Coolfin

Information taken from a variety of official documents

Research: Noreen Shiel, Abbey Heritage

Coolfin Townland

 

Coolfin, Chúl Fionn – White Back

The townland of Coolfin is situated in the civil parish of Ballinakill, in the electoral district of Newtownabbey/Abbeyville, in the barony of Leitrim and in the county of Galway. It is situated in the north east end of the parish of Ballynakill (sic) about 2¾ miles north east of Woodford. There is much bog in this townland in the east end. The west end is under cultivation and grazing ground. Coolfin castle in ruins is situated near the centre is used as a trigonometrical point and it forms a very remarkable feature.

According to O’Donovan’s Field Name Books (1838) the standard name for the townland is Coolfin and its Irish form is Cúl Fin. The translation of the name is given as ‘white back’. In addition to this, the townland name has had various spellings assigned to it over time. They include the following: Cartte of Coolfin listed in the Inq. Temp. Jac. 1; Coolin listed in Inq. Temp. Jac. 1; Colyfine listed in Inq. Temp. Car. 1; Coolefin listed in Inq. Temp. Gul. 111; Coolfin listed in B S Sketch; Colfin from the Grand Jury Presentments; Cutfinn or Culfinn from the Alphabl List of Townlands. It was known as Coolfinn in Larkins County Map and as Coolfin in Hyath. Clarke Esq. Cowlfeyne was listed in Inq. Temp. Jac. 1 and also Cuilfine in Inq. Temp. Jac. 1.

The Down Survey Map 1641 (pre Cromwell) states that the owner of Coolfin was Earl Clanrickard (Protestant). The Down Survey Map 1670 (post Cromwell) shows that the owner remained the same. According to Down’s Survey the acreage of profitable land of Coolfin was 199 plantation acres.

Tithe Applotment 1834

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 Coolfin was undertaken in 1834. It states that the townland of Coolfin was in the parish of Ballinakill and in the Diocese of Clonfert and Kilmacduagh.

There was one proprietor in the townland at this time, namely Lord Riverston. According to the Tithe Applotment Books he held 275 acres 0 rood and 39 perches of land which was occupied by 35 named 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:

Pat Kelly held 11 acres 0 roods and 19 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £10 0s 2d. He paid 6 shillings of a tithe tax. The Bishop got 9 pence and the Vicar received 3s 9d which was a total of 4s 6d.

Denis Kelly held 6 acres 1 roods and 37 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 16s 8d. He paid 3s 6d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5¼d and the Vicar received 2s 2¼d which was a total of 2s 7½d .

Thos [Thomas] Burke held 15 acres 0 roods and 7 perches of land that was valued at £1 per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £15 0s 10d. He paid 9s 0d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 1s 1½d and the Vicar received 5s 7½d which was a total of 6s 9d.

Jno [John] Donohue held 12 acres 2 roods and 36 perches of land that was valued at £1 1s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £13 7s 3d. He paid 8s 0d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 1s 0d and the Vicar received 5s 0d which was a total of 6s 0d.

Pat Melody  held 6 acres 1 roods and 18 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £7 0s 0d. He paid 4s 2¾d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 6½d and the Vicar received 2s 7½d which was a total of 3s 2d.

Jas [James] Melody  held 6 acres 1 roods and 18 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £7 0s 0d. He paid 4s 2¾d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 6½d and the Vicar received 2s 7½d which was a total of 3s 2d.

Thos [Thomas] Fahy held 8 acres 2 roods and 26 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £9 10s 7d. He paid 5s 8d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 8¼d and the Vicar received 3s 6¾d which was a total of 4s 3d .

Jas [James] Fahy held 4 acres 1 rood and 13 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 15s 4d. He paid 2s 10d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 4½d and the Vicar received 1s 9d which was a total of 2s 1½d.

Darby Donelly held 10 acres of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £11. He paid 6s 7d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 9¾d and the Vicar received 4s 1½d which was a total of 4s 11¼d.

Thos [Thomas] Glynn held 10 acres 1 rood and 0 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £9 4s 6d. He paid 5s 6d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 8¼d and the Vicar received 3s 5¼d which was a total of 4s 1½d.

