Ballygowan

Information taken from a variety of official documents

Research: Eileen Keane, Abbey Heritage

Ballygowan Townland

Ballygowan, Smiths Town, Baile an Ghabhann Townland, Town, Homestead, Smith

The townland of Ballygowan is situated in the civil parish of Ballynakill, in the Barony of Leitrim and in the County of Galway.  It is located in the north end of the parish of Ballynakill and about 2 miles north north east of Woodford.

O’Donovan’s Field Name Books (1838) states that the standard name for the townland is Ballygowan and its Irish form is Baile an Ghabhann. The translation of the name is given as, townland, town, homestead and smith. O’Donovan’s Field Name Books states that there is a reference to Ballygowan in the following documents:

Inq. Temp. Jac. I, Hyath. Clarke, Esq., Larkin’s County Map, Alphl. List of Townland names in the County Galway, Grand Jury Presentments and B.S. Sketch.

The Down Survey of Ireland states that the owner of the townland of Ballygowan was Edmund McThomas Bourke in 1641.  It also states that by 1670 the townland was in the ownership of Peter Ayleward.  The Down Survey of Ireland further states that the townland consisted of 61 unprofitable plantation acres of land and 161 profitable plantation acres which were forfeited.

Census 1841-1851

There were no records available for this period.

1851 Old Age Pension Census Search Forms

Patk(sic) Costello – Application Number C/16 239

The applicant Patk(sic) Costello gave her address as C/o Mr M C Stronge, Portumna, Co. Galway.  She applied for the pension on the 12th February 1916.  According to Patrick his parents were John and Honor Costello.  He further stated that his address in 1851 was Ballygowan.  According to his application form, he made 3 application for the Old Age Pension and there was no indication on the application form that he received a refund thus indicating that his application was successful.

Michael Lynch – Application Number C/15 6574

The applicant Michael Lynch gave his address as C/o Miss Mary Lynch, 27 Thames Road, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Yorks.  He applied for the pension on the 9th November 1915.  According to Michael his parents were Thomas and Mary Lynch (Hickey).  A list of his parents and siblings names was provided and it stated the year was 1839 and that Philip Lynch was 47 years old, his wife Mary Lynch aged 44 years old and the children Patt aged 8 years old, Maria aged 6 years old and Michl(sic) aged 7 years old. According to the application form, a sum of 2/- was returned and the application was cancelled in November.  He further stated that his address in 1851 was Ballygowan.

Patrick Mullen – Application Number C/21 3381

The applicant Patrick Mullen gave his address as C/o H S McKenna, St. Bernards, Halifax.  He applied for the pension on the 9th May 1921. According to Patrick, his parents were Patrick and Anne Mullen.  It stated on the application form that the mother’s maiden names were Melamphy and Durrack.  He further stated that his address in 1851 was Turnip Field Farm, Ballynakill.

Bridget Walsh – Application Number C/21 7592

The applicant Bridget Walsh gave her address as C/o Mr J Murphy, Tynagh, Loughrea.  She applied for the pension on the 3rd December 1921.  According to Bridget, her parents were John and Margaret Walsh. She further stated that her address in 1851 was Ballygowan.  A refund of 2/- was returned thus indicating she was refused the Old Age Pension at this point.

Thomas Murray – Application Number C/17 2501

The applicant Thomas Murray gave his address as Culleen, Abbey PO, Loughrea, Co. Galway. He applied for the pension on the 21st March 1917. According to Thomas, his parents were Michael and Mary Murray and his mothers maiden name was Downy.  He further stated his address in 1851 was Ballygowan.  The sum of 2/- was refunded which indicated that his application was refused.

TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOKS

The Tithe Applotment Books were compiled between 1823 and 1837 in order to determine the amount which occupiers of agricultural holdings over one acre should pay in tithes to the Church of Ireland. The land was measured in Irish acres or plantation acres at the time and this equated to 1.6198 English acres.

The Tithe Applotment for the townland of Ballygowan was undertaken in 1834. It states that the townland of Ballygowan was in the parish of Ballinakill and in the Diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh.

There was 1 proprietor in the townland at this time, namely: J McAylward Esq

According to the Tithe Applotment Books, J McAylward Esq held 360 acres 3 roods of land which was occupied by himself and 3 tenants. The following is an account of the tenants’ landholdings, the value of their acres, the amount of composition of the tithe and how this was dispersed among the church hierarchy:

Representations of J Brunskile held 122 acres 3 roods of land that was valued at 16s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £98 4s. He paid 2s 19d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 7s 6d and the Vicar got £1 16s 9d which was a total of £2 4s 3d.

