Family:Peter Sweeney and Catherine Diamond (1)

Only one baptism has been found for a child of Peter and Catherine: their daughter Mary in 1835. As the Catholic parish registers for Castleconor only began in 1835 it is quite likely that Mary was the youngest of Peter and Catherine's children, but the only one whose baptism was recorded.

James can be identified as their son on the basis of his Scottish death certificate, which names his parents as Peter Sweeney and Catherine Diamond. James had stayed in Castleconor until he was an adult, marrying there in 1857 and having his first four children baptised at Castleconor before moving to Sorbie in Scotland in the early 1860s.

Michael has been identified as their son due to the linkages with James and partially through the information on his Scottish death certificate. Michael married in Castleconor in 1844, had three children baptised there then moved to Sorbie in about 1850. James Sweeney was godfather to two of Michael's children, whilst Michael's son Stephen was godfather to one of James's children. This coupled with the fact that they both moved from Castleconor to Sorbie strongly suggests a connection. Michael's death certificate says that his parents were Michael Sweeney and Catherine Diamond - whilst this conflicts with James's death certificate and Mary's baptism, it only does so in respect of the father's first name. It is considered that the informant for Michael's death (his son Luke, who had been born in Scotland and so may not have known his Irish grandparents' names so well) probably made a mistake as to Michael's father's first name.

We therefore conclude that Michael and James were brothers, and that the correct name for their father was Peter, as borne out by the 1835 baptism of Mary showing that such a couple did exist in the parish in Ireland where Michael and James both lived as young adults.