Edw [Edward] Murphy held 10 acres 3 rood and 10 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £11 17s 10d. He paid 7s 1d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 10½d and the Vicar received 4s 5¼d which was a total of 5s 3¾d.

Wm [William] Donohue held 8 acres 3 roods and 23 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £8 0s 1d. He paid 4s 10d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 7½d and the Vicar received 3 shillings which was a total of 3s 7½d.

Michl [Michael] Conry held 13 acres 1 rood and 11 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £11 19s 9d. He paid 7s 2d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 10½d and the Vicar received 4s 6d which was a total of 5s 4½d.

Jas [James] Martyn held 7 acres 2 rood and 39 perches of land that was valued at £1 2s 0d per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £8 10s 5d. He paid 5s 1d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 7½d and the Vicar received 3s 2¼d which was a total of 3s 9¾d.

Jas [James] Hamilton held 6 acres 2 rood and 21 perches of land that wa s valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 19s 4d. He paid 3s 7d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5¼d and the Vicar received 2s 3d which was a total of 2s 8¼d.

Pat Hamilton held 4 acres 1 rood and 28 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £3 19s 8d. He paid 2s 5d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6d which was a total of 1s 9¾d.

Wm [William] Hamilton held 4 acres 1 rood and 27 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £3 19s 7d. He paid 2s 5d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6d which was a total of 1s 9¾d.

John Walsh held 4 acres 2 roods and 32 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 4s 8d. He paid 2s 6d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6¾d which was a total of 1s 10½d.

John Mahony held 4 acres 2 roods and 32 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 4s 8d. He paid 2s 6d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6¾d which was a total of 1s 10½d.

David Callanan held 5 acres 3 roods and 37 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 7s 8d. He paid 3s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5d and the Vicar received 2s 0d which was a total of 2s 5d.

Simon Moran held 5 acres 3 roods and 37 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 7s 8d. He paid 3s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5d and the Vicar received 2s 0d which was a total of 2s 5d.

Pat Moran held 5 acres 3 roods and 37 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 7s 8d. He paid 3s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5d and the Vicar received 2s 0d which was a total of 2s 5d.

Wilm [William] Caulfield held 5 acres 3 roods and 29 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £5 6s 9d. He paid 3s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 5d and the Vicar received 2s 0d which was a total of 2s 5d.

Michl [Michael] Jourdan held 4 acres 1 rood and 31 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 0s 0d. He paid 2s 5d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6d which was a total of 1s 9¾d.

John Maden held 4 acres 1 rood and 30 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £3 19s 11d. He paid 2s 5d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¾d and the Vicar received 1s 6d which was a total of 1s 9¾d.

Pat Loughnan held 2 acres 0 rood and 35 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 0s 0d. He paid 1s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 1¾d and the Vicar received 9d which was a total of 10¾d.

John Jordan held 2 acres 0 rood and 35 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 0s 0d. He paid 1s 2½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 1¾d and the Vicar received 9d which was a total of 10¾d.

Edw Cleary held 4 acres 3 rood and 33 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £4 9s 3d. He paid 2s 8½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 4¼d and the Vicar received 1s 8¼d which was a total of 2s ½d.

John Glynn held 3 acres and 10 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 15s 2d. He paid 1s 7½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 2½d and the Vicar received 1s 0d which was a total of 1s 2½d.

Pat Lyons held 4 acres 1 rood and 9 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £3 17s 6d. He paid 2s 3½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 3¼d and the Vicar received 1s ¾d which was a total of 1s 8½d.

Denis Mahon held 3 acres and 10 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 15s 2d. He paid 1s 7½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 2½d and the Vicar received 1s 0d which was a total of 1s 2½d.

Jas  Kerivan held 2 acres 3 roods and 34 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £2 13s 4d. He paid 1s 7¼d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 2½d and the Vicar received 1s 0d which was a total of 1s 2½d.

Bryan Conry held 2 acres and 10 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £1 17s 2d. He paid 1s 1¼d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 2d and the Vicar received 8½d which was a total of 10¼d.