Representation of Thos (Thomas) held 16 acres of land that was valued at £1 2s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £17 12s. He paid 10s 6d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 1s 3¾d and the Vicar got 6s 6¾d which was a total of 7s 10½d.

McManahan Esq held 52 acres of land that was valued at £1 1s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £54 12s. He paid a total of £1 12s 9d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 4s 1½d and the Vicar got £1 5¼d which was a total of £1 4s 6¾d.

J McAylward Esq held 170 acres of land that was valued at 10s per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £85. He paid a total of £2 11s 2d of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 6s 6d and the Vicar got £1 11s 10½d which was a total of £1 18s 4?d.

Griffiths Valuation 1847-1864

According to Griffith’s Valuation 1855, the townland of Ballygowan was owned by John Aylward (in Chancery) who leased 741 acres, 2 roods and 12 perches to Michael Flynn, Jeremiah Minnoge, Patrick Burke, Michael Hanrahan, Michael Murray, Anne Madden, John Downey, Martin Downey, John Mullen, Thomas Davy, Francis Conry, Michael Kelly, Michael Mulkerrin, Patrick Kelly, Hugh Donohoe, Honoria Donohoe, Michael Kelly, John Finn, Michael Minnoge, John Mears, Martin White, Michael Walsh, Mary Murphy, William Lynch, Mary Larkin and John Walsh.

Michael Flynn paid a total annual valuation rate of £21-10-0 for house, offices and land.  Jeremiah Minnogue paid a total annual valuation rate of £6-0-0 for house, offices and land.  Patrick Burke paid a total annual valuation rate of £12-0-0 for house, offices and land.  Michael Hanrahan paid a total annual valuation rate of £12-10-0 for land and labourers houses.  Michael Murray paid a total annual valuation rate of £10-15-0 for house, offices and land.  Anne Madden paid a total annual valuation rate of £8-0-0 for land.  John Downey paid a total annual valuation rate of £12-10-0 for land, house, offices and land. Martin Downey paid a total annual valuation rate of £13-0-0 for land, house, offices and land.  John Mullen paid a total valuation rate of £8-0-0 for land.  Thomas Davy paid a total annual valuation rate of £30-0-0 for land.  Francis Conry paid a total valuation rate of £17-10-0 for house, offices and land. Michael Kelly paid a total annual valuation rate of £15-15-0 for house, offices and land. Michael Mulkerrin paid a total annual valuation rate of £2-15-0 for house, offices and land.  Patrick Kelly paid a total annual valuation rate of £22-15-0 for herd’s house and land.  Hugh Donohoe paid a total annual valuation rate of £5-0-0 for house, offices and land.  Honoria Donohoe paid a total annual valuation rate of £11-5-0 for house, offices and land. Michael Kelly paid a total annual valuation rate of £2-5-0 for house, offices and land.  John Finn paid a total annual valuation rate of £28-0-0 for land, house, offices, corn-mill, kilns and land.  Michael Minnogue paid a total annual valuation rate of £13-0-0 for house, offices and land.  John Meara who leased from Martin White, paid a total annual valuation rate of £3-0-0 for house, forge and land.  Martin White paid a total annual valuation rate of £15-10-0 for land and labourers house and a total annual valuation rate of £75-5-0 for house, offices and land, labourer’s house and small garden.  Michael Walsh paid a total annual valuation rate of £9-0-0 for house, offices and land.  Mary Murphy paid a total annual valuation rate of £5-10-0 for house, offices and land. William Lynch paid a total annual valuation rate of £5-10-0 for house, offices and land.  Mary Larkin paid a total annual valuation rate of £5-10-0 for house, offices and land.  John Walsh paid a total annual valuation rate of £5-10-0 for house, offices and land.

Census 1901

There were 10 inhabited houses and 2 uninhabited houses at the time of the 1901 census with 39 inhabitants.  The N Form showed that there were 25 males and 14 females and all were Roman Catholics.  The heads of households were Francis Conroy, Mary Murray, Martin Downey, Farly Downey, John Molloy, Catherine Walsh, Timothy Meara, Patrick Collins, Richard Donoghoe and Martin Farrell.   All occupants were born in Co. Galway except for one female born in England.

The B1 Form showed that all of the houses in Ballygowan were built and listed as private dwellings.  Every house wall was made of permanent material while the house roofs were made of both perishable and permanent materials.  The B2 Form shows that overall, there were a total of 61 farm buildings consisting of 8 stables, 1 coach house, 12 cow houses, 1 calf house, 12 piggeries, 4 fowl houses, 8 barns, 1 turf house, 1 workshop, 11 sheds, 1 store and 1 forge.

