Glanworth & Middleton

Ireland

The parishes of Ireland are complicated. There are civil parishes and ecclesiastical or church parishes and townlands and baronies not to mention dioceses are confusing.

Midleton, Glanworth, Cork, Ireland Links

• Glanworth Castle, Abbey & Bridge
• Parish: Glanworth, Ballindangan and Curraghagalla - Cloyne Diocese 
• Civil Parish Genealogy Guides: Glanworth (Gleannúir)

Roach Links

• 1825 Tithe Books - David Roche http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/reels/tab//004587445/004587445_00269.pdf 
• Map of County Cork https://www.johngrenham.com/images/lewismaps/Cork.pdf