Laurence Fahy held 2 roods and 25 perches of land that was valued at 18 shillings per Irish acre and had a total valuation of 11s 10d. He paid 3½d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got ¼d and the Vicar received 2¼d which was a total of 2½d.

Lord Riverston held 60 acres of land that was valued at one shilling per Irish acre and had a total valuation of £3 0s 0d. He paid 1s 9¾d of a tithe tax.  The Bishop got 2¾d and the Vicar received 1s 1½d which was a total of 1s 4¼d.

1851 Old Age Pension Census Search forms

Michael Burke – Application Number C17 598

Michael Burke with an address of Coolfin, Abbey PO, Loughrea, Co Galway applied for the old age pension on 24th January, 1921. According to Michael his parents were Thomas Burke and Brigid Broderick. The form shows that his father was not the head of the family in 1851. Instead, it was a Thomas Burke who married in 1806. The extract from the 1851 census reveals that Michael’s parents Thomas and Brigid married in 1848. Michael gave his address in 1851 as Coolfin. The form also shows that his application fee of 2 shillings was returned and this indicates that he was not successful in obtaining the old age pension at this time.

Michael Burke – Application Number C24 7190

Michael Burke with an address of Curra PO, Loughrea, Co Galway applied for the old age pension on 18th November, 1921. According to Michael his parents were Thomas Burke and Brigid Broderick. The extract from the 1851 census reveals that Michael’s parents Thomas and Brigid married in 1848. It further states that there were no children listed on Sheet 1. The names Michael, Sarah and Ann are written on the form as the 3 ‘eldest’. It states that the Reg. Genl. Charlemont House would have no entries of births before the 1st Jan 1864. Michael gave his address in 1851 as Coolfin. The form also shows that his application fee of 2 shillings was returned and this indicates that he was not successful in obtaining the old age pension at this time.

Sarah Burke – Application Number 920 11110

The applicant, Sarah Burke gave an address of Sarah Hackett, Rossmore, Woodford, Loughrea, Co Galway. She applied for the old age pension on 24th January, 1921. According to Sarah her parents were Thomas Burke and Bridge (sic) Broderick. The form shows that her father was not the head of the family in 1851. Instead it was a Thomas Burke who was 72 years old. His son Thomas who was 35 years of age and his 28 year old daughter-in-law, Bridget resided with him. The extract from the 1851 census revealed that Sarah’s parents Thomas and Bridget married in 1848. There was no return for Sarah. The form also shows that her application fee of 2 shillings was returned which indicates that she was not successful in obtaining the pension at this time.

Griffiths Valuation

Griffiths Valuation (1855), states that Coolfin consisted of 451 acres 2 roods and 24 perches of land. The land valuation was £177 5s 0d and the building valuation was £13 0s 0d. The total valuation for the townland was £190 5s 0d. Anthony F Nugent was the immediate leaser of all the land. The occupiers include the following: Patrick Moloney, Thomas Burke, Lawrence Fahy, Thomas Fahy, James Martin, John Donohoe, James Donohoe, John Moran, John Callinan, John Jordan, Michael Conry, James Fahy, Thomas Fahy, John Donohoe, Denis Kelly, Patrick Kelly, John Glynn, John Wade, Michael Conry, William Craughwell, Thomas Fahy, James Fahy, James Martin, John Walsh, Thomas Glynn, Jeremiah Donnelly and Anthony F Nugent.