Francis Conroy was 60 years old.  He was married to Mary A who was 39 years old.  He lived with his son Patk who was 11 years old, his daughters Mary A who was 9 years old and Belinda who was 7 years old. Francis listed his occupation as a farmer d.c.(sic). He could speak Irish and English.  They could all read and write except Belinda. Patk, Mary A and Belinda were listed as scholars.  They lived in a 2nd class house with 4 front windows and the house had 8 rooms.  Francis owned the land on which the house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Mary Murray, a widow was 70 years old.  She lived with her son John who was 30 years old and her son Martin who was 22 years old.  James Canning was a male visitor who was 9 years old.  Mary listed her occupation as a farmer.  She could speak Irish and English and she could read.  John and Martin could read and write and they could speak English only.  Their occupations were listed as farmer’s sons. Neither of them was married.  James Canning was listed as a scholar who could read and write and he could speak English only.  They lived in a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and the house had 4 rooms.  Mary owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Martin Downey was 65 years old. He lived with his brothers John who was 55 years old, Thomas who was 45 years old, his sister-in-law Bridget who was 33 years old, his nephews John Joe who was 6 years old, Martin who was 4 years old and his niece Mary Sarah who was 2 years old.  Martin listed his occupation as a farmer.  He was not married.  John worked as a carpenter.  Martin, John, Thomas and Bridget could read and write and they could speak Irish and English.  John Joe could read only and he could speak English.  Martin and Mary Sarah could not read and they could speak English.  Thomas was listed as a farmer whilst his wife Bridget was listed as a farmer’s wife.  John Joe and Martin were listed on the census as instructions at home. They lived in a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and the house had 4 rooms.  Martin owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Fardy Downey was 62 year old.  He was not married.  His occupation was listed as a farmer.  He could read and write and he could speak Irish and English.  He lived in a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and the house had 4 rooms.  Fardy owned the land on which his house was situated along with 4 out offices consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

John Molloy was 70 years old.  He was married to Catherine who was 55 years old.  Also listed were his daughter Annie and his sons James who was 19 years old and Thomas who was 17 years old.  John listed his occupation as a farmer.  John and Catherine could read and write and they could speak Irish and English.  Annie, James and Thomas could read and write.  Annie’s occupation was listed as a farmer’s daughter, James’ occupation was listed as a farmer’s son and Thomas’ occupation was listed as a scholar.  They lived in a 2nd class house with 4 front windows and the house had 5 rooms.  John owned the land on which his house was situated along with 6 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Catherine Walsh, a widow was 98 years old.  She could speak Irish and English and she could not read.  She lived with her nephew John Barrett who was 30 years old.  Catherine’s occupation was listed as Farming(sic). John worked as a general labourer and he could not read.  He was married and his wife was not listed on the census form.  Catherine’s house was listed as a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and the house had 3 rooms.  Catherine owned the land on which her house was situated along with 5 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 workshop and 1 shed.

Timothy Meara was 55 years old.  He was married to Anne Meara who was 38 years old.  Also listed were his daughters, Agness(sic) who was 9 years old and Teresa who was 7 years old.  Timothy and Anne could both read and write and they could both speak Irish and English.  Timothy listed his occupation as a blacksmith.  Agness and Teresa could read and write and they were both listed as scholars.  The Meara family lived in a 3rd class house with 2 front windows and the house had 3 rooms.  Mrs H Lewis of Ballynagar owned the land on which the house was situated along with 4 out offices consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 shed and 1 forge.

Patrick Collins was 30 years old.  He lived with his wife Jane who was 28 years old, his sons John who was 7, Michael who was 5, Martin who was 4, Patrick who was 3, Mary who was 2 and James who was 6 months.  Patrick listed his occupation as a shepherd and he could read and write.  He could speak Irish and English.  Jane could read and write.  John could read.  The rest of the children could not read.  The Collins family lived in a 2nd class house with 4 front windows and the house had 5 rooms.   Mrs H Lewis of Ballynagar owned the land on which the house was situated along with 4 out offices consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Richard Donohoe was 68 years old.  He lived with his nephew Hubert Donohoe who was 25 years old. Richard listed his occupation as a shepherd.  He could not read.  He could speak Irish and English and he was not married.  Hubert worked as a general labourer.  He could not read.  He was not married. They lived in a 3rd class house with 1 window and the house had 2 rooms.  Mrs H Lewis of Ballynagar owned the land on which the house was situated along with 2 out offices consisting of 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Martin Farrell was 68 years old and he was the only occupant in the house.  He could not read and he was not married.  His occupation was listed as a general labourer.  He lived in a 3rd class house.  His house had 1 front window and the house had 2 rooms.  Mrs H Lewis of Ballynagar owned the land on which the house was situated along with 2 out offices consisting of 1 piggery and 1 shed.

