Hello Geoffrey,

Church records often had more detail than civil records. Emigrants from Ireland for example generally had to provide proof of baptism in the religious denomiantion where they were married in England. Those would be in the church records.

Church baptismal records too would include more detail than the civil birth records for their children. The children's baptismal records may include where John was born in County Kerry.

In Ireland there are no civil registration records before 1864, Protestant marriages beginning in 1845. Church parish records for John Downey's birthplace in County Kerry that survive for his religious denomination and his birth year would be the source for a baptismal record for him. Many church parish records don't survive for all dates and all locations in County Kerry.

The names of all the towns and townlands in County Kerry are in the Ireland Townland Database http://www.seanruad.com and pick Kerry as your search county.

Pat