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Margaret (Shea) Sullivan Lyne (JJM's maternal grandmother)

Also known as: Margaret Shea, Margaret Sullivan, Margaret Lyne, Margaret Shea alias Sullivan

family confidence: 95 — certain (corroborated)Shea (paternal in-law via Margaret Shea Lyne)

JJM's maternal grandmother. Born Shea (date unknown, probably 1820s-1830s Eyeries area Co. Cork). Married twice: 1. **John Sullivan**, 20 Feb 1855 Eyeries (her first marriage; he died before 1865) 2. **Myles Lyne**, 9 June 1865 Kilcatherine RC Chapel of Eyries (her second marriage) Per the 1865 marriage cert, she's identified as "Margaret Shea alias Sullivan" (i.e., previously married name Sullivan, birth surname Shea). Children: - From John Sullivan marriage (1855-1865): one daughter, **Mary**, per Terese Murphy's letter of 20 Sept 1971 ("Her first husband died after a few years of married life leaving her with one daughter, Mary"); probably the "Mary Sullivan, a sister" of the 7 Jan 1908 hearing (Ellen's half-sister). No register record found yet. John was a son of Paddy "Seer" O'Sullivan (Keagh) of Carrigaphrechane (Annals II p. 53; see person_john_sullivan_first_husband_ of_margaret_shea, note of 2026-09-26). An earlier speculative identification linking Patrick "Tailor" Sullivan (m. Catherine Murphy 1884) as Margaret's son was REJECTED by the user 2026-05-27 — Patrick Tailor is from a different Sullivan line. - From Myles Lyne marriage (1865+): Ellen Lyne (b. ~1863 per 1900 US census — but if Margaret didn't marry Myles until 1865, Ellen's 1863 birth date must be off; could be that Ellen was b. ~1866-1870 after the second marriage; the 1900 census age 36 + Sept 1863 birth- year reading may be unreliable). **User confirmed 2026-05-27: Margaret is Ellen's biological mother**, ratifying the biological-from-1865+-marriage reading and rejecting any stepmother-via-first-marriage interpretation. Locking down the date tension (1865 marriage vs the c.1861-63 census birth-year reading) is the open thread to resolve — most likely the census age is what's wrong. **Corrected 2026-10-03 (user, after a date check):** Ellen was probably a child of the FIRST marriage, to John Sullivan, born 1859-63, before the 1865 Lyne marriage; Myles Lyne was her stepfather. Margaret remains her mother. Sources, reasons and confidence are on Ellen's record. The first marriage then has two known daughters: Mary (named only in Terese Murphy's letter of 20 Sept 1971) and Ellen. Family tree (GEDCOM record merged here 2026-10-03): born 7 May 1839 at Cluin, daughter of Timothy Shea and Margaret Sullivan; died March 1894 at Ardgroom. A birth in May 1839 would make her 15 at the February 1855 marriage, so the birth date is held at 50. The tree also enters Ellen as a child of the first (Sullivan) marriage, born 15 Nov 1861; the 1881 marriage certificate names Myles Lyne as Ellen's father.

Facts

Each fact shows how sure the archive is of it (0–100) and the sources it rests on.

Birth:: 1839-05-07, Cluin, Co. Cork 502026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com); 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papersThe tree cites the NLI register (microfilm 04286/01) for a baptism on 7 May 1839 at Cluin, daughter of Timothy Shea and Margaret Sullivan. For: the 1865 return's father reads '[T?]im Shea' (60, 4 Oct 2026; formerly '[John?]'); 'full age' in 1865; Terese's 'a widow in her earliest twenties' (about 1859-62). Against: she would have been 15 at her first marriage. Analyst 60.
Death:: 1894-03, Ardgroom (village + RC Chapel) 752026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com); ~2026-05 — Family research deck — Luke Murphy (user) self-prepared PowerPointThe tree: 'Mar 1894, Ardgroom' (uncited); Luke's Ancestry card in the research deck: 'd. Mar 1894 Schull'. The month agrees; the place does not.
Residence:: Ardgroom (village + RC Chapel)

