Ballyfruit (Baile an Phrútaigh)

The name Ballyfruit comes from the Irish Baile an Phrútaigh, meaning the townland of An Prutach. According to local knowledge, Prutach translates in English to the townland of Phew, named after a man who owned/rented land there, Thomas Phew. It is situated in the civil parish of Kilkilvery, Barony of Clare. It is located in the west of the parish and is bounded on the east by Pollacullaire and Toneroe and on the west by Barnaboy and Cordarragh. (Source: Galway Library)

Irish name: Baile an Phrútaigh

English name: Ballyfruit 

Meaning: The townland of An Prutach

Area: 168 Acres, 1 rood, 19 perches

Field names:

Civil Parish: Kilkilvery

Barony: Clare

 

O’Donovan’s Field Name Books

As part of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland, from 1830 to 1842, John O’Donovan helped to collect and record the Irish form of townland names throughout the country.  Information for each townland was collected and written into the Name Book along with information relating to land quality, crops and housing.  (Source: Timeline Genealogy)

Other names: Ballyfruit, Baile Frúta, Recte Ballyfroota, Ballyfruit (By. Surveyors Sketch Map), Ballyfruit (County Cess Collector), Ballyfruith (County Map), Ballyfruit (Local), Ballyfruit (Mearsman), Ballyfruit (Rental), Ballyfruit (Rev. John Molloy, P.P.), and Ballyfruit (Tithe Ledger)

Description: Proprietor Charles Blake, Esq., Merlin Park, Co. Galway. Agent Charles Cromie, Esq., Annefield, Co. Mayo. Rent from 30 to 34 shillings per acre. Farms generally small from ½ an acre to 6 acres. No leases. Soil pretty strong and good. Produces good crops of wheat, oats and potatoes. There is a small Lough at Western extremity of this townland called Lough of Ballyfruit being the source of the stream passing through Headford and of another running into the R. of of Moyn. Antiquities cairn of Ballyfruit and Ballyfruit cave. Co. Cess 14d. per acre.

Other placenames in this townland

Ballyfruit Lough This lake is the source of the small river running through Headford and forms part of the townlands of Headford, Ballyfruit and Curdarragh.  Other forms of the name include Lough Tharha (its Irish form) and Ballyfruit Lough Local.

 

The Down Survey

The first national-scale survey of its kind in the world, the Down Survey, taken in the years 1656 -1658, sought to acurately map the land in Ireland in order to facilitate its transfer from Irish Catholics to English Protestants after the Cromwellian conquest. (Source: Trinity College Dublin)

1641 (pre-Cromwell) states that the owner(s) of the townland of Ballyfruit (Referred to as Ballyfront in the Down Survey of Ireland, in the Parish of Killkillurey in the county of Galway, Barony of Clare) was the Earl of Clanrickard (Protestant). The Down Survey map of 1670 (post-Cromwell) shows that the owner(s) was still the Earl of Clanrickard (Protestant).

82 plantation acres was deemed unprofitable land.

233 plantation acres was deemed profitable land

233 plantation acres was fortified land

 

Tithe Applotment Book 1826

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. This equated to 1.698 English acres.

There were no records found for Ballyfruit.

 

Valuation Office Books 1824-1856: House & Field Books

The valuation of Ireland was a cadastral survey made for the purpose of levying tax on property.  A valuation price was put on every piece of property in the country and this became the basis on which local tax was charged, at a rate per pound of valuation.  (Source: National Archives)

The 1845 Field Books show the following as occupier in Ballyfruit as John Phew (24 June 1845).

John Phew occupied a house with a barn and a kiln which had an initial valuation of £3 and 15 shillings and 8 pence. A deduction of one fifth was made to the valuation leaving a total of £3. (Source: National Archives)

The 1853 House Books show the following as house occupier in Ballyfruit as Margaret Fahy, and John Phew (30 September 1853).

John Phew occupied a house and offices with a valuation of £3 and 8 pence. Margaret Fahy occupied a house with a valuation of 13 shillings. Andrew Moran occupied a house and offices with a valuation of £2 and 6 shillings. Thomas Kineary occupied a house and offices with a valuation of £1 and 8 shillings. (Source: National Archives)

 

1855 Griffith’s Valuation

Between 1847 and 1864, Richard Griffith was responsible for carrying out the Primary Valuation of Tenements (generally referred to as Griffith’s Valuation because of his role in the project). The aim of the valuation was to produce a uniform guide to the relative value of land throughout the whole of Ireland in order to decide liability to pay the Poor rate (for support of the poor and destitute within each Poor Law Union). The project required Griffith and a team of valuers to determine the value of every piece of land and property in the country enabling every occupiers’ tax due to be assessed. The information they collated covering all 32 counties was compiled into over 300 volumes and published over a period of 17 years. (Source: Find My Past)

Griffith’s Valuation records the following occupiers in Ballyfruit as Margaret Fahy, Thomas Kineavy, Andrew Moran and John Phew.  (Source: Ask About Ireland)

John Phew occupied a house with offices and land totalling 93 acres, 2 roods and 36 perches which had a valuation of £30, the buildings had a valuation of £1 and 10 shillings.  Margaret Fahy occupied a house and land totalling 6 acres, 1 rood and 16 perches which had a valuation of £4 and 10 shillings. Andrew Moran occupied a house with offices and land totalling 6 acres, 1 rood and 16 perches which had a valuation of £4 and 5 shillings, the buildings had a valuation of 15 shillings. Thomas Kineavy occupied a house with offices and land totalling acres, 3 roods and 38 perches which had a valuation of £5 and 10 shillings, the buildings had a valuation of 10 shillings. In addition, Thomas Kineavy occupied land totalling 9 acres, 3 roods and 31 perches which had a valuation of £2 and 10 shillings. John Phew and partners occupied a Bog totalling 34 acers, 1 rood and 27 perches which had a valuation of 5 shillings. They also occupied an area of water totalling 9 acres, 2 roods and 15 perches which had no valuation applied to it. The immediate lessor for all the properties recorded in the Griffiths Valuation for Ballyfruit was Arthur Guinness.

