Aghany – Achánaidhe – Fields – Achanna - Galway County Heritage Office

In the Ordnance Survey Name Books, the first reference to this townland dates back to William III who reigned in Ireland from 1689 to 1702. The standard names given were Aughinney and Aughany. The Irish form was Achánaidhe meaning fields. Other authorities, mentioned in the OS Books, on the spelling of the name, were Rev. Francis Coghlan who spelled it as Aughinney while George D.H. Kirkaldy Esq. spelled it Aughinny or Aghany. According to the Irish Placenames Commission Achanna is now the official name of the townland in Irish.

Location

Aghany lies between Derrew, Kilcrow, Killiane, Oxgrove and Innishdeligney. It was a townland containing a few houses and a large portion of bog.

Census 1841, 1851

The census statistics records of 1841 denoted a population of seventeen people and two houses. The figure increased to twenty seven people but the number of houses remained the same in 1851. It should be noted that Aghany was one of the few townlands in the parish, which saw a substantial population increase during the Great Famine.

Griffith’s Valuation 1855

Griffith’s Valuation gave the total acreage as fifty nine acres, three roods and thirty eight perches, at a total annual valuation of £15.15s.0d. The townland consisted of two holdings, the Immediate Lessor (landowner) being George D.H. Kirkaldy. He leased out fifty seven acres, two roods and ten perches of land to Patrick Coghlan. Patrick Coghlan held offices (sheds) to the value of £1.5s.0d. on this holding and he leased out two acres, one rood and twenty eight perches to John Kirwan.