Date	Fact	Conf.	Sources
1855-02-20	marriage · First marriage: 'Margaret \| Shea' to 'John \| Sullivan' of 'Agroom', Eyeries, 20 Feb 1855 (a second Margaret Shea was witness) (Eyeries (village + parish + RC Chapel)) Parish abstract; the Annals' John and 'Margaret O'Shea of Direenavogig'.	95	1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II
1855-1865	residence · 'of Direenavogig' before her first marriage, then Carrigaphrechane (Annals); Ardgroom (1865); 'Cetterfinnun' (tree, citing the Eyeries register, NLI 04286/05) (Ardgroom (village + RC Chapel)) Ardgroom 1865: 95. The tree's 'Cetterfinnun' is probably the same townland as the groom's '[Letterfineen?]' on the 1865 return (50).	75	undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
1865-06-09	marriage · Second marriage: 'Margaret Shea alias Sullivan', full age, Widow, of Ardgroom, father '[T?]im Shea, Farmer', to Myles Lyne, Widower, Farmer, 9 June 1865, at the Roman Catholic Chapel of '[Eyries?]', by Michael O'Reilly, P.P.; witnesses Jeremiah McCarthy and Ellen O'Reilly; she signed with 'her [X] mark' (Eyeries (village + parish + RC Chapel)) Civil return, transcribed 4 Oct 2026 (the chapel word at 55; the metadata's 'Ardgroom' chapel is the bride's residence).	95	1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown
1883-1889	residence · Kept the home 'in the village of Castletown' where her grandson James 'lived ... until he was about six years old' (Terese 1971) (Castletown (Terese's word)) Terese, from what James told her; 'Castletown' may mean the district rather than the town.	75	1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers
1967-04-09	description · 'Our Grandmother married twice – first to a young man who left her a widow in her earliest twenties. She was a simple peasant girl with a "sparkling eye" who later captivated the heart of aging Myles Lyne. All members of his family disowned him when he married our Grandmother' (Terese 1967) Her granddaughter's family account.	75	1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers
1971-09-20	description · 'quite a gal in her late teens and twenties ... Her first husband died after a few years of married life leaving her with one daughter, Mary ... He finally appeared at Mass, a man in his sixties, a prosperous land-owner and widower ... Out of this marriage, my mother was born ... His family never accepted his marriage. They ignored her completely' (Terese 1971) Her granddaughter, after her 1938 visit.	75	1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers
—	description · The tree attaches a 'Residence: Cork' citing the Ireland Prison Registers (County Cork) Margaret Shea is a common name; nothing ties that register entry to her.	10	2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)

Relationships

Family (blood)

mother of Ellen (Lyne) Murphy (b. Ardgroom; m. Patrick Murphy 1881; d. Butte 1935)95
The Annals and Terese, independently; no register names Ellen's mother. · undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara" (volume number not specified on this excerpt; page numbered "—29—"); 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)
child of Timothy Shea (bapt. 16 July 1820 Rusacussane, Kenmare; m. Margaret Sullivan 1838 Allihies; father of Margaret Shea in the family tree)70
The 1865 return's father reads '[T?]im Shea, Farmer' (60); the tree's 1839 baptism (NLI register cited) gives Timothy Shea and Margaret Sullivan, married at Allihies in 1838. That the Timothy of the merged record (also the 1820 Kenmare baptism) is the same man is batch b03's question (decisions log 55). · 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com); 1838-02-09 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland
child of Margaret Sullivan (b. c. 1820; m. Timothy Shea 1838 Allihies; mother of Margaret Shea in the family tree)70
The tree's baptism; the 1838 Allihies marriage of Timothy Shea and Margaret Sullivan. · 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com); 1838-02-09 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland

Marriage

married to John Sullivan (Margaret Shea's first husband, m. 1855 Eyeries; probably Ellen's father)95
As on John Sullivan's record. · 1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record); 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers
married to Myles Lyne (c. 1791–1872; Ardgroom farmer; second husband of Margaret Shea; Ellen Lyne Murphy's stepfather, named as her father in 1881)100
The 1865 civil return; the Annals ('Myles Lyne and Margaret O'Shea'); Terese's independent account; the tree. · 1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of Castletown; undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume II; 1967-04-09 — Murphy family papers; 1971-09-20 — Murphy family papers; 2026-05-27 — Luke Murphy family tree (Ancestry.com)

