After several years in Ireland looking into the roots of the Hart and Canavan families, Joe Hart headed to the genealogy centers in County Mayo. He finally finds Curraghadooey, whey cousin Mary Bowe and uncle Jim Hart both wrote that was where Anthony Canavan, Sr. and Ann Hughes emigrated from with their four oldest children.

Joe gets nowhere pronouncing Curraghadooey the way it’s spelled (cu-rack-a-doo-ee). However, he hits pay dirt when he starts pronouncing Curraghadooey the way the locals do (cur-a-doo-ee). It is a completely rural area in Crossboyne Parish in County Mayo. At a crossroads nearby Curraghadooey, there is the little town of Crossboyne, just southwest of the larger town of Clairemorris.

Joe tells us that Crossboyne not only has a pub, but also a church. In fact he found records showing that more likely than not the Church of the Sacred Heart in Crossboyne is where Anthony Canavan, Sr. and Ann Hughes were married in on May 24, 1840. Joe’s research into the Canavan history in County Mayo, Ireland significantly advances what his uncle, Father John Hart, learned on a similar search for Hart and Canavan family roots in 1966.