Patrick Moloney paid a total annual valuation of £10 15s 0d. Thomas Burke paid a total annual valuation of £22 10s 0d for a house, offices and land. Lawrence Fahy paid a total annual valuation of rateable property of £1 10s 0d for 2 plots of land and a house. James Fahy and Thomas Fahy leased a house, offices and land each from Anthony E Nugent. Thomas had a total annual valuation of rateable property of £8 15s 0d and James paid £4 15s 0d. James Nesbitt paid £7 15s 0d in annual valuation of rateable property for a house, office and land. John Donohoe paid £14 15s 0d in annual valuation of rateable property for a house, office and land while James Donohoe paid £13 15s 0d. Plot 8 was divided between 8 tenants, 4 of whom had a house, offices and land. These four paid the following amounts: John Moran paid £4 15s 0d, John Callanan paid £4 15s 0d, John Jordan paid £6 15s 0d. The remaining four tenants leased land only and they paid the following in annual valuation: James Martin paid £4 5s 0d; James Fahy paid £2 0s 0d; Thomas Fahy paid £4 5s 0d and John Donohoe paid £6 5s 0d. Plot number 9 was leased to nine tenants. Two of them were renting a house, office and land: Denis Kelly paid £0 10s 0d and John Glynn paid £4 13s 0d. Patrick Kelly paid £11 10s 0d in total annual valuation of rateable property for a house, offices and land and John Walsh paid £3 15s 0d for a house and land. The following 5 tenants paid the following for land only: Michael Conry paid £3 5s 0d, William Craughwell paid £3 5s 0d, Thomas Fahy paid £1 10s 0d, James Fahy paid £1 10s 0d, and James Martin paid £2 15s 0d. John Walsh paid £7 5s 0d in total annual valuation for a house and land he leased from Anthony F Nugent. Thomas Glynn paid £8 5s 0d for a house, offices and land also leased from Anthony F Nugent in Coolfin. Jeremiah Donnelly paid £8 10s 0d for a house and land. Anthony F Nugent paid £0 5s 0d for bog he owned in Coolfin.

Census 1901

The N Form shows that there were fifteen inhabited houses at the time of the 1901 census with 83 inhabitants. There were 50 males and 33 females and all were Roman Catholics. The head of the households were: Martin Donohoe, Bridget Donohoe, Michael Burke, Lawrence Tuohy, Michael Geraghty, Patrick Watson, John Callanan, John Moran, John Jordan, Michael Derivan [Dervan], Michael Kelly, Michael Kelly, John Kelly, James Lyons and Honor Donnelly. All, apart from two residents, were born in Co Galway. The census forms were collected on either 2nd April or 6th April. The B1 Census Form showed that all the houses were private dwellings and the walls in all cases were built using a permanent material. The B2 Form shows that there were a total of 71 outhouses consisting of 12 stables, 14 cow houses, 8 calf houses, 11 piggeries, 6 fowl houses, 9 barns, 1 potato house and 11 sheds.

Martin Donohoe was a 60 year old farmer and he could read and write, as could all the other occupants of house number one. He spoke both Irish and English. His wife, Margaret Donohoe, was 35 and she also spoke English and Irish as did his 17 year old son James. No language is listed for the other family members. The other occupants included Martin’s 15 year old daughter, Mary and his three younger sons: John Donohoe who was 13 years old, Thomas who was 11 years old and Patrick who was 9 years old. Martin Donohoe’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. Martin Donohoe owned the holding on which the house was built and he had 5 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Bridget Donahue was a 60 year old widow and her occupation was given as farming (sic). She and all her family could read and write. She spoke both English and Irish but the other family members spoke English only. She lived with her three sons: Patrick who was 22 years old, Joseph who was 20 years old and Thomas who was 18 years old. Farming is listed as the occupation for all of them and they are all single. Bridget’s 26 year old daughter, Teresa is also living with her. She is not married and there is no occupation listed for her. Bridget Donahue’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. She owned the holding on which the house was built and she had 6 outhouses that included 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Michael Burke was a 50 year old farmer. He lived with his wife Maria who was 39 years old and their children: Thomas who was 9 years of age; Patrick who was 7 years old; Michael was 5 years old Laurence who was 4 years old; Mary was 2 years old and one year old John. Michael, the head of the household was the only member of the family who spoke Irish and English. Thomas, Patrick and Michael were scholars. Michael, Maria, Thomas and Patrick could read and write while 5 year old Michael could read only. Michael Burke’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. Michael Burke owned the holding on which the house was built and he had 7 outhouses that consisted of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house,1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Laurence Fahey was 63 years of age and was a widowed farmer. He lived with his 24 year old son Michael. Both of them could read and write but Lawrence can speak English and Irish. Michael was not married. Lawrence Fahey’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 2 inhabitants sharing 3 rooms. Lawrence owned the holding on which the house was built and he had 4 outhouses including 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Michael Geraghty was a 60 year old farmer. He lived with his wife Catherine who was 52 years old and his sons Thomas who was 23 years old, John who was 17 years old, Lawrence who was 11 years old and James who was 9 years old. His daughters, Katie who was 17 years old and Winifred who was 15 as well as a one year old granddaughter Mary Whyte, were also living with Michael. Michael and Catherine could speak English and Irish but the rest of the family spoke English only. All of the family could read and write except for John who could read only and Mary the infant granddaughter. Michael Geraghty’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. Michael owned the holding on which the house was built and had 5 outhouses including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Patrick Watson was a 25 year old single farmer. He lived with his three cousins: Mary Martin who was 5 years old, Teresa Martin who was 3 years old and Margaret Martin who was 2 years old. Mary Power, a 65 year old domestic servant was also an occupant. Patrick was the only occupant who could read and write. Patrick Watson’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. Patrick owned the holding on which the house was built and also had 5 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 6th April, 1901.