 

Population Statistics

The following statistics are from the census return records from 1842 to 1891 and the National Archives census returns for 1901 and 1911. (Source: Histpop)

1841: 27 houses, 145 people (74 males and 71 females)

1851: 7 houses, 42 people (20 males and 22 females)

1861: 8 houses, 38 people (19 males and 19 females)

1871: 10 houses (incl. 1 unoccupied), 38 people (20 males and 18 females)

1881: 7 houses, 34 people (17 males and 17 females)

1891: 5 houses (incl. 1 unoccupied), 19 people (10 males and 9 females)

1901:  5 houses, 20 people (11 males and 9 females)

1911: 6 houses (incl. 1 unoccupied), 15 people (8 males and 7 females

 

1901 Census

The 1901 Census of Ireland records the following 20 individuals living in 5 households in Ballyfruit. (Source: National Archives)

1. John Flood (68) a widower, lived with his daughters Mary (30) and Maggie (29), and sons Patrick (27) and John Jr. (25). All householders were born in Co Galway and all were Roman Catholic. John Sr’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, Patrick and John Jr’s occupation was listed as Farmer’s Son, Mary and Maggie’s occupation was listed as a Farmer’s Daughter. All householders could read and write with the exception of John Sr. All householders could speak Irish and English.

2. Daniel Nolan (75) a widower, was born in Co Mayo and was a Roman Catholic. Daniel’s occupation was listed as a General Labourer, Daniel could not read or write but could speak Irish and English.

3. Anne Murphy (65) a widow, lived with her son Michael (31). Both householders were born in Co Galway and both were Roman Catholic. Anne’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, Michael’s occupation was listed as a General Labourer. Only Michael could read and write. Both householders could speak Irish and English.

4. Julia Fahy (40) a widow, lived with her daughters Mary (18), Bridget (16), Julia Jr. (10) and Norah (8), and sons John (14), Thomas (12), Michael (6) and James (3). All householders were born in Co Galway and all were Roman Catholic. Julia Sr’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, the remaining householders were listed as scholars with the exception of James had no occupation listed. All householders could read and write with the exception of Michael (read only) and James. All householders could speak Irish and English with the exception of Norah, Michael and James.

5. Bridget Mooney (55) lived with her sons Charles Carter (28) and Fras Carter (33). Bridget and Charles were born in Co Galway, Francis was born in Dublin. Bridget was a Roman Catholic, while her sons Charles and Francis Carter were members of the Church of Ireland. Bridget’s occupation was listed as a House Keeper, Francis’ occupation was listed as a Bank Clerk. No occupation was listed for Charles. All householders could read and write. All householders could speak Irish and English.

There were four second class houses and one third class house. One second class house had a roof of either slate, iron or tiles, the remaining four houses had either a roof of thatched, wood or other perishable material. All houses had walls constructed of either brick, stone or concrete. All four second class house had three front windows. The third-class house had two front windows. There were 3 stables, 4 cow houses, 1 calf houses, 5 piggeries, 1 fowl houses, 2 barns and 1 shed.

 

1911 Census

There were 6 houses in Ballyfruit with a total of 15 individuals recorded in the 1911 Census of Ireland. (Source: National Archives)

1. John McHugh (35) lived with his male servant Michael Kyne (45). John McHugh was born in Co Galway, Michael Kyne was born in Co Mayo, both were Roman Catholic. John’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, Michael’s occupation was listed as Farm Servant. John could read and write, while Michael could read only. Both householders could speak Irish and English.

2. Bridget Mooney (74) a spinster, was born in Co Galway and was a Roman Catholic. Bridget’s occupation was listed as a House Keeper. Bridget could read and write and speak Irish and English.

3. John Flood (80) a widower lived with his daughters Mary (37) and Margaret (35), and son Patrick (32). All householders were born in Co Galway with the exception of John who was born in Co Mayo. All householders were Roman Catholic. John and Patrick’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, Mary and Margaret’s occupation was listed as a House Keeper. All householders could read and write with the exception of John who could read only. All householders could speak Irish and English.

4. Patrick Tierney (45) lived with his wife of 6 years Julia (46), step daughter Nora Fahy (18), and step sons Michael Fahy (15) and James Fahy (13). All householders were born in Co Galway and all were Roman Catholic. Patrick’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, James was listed as a scholar. No occupation was listed for the remaining householders. All householders could read and write. Only Patrick and Julia could speak Irish and English.

5. Anne Murphy (78) lived with her son Michael (42), and daughter in law Kate (35). All householders were born in Co Galway and all were Roman Catholic. Anne’s occupation was listed as a Farmer, Michael was listed as Farmer’s Son. No occupation was listed for Kate. All householders could read and write with the exception of Anne. All householders could speak Irish and English. Michael and Kate were married for 4 years in 1911.

There were four second class houses and one third class house. One second class house had a roof of either slate, iron or tiles, the remaining four houses had either a roof of thatched, wood or other perishable material. All houses had walls constructed of either brick, stone or concrete. One second class house had three front windows and one had two front windows. The third-class house had three front windows. There were 3 stables, 4 cow houses, 5 piggeries, 3 fowl houses, 2 barns, 1 potato house and 2 sheds.