Theory, how the Scottish Protestant Kennedy's became Irish Catholics

(Jody Gray) in this Blog Post, using the locations listed for them in my Ancestry.com Tree, I follow their movement from Ayrshire, Scotland to Ulster (County Tyrone), Ireland to County Donegal to County Wexford.

  The son of Gilbert Kennedy 7th Laird of Bargany and Jean Stewart; Gilbert 1593-1627 born and died in Ayrshire, Scotland. “Next Group” Son, Thomas 1618-1716 born in Ayrshire, Scotland; migrated between 1639 and 1648 (birth of his son) to County Tyrone, Ireland (joining his cousins Andrew and Robert Stewart (Baron Castle Stuart by James VI of Scots). Robert fought as an officer in the 1641 Irish Rebellion on the side of the Ulster Catholics, under leader Feilim O’Neill cousin of his wife. It is unknown if Thomas Kennedy fought in the rebellion, he would have been 21 years old. His son Thomas 1648-1740 Ulster. Son Thomas 1690-? Ulster. Son John 1715-? Ulster. “Final Group” John 1740-1803 m: Bridget Swallow Ulster. Son Patrick 1760-1824 County Donegal, Ulster; migrated to County Wexford, Ireland; where the most important fighting took place in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. It is unknown if Patrick fought in the rebellion, he would have been 38 years old. Son Patrick 1785-1824 County Wexford m: Mary Johanna 1800 County Wexford. Patrick 1823-1858 Wexford married Bridget Murphy 1824-1888 Wexford *they both emigrated to Boston, Ma in 1849, married and settled there. Most likely, Bridget was related to the Murphy Catholic Priests who fought and died in the 1798 Irish Rebellion. *Media: Murphy Surname, Ireland. All the Murphy’s in Wexford are thought to have descended from Dermott’s brother, Murrough. Ma. Marriage Records for Patrick Joseph m: Mary A Hickey lists his parents as Patrick and Bridget. And, there is a Ma Marriage Record for Bridget Murphy and Patrick Kennedy 9/26/1849. Ma Death Record for Bridget, parents: Richard and Mary Murphy.

(Jody Gray) Conclusion: if you consider that the Stewart’s, beginning with Robert, changed their allegiance to the Irish Catholic “cause” for political reasons and the Kennedy’s that migrated to Ireland joined them, it “works” all the way to JFK. I think the “key” to explaining how the Kennedy’s ended up in Ireland (and “switched” from the Protestant (Presbyterian) Reformation cause in Scotland to the Irish Catholic cause in Ireland is the Stewart family connection.

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