Nexus

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blood relationmarriageother documented tienamed in the same sources (×count)circle colour = family branch

Appears with

Sources linking to this person

≥75 — High confidence — 8

undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara" (volume number not specified on this excerpt; page numbered "—29—")Annals of Beara p.29 (volume TBD): PATRICK MURPHY & ELLEN LYNE entry — duplicate framing of the Vol II p.271 content but with the addition 'had a son James who went to Butte, Montana, married and had a son a priest'
role: ellen_lynes_mother · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Margaret O'Shea
Identity: 'Ellen Lyne was daughter of Myles Lyne and Margaret O'Shea': the wife of Myles Lyne and mother of Ellen, as the record is (Shea = O'Shea). Myles was Ellen's stepfather by Luke's decision of 3 Oct 2026; that does not change who Margaret is.
undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIAnnals of Beara Vol II, p.271: PATRICK MURPHY & ELLEN LYNE (ARDGROOM VILLAGE) entry — Pat as son of James Murphy + Mary O'Leary of Eyeries Village (cliamhain isteach)
role: ellen_lynes_mother · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Margaret O'Shea
Identity: The same sentence in Annals II p. 271.
undated — Riobárd Ó Dwyer, "Who Were My Ancestors? Annals of Beara," Volume IIAnnals of Beara Vol II pp. 53-55: the O'Sullivan (Keagh, 'Seer') families of Droumbeg and Carrigaphrechane, Ardgroom Inward, with Emma Verling's notes 'START HERE LUKE' and 'Connection LUKE'
role: wife_of_john_son_of_paddy_seer · identity 75 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Margaret O'Shea of Direenavogig
Identity: The Annals' wife of John, son of Paddy Seer, identified with the 1855 bride by Norelene O'Dwyer.
1855-02-20 — Irish Family History Foundation — Cork South West Roots Ireland (Church Marriage Record)Margaret Shea's FIRST marriage — to John Sullivan, 20 Feb 1855, Eyeries
role: bride · identity 90 family confidence on this source: 100 · as printed: Margaret Shea
Identity: The bride 'Margaret Shea'; another Margaret Shea witnessed, so identity rests on the 1865 'alias Sullivan' and Terese.
1865-06-09 — Marriage Returns, Superintendent Registrar's District of CastletownMarriage of Myles Lyne (widower) and Margaret Shea alias Sullivan (widow) of Ardgroom, 9 June 1865
role: bride · identity 100 family confidence on this source: 100 · as printed: Margaret Shea alias Sullivan
Identity: 'Margaret Shea alias Sullivan', widow, marrying Myles Lyne.
1967-04-09 — Murphy family papersTerese Murphy to Dan, 9 April 1967: 'Dad was born in Balykrewan ... about the year 1854'; her mother's two fathers
role: maternal_grandmother · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Our Grandmother
Identity: Terese Murphy's 'Our Grandmother married twice – first to a young man who left her a widow in her earliest twenties ... [then] aging Myles Lyne': the grandmother who married John Sullivan and then Myles Lyne, as the record has it.
1971-09-20 — Murphy family papersTerese Murphy to Imelda, 20 Sept 1971: her father's sister married 'Tailor Sullivan'; his father 'left for America some months before he was born'
role: maternal_grandmother_of_james · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: His grandmother ... 'Lynne (Myles)'
Identity: Terese describes her two marriages, the daughter Mary and James's years in her home; the letter is linked to Myles but not to her.
~2026-05 — Family research deck — Luke Murphy (user) self-prepared PowerPointLuke Murphy's Murphy Family Research deck — Ancestry-tree summary cards for great-great-grandparents back through 3rd-great-grandparent generation
role: third_great_grandmother_lyne_side · identity 95 family confidence on this source: 95 · as printed: Margreta O'Shea (b. 7 May 1839 Eyeries; d. Mar 1894 Schull)
Identity: Luke's Ancestry card for his Lyne-side ancestor: the dates (7 May 1839; March 1894) are the record's own, from the same tree. The mentioned note calling her Ellen's stepmother predates Luke's decision of 3 Oct 2026.