The Kavanaghs of Askintinny, Arklow, Co. Wicklow

Welcome to the Kavanagh Family History. This website documents the history of John and Elizabeth Kavanagh and their descendants from Askintinny, Arklow, County Wicklow.

For generations, the family was rooted in the coastal landscapes and rural townlands south of Arklow town. Working as fishermen on the Irish Sea, smallholders, and labourers within Arklow’s industrial sector, their lives closely reflect the changing social and economic dynamics of the region.

From Askintinny, subsequent generations expanded into Arklow’s maritime and urban districts, including Tinahask, Rock Big, Greggs Hill, and Mellows Avenue.

While extensive civil and parish records have been recorded for this archive, certain birth records within the family tree remain missing or unrecorded. Civil registration of births in Ireland only became mandatory in 1864, meaning earlier births relied entirely on parish registers. Gaps in surviving church registers, non-registration of civil births, variations in phonetic surname spellings and informal naming customs mean that some early individual birth entries cannot be definitively located. Where official records are absent, estimated dates have been reconstructed using secondary sources such as census returns, marriage certificates and death records.

Use the navigation menu to explore the site:

• Kavanagh Origins: Historical background on the origins of the name, featuring prominent royal medieval figures including Domhnall Caomhánach and Art MacMurrough Kavanagh.

• John Kavanagh & Elizabeth Death: Biographies and family lines detailing the direct (recorded) descendants of John and Elizabeth.

• Arklow’s Maritime & Trade History: Information about the regional fishing industry, local shipbuilding and seafaring trades that shaped daily life for generations.

• Family Connections: A list of associated individuals, including information about the other Kavanagh family that lived in Askintinny.

• Places of Interest: Geographical guides, map links, and townland profiles that shaped the family's story.

• Get Involved: Submit missing family details, suggest corrections, or share historical photographs and documents to help expand the archive.

• Genetic Genealogy: View our DNA match register, compare kit details across major testing platforms, or submit your own DNA info to help verify shared branches.

Family Tree

The 'Kavanaghs of Askintinny, Arklow, Co. Wicklow' family tree is available to explore directly on Ancestry.

All primary source material, parish record entries, census returns, and civil documents (birth, marriage, and death records) referenced throughout this site are attached to the individual profiles within the Ancestry tree.

You can access the full interactive tree at any time by selecting the Kavanagh Family Tree link from the main navigation menu above.