John Callanan was a widower who was 80 years of age and lived with his son Patrick who was 30 years old, Margaret, his 25 year old daughter-in-law and his 3 month old granddaughter, Mary Callanan. John was a farmer who could read and write and spoke Irish and English. All the other occupants could read and write (including 3 month old Mary but this is obviously a mistake). There is no language listed for them so it may be assumed that they spoke English only. John Callanan’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. John owned the holding on which the house was built and he had 5 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

John Moran was a 78 year old widowed farmer. He lived with his son-in-law Michael Goonan who was 38 years old, his daughter Margaret who was 27 years old, his 6 year old granddaughter Mary, his grandsons 5 year old John and Thomas who was 2 years, Mary Glynn who was described as a 75 year old single lodger. John Moran and Mary Glynn both spoke English and Irish and there is no language listed for the others. John, Michael, Margaret and Mary who was listed as a scholar, were the only ones who could read and write. John Moran’s house had 2 front windows and it was listed as a third class house with 3 rooms. John Moran owned the land on which the house was built and he had 4 outhouses consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

John Jordan was a farmer and he was 78 years of age. He lived with his three sisters: Mary who was 66 years old, Anne who 54 years old and Bridget who was 52 years old. All of them could read and write except Mary who could read only. All of them spoke English and Irish except Bridget. None of them was married. John Jordan’s house had a roof built of a non-perishable material, such as slate or tiles. There were 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. John owned the land on which the house was built and had 6 outhouses including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Michael Derivan (sic) [Dervan] was a 54 year old farmer. He lived with his wife Margaret who was 45 years old, his sons Michael who was 7 years old, Martin who was 4 years old and John who was 3 years old and his daughters, 9 year old Mary and 3 month old Bridget. Michael and Margaret could read and write and spoke English and Irish. Mary, Michael and Martin were scholars. Mary and Michael could read and write and Martin could read only. Michael Derivan’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. Michael Derivan owned the land on which the house was built and he had 5 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Michael Kelly was a 60 year old farmer. He lived with his wife Ellen who was 50 years old and his 27 year old son James and his daughters, Lizzie who was 21 years old and Margret who was 13 years old. All the family were born in Co Galway, except for Ellen who was born in Co Clare. All the family could read and write and Michael and Ellen spoke English and Irish. James was a farm labourer, Lizzie was a domestic and Margret was a scholar. None of the children were married. Michael Kelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. Michael was the landowner on whose holding the property was situated and he had 6 outhouses including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

Michael Kelly was 55 years of age and he was a farmer who spoke both Irish and English. He lived with his wife Kate who was 51 years old, his sons Denis who was 23 years old, Michael who was 21 years old, Timothy who was 19 years of age, John who was 16 years old and 10 year old Patt. Kate was the only member of the family who was not born in Co Galway as she was listed as a native of Co Clare. Denis and Timothy were labourers and Michael was a tailor. John and Patt were scholars. Michael Kelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. Michael himself was the landowner on whose holding the property was situated and he had 4 outhouses consisting 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 2nd April, 1901.

