According to the Ordnance Survey Name Books the first mention of this townland was during the reign of William III (1689-1702), when the name was spelled Ballagagell and Ballaghagil. Baile Uí Chathail was the Irish form given, meaning O’Cahill’s town. It could not be established who O’Cahill was nor was any reference to a family of that name found. George D. H. Kirkaldy and Rev. Francis Coghan both wrote the name as Ballycahill. The official Irish name now given to this townland is Bealach Sháithil.
Location
The townlands of Killimor, Garrynasallagh, Garryard and Garryduff, Treananearla, Poulnahincha and Cloonconabeg surround the townland of Ballycahill. O’Donovan states that the townland contained a few farm houses, a corn mill, a Danish fort, a small portion of fir planting near the mill, a small portion of bog on its south east side and some arable land. The Ordnance Survey Map showed an eel weir and a flood gate.
Census 1841, 1851
Census statistics showed eight houses in Ballycahill in 1841 and nine in 1851, while the population during that decade decreased by seven, from fifty two to forty five people.
Griffith’s Valuation 1855
The acreage at the time of Griffith’s Valuation, was one hundred and fifty six acres, one rood and thirty two perches. John Connolly was the main landowner in the townland, owning all of the land, which he leased out to twenty tenants, while retaining six acres and thirty seven perches of bog for himself. The tenants were Michael Sughley, Mary McHugh, John Clarke, Joseph Laird, Patrick Flood, John Bernard, James Mohen, Ferdinand Campbell, Martin Broderick, James Ward, Patrick Quin, Thomas Raftery, Edward Campbell, John Coghlan, Thomas Quin, Michael Sughley (Rua), Michael Murphy, John Casey and John Connolly. Martin McDermott, one of the tenants held a house, corn mill and land; Edward Campbell held a house, office and land; Patrick Quin held a house and land; Michael Murphy and John Casey each had a house and land and Martin McDermott owned a house to the value of £1, which he leased to Thomas Quin. The holdings ranged in size, from thirty three acres and three perches held by Martin McDermott at a total annual valuation of £26.15s 0d. to one acre, two roods and twenty seven perches, held by James Ward at a total annual valuation of £1.3s.0d.
Census 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891
Census statistics for 1861 showed fifty four people occupying twelve houses. The population increased to seventy five people living in fifteen houses in 1871. By 1881 the population was reduced to sixty seven people living in thirteen houses and this trend continued with only twenty people living in four houses in 1891.
1901 Census
The 1901 census denoted the existence of four houses in Ballycahill.
Patrick Kelly
House 1 in the townland of Ballycahill was the residence of the Kelly family. Patrick Kelly was head of family. He was a 43 year old farmer. His wife Catherine was 48. Their 3 children, Timothy, aged 19, was listed as farmer’s son and Mary E, 16, was a farmer’s daughter while Michael, 14, was a scholar. None of the children were married. All the family could read and write. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic.
Form B 1 – House and Building Return – showed that Patrick Kelly was a landholder on which his 2nd class private dwelling was built. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was of thatch or wood. The house had 3 front windows and they occupied 2 rooms.
A stable, a piggery and a shed were listed in Form B 2 – Return of Out-Offices and Farm- Steadings.
Patrick Kelly signed the census form which was collected on April 10th and Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator.
Mary Reilly
Form A listed Mary Reilly, in house 2 in Ballycahill, as head of family. She was a 50 year old widow, and farmer, who could not read. Her son, Michael, 26, was a shepherd. Another son, James, a farmer’s son, was aged 24. Her daughter, Annie, 21, was listed as farmer’s daughter. Her 3 children were not married and they could read and write. All the family were Roman Catholic and born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 showed Mary Reilly’s 2nd class private dwelling was situated on her own land. It had walls of stone/brick or concrete with thatch or wood roof. It had 3 windows in front and they occupied 2 rooms.
Form B 2 listed her 2 out-offices as a piggery and a shed.
Constable Michael Mulligan, the Enumerator, witnessed Mary’s mark x on the census form which was collected on 10th April.
James Nolan
The only resident in house 3, in 1901, was James Nolan, aged 55, a corn miller. He was not married and could read and write. He was Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 showed James was the landholder on whose land his 2nd class private dwelling was built. It had walls of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was slate/iron or tiles. It had 5 windows to the front and he occupied 4 rooms.
Form B 2 noted that his out-office was a stable.
James Nolan signed the census form and Michael Mulligan, Constable, was the Enumerator and it was collected on April 10th.
Bridget Fahey
Form A of the 1901 census showed Bridget Fahey in house 4 and she was head of family. She was a 65 year old widow who could not read. Her stepson, John Fahey, was a 30 year old agricultural labourer who was not married. Residing with them, as a lodger, was 50 year old Thomas Muldoon. Thomas was widowed and could not read. Another lodger was Pat Muldoon, 15, not married, and they were both agricultural labourers. Pat could read and write.
Form B 1 recorded that Bridget Fahey’s 3rd class private dwelling was built on F.W. Lynch’s land. It had walls of stone/brick or concrete and a thatch or wood roof with 2 windows to the front and 4 rooms.
No out-offices were listed on Form B 2.
Bridget’s mark x on the census form was witnessed by Michael Mulligan, Constable, who was also the Enumerator, and it was collected on 10th April.
1911 Census
The name Nolan does not appear in the 1911 census, while the surnames Kelly, Reilly and Fahey were still registered as owning the same type of house as in 1901. In the 1911 census Francis Lynch was recorded as having a Manufactory in the townland.
Patrick Kelly
Form A of the census for Ballycahill townland in 1911 listed Patrick Kelly as head of family in house 1. He was 55, a farmer and married to Catherine, aged 71, for 29 years and had 3 living children. Their 3 children, not married, were 28 year old Timothy, 25 year old, Mary Ellen and 23 year old Michael. All the family could read and write. Catherine spoke Irish and English. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 – House and Building Return – showed that Patrick Kelly owned the holding on which their 2nd class private dwelling was situated. It had walls of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was wood or thatch. The house had 2 front windows and they occupied 4 rooms.
Form B 2 listed their 4 out-offices as a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator and Patrick Kelly signed the census form which was collected 10th April.
Mary Reilly
House 2 in Ballycahill was listed as that of the Reilly family. Mary Reilly was head of family. She was 75 and an old-age-pensioner and widowed. She could speak English and Irish. Her son, Michael, 36, a shepherd, was single. Her daughter, Annie, 35, and son James, 33, were also single. James was s stone mason. They were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway.
Mary Reilly owned the land where her 3rd class private dwelling was built. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete with thatch or wood roof. It had 2 windows in front and they occupied 2 rooms.
Form B 2 showed their out-offices were a fowl house and a shed.
Mary Reilly signed the census form which was collected on 10th April.
William Pender, Constable, was the Enumerator.
John Fahey
John Fahey was head of family in house 3 in Ballycahill. He was 36, a farmer, and married to Ellen for 8 years. They had 1 child born alive. Ellen was also 36 and they both could read and write. They were Roman Catholic and born in Co. Galway.
Form B 1 showed that John Fahey was the landholder on whose land their 3rd class private dwelling was built. The walls were of stone/brick or concrete and the roof was thatch or wood with 2 windows to the front and they occupied 2 rooms.
No out-offices were listed on Form B 2.
Constable William Pender was the Enumerator and John Fahey signed the census form which was collected on 10th April.
Manufactory
Form B 1 – House and Buildings Returns – showed a manufactory built on the holding of Francis W. Lynch in Ballycahill in 1911. No other information was listed.
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