Ross Beattie of Sydney, Australia has researched the McBrien families of County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and also provided history on the Parish of Inishmacsaint. His website is below. Click on the address, then click on McBrien and explore the Inismacsaint and Lower Lough Erne links.
http://rnbt.id.au/families/mcbrien/index.html
Ross has provided a wonderful extensive collection of information on that site.
Currently, at this point in history, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, I am getting back to the website documentation on my McBrien ancestors of the L22 Provenance. It all started with my first visit to Ireland in September 1979. It was at this point, after my father had passed away, that I was to meet his sister and many of my first cousins for the first time. My Aunt, Ethel Gregg, provided an extensive amount of family history. She filled the void and guilt that I felt, never having had these discussions with my father. Ethel lived in County Sligo, but her mother, Elizabeth Ann Dundas, was born in County Fermanagh. Elizabeth's mother was Catherine McBrien who married Noah Dundas in November of 1868.
So, after initial note taking, Ethel said that we were off to visit our cousins in Co. Fermanagh. Well this was quite a memorable trip! The time was May of 1981. There was tension at the border due to the 1979 assassination of Lord Montbatten on his boat nearby and the hunger strike in the Northern Ireland H-Block prison where IRA members were imprisoned. Anyway, after clearing the British Army at the Roscor checkpoint, we met with 2nd cousin, Leslie Gregg. Ethel asked him if his uncle Charlie McBrien might be interested in talking to me. Leslie said that Charlie was a bit of a recluse, but he would take us there and ask. Arriving at Charlie's Carigolah house, Leslie jumped over the gate and went around the back of the house. After a few minutes, he returned to say that Charlie would see me. I was ushered in thru the front door and into the kitchen. Charlie was seated there by the fireplace in the glow of a peat fire. His face was worn and dark with soot from the fire. He seemed honored that "I had returned to see him"! After all, he remembered my father leaving Ireland in 1925. He and my father were both born in 1902. I was my father's spirit returning.
It was difficult understanding Charlie. I asked him a few questions about his ancestors and how he was related to my Great Grandmother Catherine. He had a very thick sing-song brogue. I tried to have a conversation. He asked me some questions that I did not understand. He spoke about Denis McBrien, his Grandfather (1815-1901) and his brother Tossy (Thomas) McBrien who had gone to Canada. I had brought along a tape recorder and picked up part of our conversation.
THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS! HERE IS MY INTERVIEW WITH CHARLIE McBRIEN in MP3 format
Noah Dundas and Catherine McBrien circa 1910, Ballyshannon
Noah and Catherine Dundas with family at Bolusty More,
Dec. 1922