John Kelly was a 63 year old labourer. He was married, could read and write and spoke both English and Irish. John Kelly’s house had 2 front windows and it was listed as a third class house with 3 rooms. John himself was the landowner on whose holding the property was situated and he had 3 outhouses consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 6th April, 1901.

James Lyons, a farmer was 40 years of age. He lived with his wife Catherine who was 37 years old and his five sons, Patrick who was 20 years old, Denis who was 10 years old, Michael who was 7 years of age, William who was 3 years old, James who was a year old and his daughter Bridget who was 12 years old. All the family could read and write except the two youngest children William and James. None of the children are married. Patrick was a labourer and Bridget, Denis and Michael were scholars. James Lyons’ house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. James himself owned the land on which the house was built and he had 3 outhouses consisting of 1 cow house, 1 piggery, and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 6th April, 1901.

Hanora (sic) Donnelly was 60 year old farmer. She was a widow and lived with her two sons, Daniel who was 35 years old and Michl (sic) [Michael] who was 30 years old as well as her daughter Anne who was 25 years old. She spoke both Irish and English as did all the other family members except Anne. All of them could read and write. None of the children were married. Hanora Donnelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. Hanora herself owned the land on which the house was built. She had 6 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed. The Census Form A was collected on 6th April, 1901.

1911 Census

There were fourteen inhabited houses in Coolfin at the time of the 1911 census. The N Form documents that there were 88 inhabitants with 56 males and 32 females and all were Roman Catholics. All of the residents were born in Co Galway apart from two people: Ellen Kelly was born in Co Clare and James W Carthy who was a resident in the Watson household was born in Co Dublin. The head of the households were: Thomas Donohue, Lawrence Fahy, Michael Burke, Martin Donohue, James Kelly, Micáel Ó Derbán [Michael Dervan], James Lyons, Michael Goonan, Patrick Callanan, Hanoria Donnelly, Annie Jordain, Patrick Watson, Michael Geraghty. Each head of the household owned the land on which their house was situated.

The B1 Census Form shows that all the houses were built as private dwellings. All the houses had walls built of a permanent material while all apart from one house had roofs made from perishable materials. The B2 Form shows that there were a total of 74 outhouses consisting of 11 stables, 15 cow houses, 1 calf house, 15 piggeries, 6 fowl houses, 12 barns, and 14 sheds.

Thomas Donohue was a 29 year old farmer. He lived with his wife Bridget who was 30 years old, his sons, Michael who was 4 years of age, John and Patrick who were 2 years old and 6 month old Edward, along with his 3 year old daughter Mary. Thomas and Bridget could read and write and they were married for 6 years when the census was taken and had 5 children, all living at the time. Thomas Donohue’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. Thomas owned the land on which the house was built and he had 7 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Lawrence Fahy was 75 years of age and he was a widowed farmer. He lived with his son, Mich (sic) [Michael] who was 39 years old and his daughter-in-law, Teresa who was 28 years old. There are no details on how long Mich and Teresa are married. All three occupants could read and write and spoke English and Irish. Lawrence Fahy’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. He owned the land on which the house was built and had 4 outhouses including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house and 1 piggery.

Michael Burke was 63 years of age and he was a farmer. He lived with his wife, Marie who was 49 years old and his sons, Thomas who was 19 years of age, Patrick who was 18 years old, Michael who was 17 years old, Laurence who was 15 years old, John Joe who was 11 years old, Martin who was 9 years of age, 7 year old Dominick and his daughter, Mary who was 12 years old. Michael could read only but all the other members of his family could read and write. Michael and Marie spoke English only but all of their children spoke English and Irish. They had been married for twenty years when the census was taken and had 9 children. Thomas, Patrick, and Michael were all listed as farm labourers and their younger siblings were scholars. Michael Burke’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and he had 6 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Martin Donohue was a widowed farmer who was 58 years of age. He lived with his five adult children: James who was 30 years of age, Mary who was 28 years of age, John who was 26 years of age, 24 year old Thomas and 22 year old Patrick. He and all his family could read and write. He had 5 children when the 1911 census was taken and all were living at that time. All of the children were single and the occupation of James, John, Thomas and Patrick was listed as farmer’s son. Martin Donohue’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. He owned the land on which the house was built and had 7 outhouses consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