Census 1911

There were 10 inhabited houses and 2 uninhabited houses, at the time of the 1911 census with 57 inhabitants.  The N Form documented were 31 males and 26 females and all were Roman Catholics.  The heads of households were Francis Conroy, Catherine Molloy, Thomas Finn, John Kelly, John Monahan, Anne Mara, Thomas Burke, Patrick Collins, Thomas Downey and John Murray.  All occupants were born in Co. Galway except for the Downey Family where only the head of the family is listed on the census form as to where he was born and in the Collins family home, Jane Collins who was born in Co Meath.

The B1 Census Form showed that all of the houses except for 2 houses in Ballygowan were built and listed as private dwellings.  Every house roof except for 2 was made of permanent material while the house walls were made of permanent material. The B2 Form revealed a total of 79 farm buildings consisting of 10 stables, 1 coach house, 12 cow houses, 11 calf houses, 1 dairy, 11 piggeries, 11 fowl houses, 10 barns, 3 turf houses and 10 sheds.

Francis Conroy was 76 years old.  According to the 1911 census he was married to Mary Anne who was 54 years old and they were married for 34 years.  They had 9 children born and 7 children still living.  Also living in the house were his sons Pat who was 23 years old and William who was 29 years old, his daughters Mary Anne who was 20 years old and Belinda who was 16 years old, his daughter-in-law Mary Kate who was 33 years old, his grand-daughter Mary Kate who was 6 years old and his 4 grand-sons, William F(sic) who was 4 years old, Thos T(sic) who was 3 years old, John who was 2 years old and Pat who was 7 months old.  Francis was listed as farmer.  He could read and write and he could speak Irish and English.  Most of the family could read and write except for the younger family to include: Mary Kate, William F, Thos T, John and Pat.  According to the 1911 census William and Mary Kate were married for 7 years and they had 5 children still living.  William was listed as a farmer’s son.  Pat, who was Francis’ son, was listed as a farmer’s son also.  The Conroy house was listed as a 2nd class house with 4 front windows and 4 rooms.  Francis owned the land on which the house was situated along with 9 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 dairy, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Catherine Molloy, a widow, was 69 years old.  She lived with her daughter Annie who was 33 years old, her son James who was 30 and her grand-son John Michl(sic) Caghlan who was 2 years old.  Catherine and her children could all read and write and Catherine could speak Irish and English.  Both children were single and James was listed as a farmer.  Catherine lived in a 2nd class house and the house had 3 front windows and there were 4 rooms.  Catherine owned the land on which the house was situated along with 8 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 turf house and 1 shed.

Thomas Finn, a widower was 78 years old.  He lived with his son William who was 38 years old, his daughter-in-law Mary D who was 30 years old, his farm servant Michael Forde who was 42 years old and there was a visitor named Teresa Downey, a widow who was 58 years old.  Thomas was listed as a farmer.  At the time of the 1911 census he was married for 54 years and he had 11 children born alive, 8 of whom were still living (this has been crossed out on the census form).  According to the 1911 census William was married to Mary D for 1 year and they had 1 child still living.  William was listed as a farmer.  Teresa was also listed as a farmer. They could all read and write.  Thomas lived in a 2nd class house and the house had 3 front windows and there were 2 rooms.  Thomas owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

John Kelly was 74 years old.  He was married to Bridget who was 70 years old.  They lived with their son John who was 43 years old.  John listed his occupation as a farmer.  They could all read and write and they could all speak English.  At the time of the 1911 census John and Bridget were married for 51 years and they had 12 children born alive of whom 7 were still living.  John, their son, was single and he was listed on the census as a farmer’s son.  The Kelly family lived in a 2nd class house and it had 3 front windows.  There were 2 rooms. John owned the land on which his house was situated along with 8 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 turf house and 1 shed.

