Letterbeg

Leitir Beag

Roger Harrison / Forum Connemara

Townland:                                 Letterbeg

Civil Parish:                               Ballynakill

Barony:                                      Ballynahinch

Church Parish:                          Letterfrack

District Electoral Division:     Rinvyle

Area:                                           230.63 acres / 230 acres, 2 roods, 20 perches

 

Baptism and Marriage records for Letterfrack R.C. Parish 1821-1881

Logainm for Letterbeg

NUI Galway Digital Collections for Letterbeg

Old Pension Census (1841-1851) for Letterbeg (no records)

Griffith’s Valuation (1847-1864) for Letterbeg (no records)

Map

Galway Library for Letterbeg

West Connemara men who lost their lives in WWI (Clifden and Connemara Heritage Society)

 

1911 Census for Letterbeg

Overview of Letterbeg in 1911

According to the 1911 census, there were 4 houses in Letterbeg at that time. All were listed as private dwellings and were built of stone, brick or concrete walls and thatch, wood or other perishable material for roofing. All the house were 3rd class dwellings. House 1 and 2 had 2 rooms and 2 windows in the font and houses 3 and 4 had 2 rooms and 1 window. The out-buildings and farm-steadings return shows there were a total of 6 out buildings, 4 cow houses and 2 piggeries. The enumerator’s abstract return form shows that there were a total of 16 people living in the townland, 9 male and 7 female. The enumerator was Const. John Cormick.

 

Mullen 

The head of the Mullen family in house 1 was Simon (78) and he lived with his wife, Anne (71), who had been married for 56 years and had had 13 children but only 6 of those children had survived. Also in the house at that time were 2 of those children, Joseph (33) and Margaret (34). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English and Anne could not read but all the other members of the family could read and write. Simon was a farmer and Joseph was listed as a farmer’s son. They all lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and they had a cow house. Simon Mullen was the landholder.

 

Heanue

The widower, Patrick (78) was the head of the family in house 2 and he lived there with his daughter-in-law, Honoria (44), who had 1 child, and his granddaughter, Mary (12). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English but only Patrick and Mary could read and write. Patrick was a farmer and Mary was a scholar. They lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and had a cow house and a piggery. Patrick Heanue was the landholder.

 

Regan 

The head of this family was John (66) and his wife Mary (71) who had been married for 41 years and had had 5 children and 4 of those had survived. They lived with 3 of those children, Michael (40), Gregory (26) and Ellin (sic) (23). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English but only Michael, Gregory and Ellin could read and write. John was a farmer and Michael and Gregory were listed as farmer’s sons. They all lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and they had a cow house and a piggery. John Regan was the landholder.

 

Diamond 

The head of the family in the last house in Letterbeg was John (72) and his wife, Bridget (72) who had been married for 49 years and they’d had 7 children, but only 3 of those had survived. 2 of those children lived in the house with them at that time and they were John (41) and Peter (32). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English but none of the family could read. John (72) was a farmer and John (41) and Peter were farmer’s sons. They all shared a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling with a cow house. John Diamond was the landholder.

 

1901 Census for Letterbeg

Overview of Letterbeg in 1901.

There were 4 houses in Letterbeg in 1901 according to the census of that year. All the houses were recorded as private dwellings and were built of stone, brick or concrete and had thatch, wood or other perishable material for roofing. All the houses were 3rd class dwellings. House 2 had 2 rooms and 1 window and the other three had 2 rooms and 2 windows. According to the enumerator’s abstract return there were a total of 20 people living in Letterbeg at that time, 11 male and 9 female. The out-buildings and farm-steadings return form states that there were 6 out buildings at that time consisting of 4 cow houses, a calf house and a barn. The enumerator was Const. Peter Carre.

 

Mullen 

The head of the first family in Letterbeg was Simon (67) and he lived with his wife, Annie (63) and 3 of their children, Bridget (23), Maggie (24) and Joseph (22). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Annie spoke only Irish and could not read but the other members of the family all spoke both Irish and English and could read and write. Simon was listed as being a farmer with Annie, a farmer’s wife, Bridget and Maggie, farmer’s daughters and Joseph, a farmer’s son. They all shared a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and had a cow house. Simon Mullen was the landholder.

 

Heanue 

The head of this Heanue family was Patrick (68), a widower who lived with his son Martin (34), his daughter-in-law, Honor (35) and his granddaughter, Mary (2). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English except baby Mary. Patrick could read only, Martin could read and write and the other 2 could not read. Patrick was a farmer, Martin, a farmer’s son and Honor and Mary were listed as farmer’s daughters. They all lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and they had a cow house and a calf house. Patrick Heanue was the landholder.

 

Regan

The head of the Regan family was John (50) and he lived with his wife, Mary (45) and 4 of their children, Michl (sic) (24), Thomas (22), Gregory (18) and Ellen (14). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All spoke both Irish and English but only Gregory could read. John was a farmer and fisherman, Michl (sic), Thomas and Gregory were farmer’s sons and Ellen was listed as a farmer’s daughter. They all shared a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and they had a cow house. John Regan was the landholder.

 

Diamond 

The head of the last house in Letterbeg was John (60) and he lived with his wife, Bridget (58) and their 3 children, Bridget (30), John (28) and Peter (20). All were born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Bridget (30) and John (28) spoke both Irish and English and the others spoke only Irish. None of the family could read. John (60) was recorded as being a farmer, Bridget (30), a seamstress and John (28) and Peter were fishermen. They all lived in a 2 roomed, 3rd class dwelling and they had a cow house and a barn. John Diamond was the landholder.

 

1670 Down Survey for Letterbeg

Other names for the Letterbeg area in the 1670 Down Survey were Tullaghmoreand and Tullaghbegg. The 1641 owner of this area was Edmund O’Flaharty, a Catholic and the 1670 owner was Richard, Earl of Westmeath, also a Catholic.

This page was added on 13/06/2018.

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