Preamble
This is the story of the Doyles of Clooncarne. It is important to state at the outset what is known and what is conjecture.
The first of this family for whom we have a name is Nicholas, who was born around 1818, married in Mohill Parish in 1845, and had four children baptised there. He lived in Laheen South in Mohill from at least 1850 until either 1866 or 1867, when he moved to Clooncarne, and he died in 1890. What is also known is that in 1750, in the area of Lagheen (later to become the townlands of Laheen South and Kildoo) could be found two distinct tenants: Doyle and Widow Doyle.
It is probable that Nicholas was born in Laheen South. It is also likely that his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were named Doyle and that the name passed down through 'legitimate' births, and this is assumed to be the case. On that assumption, we can say that the following people included in this history - great-grandfather of Nicholas, grandfather of Nicholas, and father of Nicholas - all existed. By looking at likely timespans between Nicholas' birth around 1818 and 1750, we can make a guess that either Doyle of 1750 was Nicholas' great-grandfather or else that Widow Doyle was his great-grandmother. Either guess could be wrong. But if we are right about the generations, then comparison between the locations of the two 1750 holdings with those of later years suggest that Widow Doyle lived in what became Kildoo townland. And on this flimsiest of reasons, we are suggesting that Doyle of 1750 was the great-grandfather of Nicholas., and so our tree begins with him.
Where he came from is currently, and probably always will be, unknown. In a later volume of this study, some examination of the other Doyles of the area is made, and there reference will be made to the man I am calling The First Doyle (#425). But for the purposes of our current subject, we shall start with the great-grandfather of Nicholas Doyle.
Two chart views provide a summation of the 'Family Tree' -
. a Box type descendant chart and an indented descendant chart. Each conveys the same information but in differing formats.
Following that, a simple narrative of what I consider either key or interesting events is given, in what I hope will be a logical and chronological fashion, providing a historical view of the fortunes of the Doyles. This narrative will be footnoted to an extent, but not comprehensively. Instead the listings of the people to be found elsewhere on this site are fully cited and sourced and here will be found the sources of all information given.