James Kelly was 40 years of age and lived with his wife Bridget who was 32 years old, his three children: Mary Ellen who was 3 years old, Michael Joe who was 2 years of age and 1 year old Patrick, his father Michael who was 70 years old, his mother Ellen who was 65 years old and his 24 year old sister Mary. James was a farmer and was married to Bridget for 5 years when the census was taken and they had three children who were all surviving at the time. All the adults could read and write and spoke English and Irish. James’ mother, Ellen, was born in Co Clare and was one of two residents in Coolfin at the time not born in Co Galway. James’ sister, Mary was not married. Michael Kelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. He owned the land on which the house was built and had 8 outhouses, consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn, 1 potato house and 1 shed.

Micáel Ó Derbán [Dervan] was 69 years of age and his birthplace is listed as Duniry, Co Galway but the other occupants were all born in Coolfin. Micáel [Michael] lived with his wife Margaret who was 55 years old, his daughter Máire who was 20 years old and his sons: Micael who was 20 years old, Martín [Martin] who was 17 years of age, and Seághan [ Sean/John] who was 14 years old. Micáel and Margaret were married for 22 years when the 1911 census was taken and they had 6 children, 4 of whom were surviving at the time. He was married to Margaret Dervan for 22 years and they had 6 children, 4 of whom survive. They all spoke English and Irish and could read and write. Micáel was a farmer and Seághan was a scholar but there is no occupation listed for the other members of the family. None of the children are married. Micáel Ó Derbán’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 4 rooms. He owned the land on which the house was built and he had 4 outhouses, including 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

Michael Kelly was 69 years of age and he lived with wife Katherine who was 65 years old, and his sons Denis who was 36 years of age and John who was 28 years of age. Michael and Katherine were married for 39 years when the census was taken and had two sons both of whom were living at the time. Michael, Denis and John were all listed as farmers and Katherine’s occupation was given as labourer. Michael had nothing listed under literacy but the others could read and write. None of them spoke Irish. The two sons were single. Michael Kelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and had 5 outhouses including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

James Lyons was 60 years of age and lived with his wife Catherine who was 56 years of age, his daughter Bridget who was 22 years old and his sons: Denis who was 20 years old, Michl [Michael] who was 17 years old, William who was 14 years old and 10 year old James. James and Catherine were married for 34 years when the census was taken and they had 7 children, all of whom were alive at the time. All the family except for James the head of the family and 10 year old James could read and write. James senior was a farmer and Denis and Michl [Michael] were labourers while William and James were scholars. There is no occupation listed for Catherine and Bridget. James Lyons’ house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and had 4 outhouses, 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, and 1 shed.

Michael Goonan was 65 years of age and lived with his wife, Margaret who was 45 years old, his daughter Mary J who was 17 years old and his sons: John who was 15 years old, Thomas who was 13 years old and 5 year old Michael. Michael and Margaret were married for 18 years when the census was taken and they had four children and all of them were alive at the time. All the family apart from 5 year old Michael could read and write and all the family spoke both Irish and English. Michael was a farmer but there is no occupation listed for any other member of the family. Michael Goonan’s house had 2 front windows and it was listed as a third class house with 3 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and had 4 outhouses, 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 shed.