John Monahan, a widower who was deaf, was 73 years old.  He lived with his son Thomas who was 34 years old, his daughter Anne Quinn and his grand-daughter Mary Quinn.  John listed his occupation as a farmer.  They could all read and write.  Thomas was listed as a farmer’s son.  According to the 1911 census he was a single man but he was also listed as married for 2 years with 1 child born and still living at that time.  At the time of the 1911 census Anne was married for 2 years.  There is no listing on the 1911 census form for the birthplace of Mary Quinn.  John’s house was listed as a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and the house had 2 rooms.  John owned the land on which his house was situated along with 6 out offices consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 shed.

Anne Meara, a widow, was 65 years old.  She lived with her 2 daughters Aggie who was 17 years old and Teresa who was 15 years old.  Anne was listed as a farmer who could read and write and she also spoke English. Aggie was listed on the census as a labour(sic) and Teresa was listed as a laboure(sic).  Both daughters could read and write and they spoke English and Irish.  They lived in a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and there were 2 rooms in the house.  Anne owned the land on which the house was situated along with 5 out houses consisting of 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 shed.

Tomas O’Burca was 27 years old.  His census form for 1911 is completed in Irish.  According to the census of 1911 he was married to Muireadh for under a year.  (On the census form it states ‘faoi aon’). There is no listing on the census form for an occupation for Muireadh.  Also living in the house was Nora, who was a sister-in-law of Tomas.  She was 13 years old and she was listed as a scholar.  They could all read and write and Muireadh and Nora could both speak Irish and English.  Tomas’ house was listed as 2nd class with 3 front windows and there were 2 rooms in the house.  Tomas owned the land on which the house was situated along with 6 out houses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

Patrick Collins was 46 years old.  He lived with his wife Jane who was 40 years old, his sons Michael who was 16 years old, Patrick who was 14 years old, James who was 10 years old, Thomas who was 8 years old, Daniel who was 6 years old, William who was 4 years old, his daughters Mary Jane who was 12 years old and Kate who was 1 year old.  According to the 1911 census, Patrick and Jane were married for 18 years.  They had 10 children still living.  Jane was born in Co. Meath while the rest of the family were all born in Co Galway.  Patrick worked as a Shepherd.  There is no listing for Jane’s occupation.  Michael was a farmer servant.  Patrick, James, Thomas and Mary Jane were listed as scholars.  Patrick, the head of the family, James, Michael, Patrick, James and Thomas could all read and write.  Patrick (snr) and Patrick (jnr) could both speak Irish and English.  The Collins’ house was a 1st class house with 6 front windows and there were 13 rooms.  J H A Lewis owned the land on which the house was situated along with 7 out houses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Thomas Downey was 63 years old.  He was married to Bridget who was 46 years old.  According to the 1911 census they were married for 17 years and they had 7 children still living.  They lived with John J who was 16 years old, Martin who was 15 years old, Mary S who was 13 years old, Anne F who was 10 years old, Thomas who was 7, Patrick who was 6 years old, Agnes who was 2.  Also living in the house was Thomas’ brother named John who was 70 years old.  Thomas was listed as a farmer.  He could read and write and he spoke English.  There is no listing for an occupation for Bridget.  She could read and write.  All of the children listed except for Agnes, could read and write and they were listed as scholars. Downey’s house was listed as 2nd class with 3 front windows and there were 3 rooms in the house.  He owned the land on which the house was situated along with 7 out houses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

John Murray was 45 years old.  He was married to Bridget who was 33 years old.  According to the 1911 census they were married for 7 years and they did not have any children.  Also living in the house was John’s mother Mary, a widower(sic) who was 82 years old.  John worked as a farmer and he could read.  Bridget’s occupation was not listed and she could read and write.  Mary could not read and she could speak Irish. John’s house was listed as a 2nd class house with 3 front windows and there were 3 rooms in the house.  John owned the land on which the house was situated along with 8 out houses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 turf house and 1 shed.

Monuments & Architectural Heritage

The National Monument Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht records 3 archaeological monuments in the townland of Ballygowan on their website http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/.  They are unable to supply descriptive details for GA125-19 but give the following record details:

GA125-017—-

Class: Ringfort – rath

Townland: BALLYGOWAN

Description: On a rise in hilly pastureland. Poorly preserved subcircular rath (32m E-W; 29m N-S) defined by a scarp and external fosse. Modern field walls encircle the monument.

GA125-018—-

Class: Ringfort – rath

Desription: On N-facing slope of a hillock in rolling pastureland. Subcircular rath (38m E-W; 35m N-S), in fair condition, defined by a scarp, intervening fosse and outer bank. There is a modern causeway entrance gap at N.

GA125-019—-

Class: House – 18th/19th century

 

 

 

 

 

This page was added on 16/03/2015.

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