Patrick Callanan was 47 years of age and he lived with his wife Margaret who was 32 years old and his daughters Mary who was 10 years of age, Delia who was 8 years old, Katie who was 6 years old and 3 year old Annie. Also residing with him were his sons Michael who was 4 years old and 1 year old Patrick as well as his father John who was 86 years of age. Patrick and Margaret were married for 13 years when the 1911 census was taken and they had 8 children, 6 of whom were alive at the time. Patrick was a farmer but there is no occupation listed for the other members of the family. Patrick, Margaret, Mary and Delia could read and write and spoke Irish and English. Katie could read only. John was a widower and had been married for 54 years. He spoke Irish and English. Patrick Callanan’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was situated and had 6 outhouses, including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Hanoria (Sic) Donnelly was 73 years of age and she lived with her adult children, Patt who was 48 years of age, Michal who was 39 years old and Annie who was 35 years old. She was a farmer and a widow who had been married for 50 years. She had 8 children, 7 of whom were alive at the time. Patt and Annie can read and write but Hanoria and Michal cannot. Hanoria spoke Irish and English but the rest of the family only spoke English. Patt was the only one of Hanoria’s family that is listed as married but 25 years is entered opposite Michal’s name in the years married section of the census form. Hanoria Donnelly’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 3 rooms. She owned the land on which their house was situated and had 2 outhouses, consisting of 1 stable and 1 cow house.

Annie Jordain [Jordan] was 74 years of age and lived with her sister Bridget who was 73 years of age. Annie was a farmer and she could read and write and was single. Her sister, Bridget Jordan was not married and could not read and write. Annie Jordain’s house was built as a private dwelling and was inhabited. Its walls were built of permanent material and the roof was of a permanent material like, slate or tiles. There were 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with sharing 5 rooms. She owned the land on which their house was built and had 3 outhouses, consisting of 1 cow house, 1 fowl house, and 1 shed.

Patrick Watson was 35 years of age and lived with his wife Bridget who was 33 years old. They were married for 7 years when the 1911 census was taken and had 4 children who were all alive at the time. They lived with their children: Robert who was 7 years old, Michael John who was 5 years of age, Thomas who was 3 years old and Mary Ann who was 2 years old. Also resident with them were Teresa Martin, a 14 year old servant and James W Carthy, a 25 years old servant. James was single and was born in Co Dublin. Patrick was listed as a farmer and Robert and Michael John were scholars. James was listed as a farm labourer. All the residents could read and write except for the two youngest children, Thomas and Mary Ann. Patrick Watson’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a second class house with 5 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and had 7 outhouses, including 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Michael Geraghty was the head of the family in house number fourteen and was 76 years of age. He and all his family were born in Co Galway. A farmer, he could read only. He was married to Catherine Geraghty for 37 years and they had 8 children, all living. Catherine Geraghty was 72 years and could read and write. Thomas Geraghty was the eldest son and was 32 years of age. He was not married, was a farm labourer and could read and write. John Geraghty was 28 and was not married and was a farm labourer who could read and write. Winifred Geraghty was 23, single and could read and write. Lawrence Geraghty was 20, single, a farm labourer and could read and write. James Geraghty was 18, a farm labourer, was single and could read and write. Mary Geraghty was Michael Geraghty’s grand daughter and she was 11 years old. She was a scholar who could read and write and spoke Irish and English. Michael Geraghty’s house had 3 front windows and it was listed as a third class house with 4 rooms. He owned the land on which their house was built and had 5 outhouses, consisting of 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 fowl house, 1 barn and 1 shed.

Monuments & Architectural Heritage

Architectural Heritage

The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) on its website www.buildingsofireland.ie does not have any records pertaining to the townland of Coolfin.

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

 

GA125-040—-

Class: Castle – tower house

Townland: COOLFIN (Leitrim By.)

Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes

Description: We regret that we are unable to supply descriptive details for this record at present.

 

GA125-040001-

Class: Earthwork

Townland: COOLFIN (Leitrim By.)

Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: Yes

Description: We regret that we are unable to supply descriptive details for this record at present.

 

GA126-019—-

Class: Quarry

Townland: COOLFIN (Leitrim By.)

Scheduled for inclusion in the next revision of the RMP: No

Description: On a hillock in undulating pastureland. A hachured feature marked on the 1947-8 revision of the OS 6-inch map proved on inspection in 1984 to be a disused sand pit. As it is of post-AD 1700 date it does not come within the remit of the Archaeological Survey of Ireland.

This page was added on 25/10/2014.

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