Gowlan West

An Gabhlán Thiar

Roger Harrison / Forum Connemara

Townland:                                Gowlan West

Civil Parish:                              Moyrus

Barony:                                     Ballynahinch

Church Parish:                         Clifden

District Electoral Division:    Derrylea

Area:                                         776.69 acres / 776 acres, 2 roods, 30 perches

 

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

Old Pension Census (1841-1851) for Gowlan West

Map

Galway Library for Gowlan West

Logainm for Gowlan West

NUI Galway Digital Collections for Gowlan West

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

 

1911 Census for Gowlan West

Overview of Gowlan West in 1911

The 1911 census shows that there were a total of 17 buildings in the townland of Gowlan West and that 15 of those were occupied, with houses 16 and 17 being empty. House 16 was listed as a private dwelling with Mary Walsh being the landholder and house 17 was the Gowlan West National School. All of the occupied houses were private dwellings and were constructed of stone, brick or concrete walls and house 3 had a slate, iron or tiled roof while all the others had thatch, wood or other perishable materials for roofing. Houses 1, 3, 4 and 8 were 2nd class dwellings and the rest were 3rd class. House 15 had 1 room and 1 window in the front, house 10 had 2 rooms and 1 window, houses 2, 3, 5-7, 9 and 11-14. The out-offices and farm-steadings return (form B.2) shows that there were a total of 46 out buildings consisting of 12 stables, 5 coach houses, 11 cow houses, a calf house, 10 piggeries, 3 fowl houses and 4 barns. The enumerator’s abstract return (form N) shows that there were 85 people in the townland at that time, 50 males and 35 females. The enumerator foe the area was Const. James Boland.

 

Joyce

Patrick (62) was listed as the head of the first family in Gowlan West and he had been married to Mary (47) for 30 years and during that time they had had 7 children, all of whom had survived at that time. Four of those children also lived in the house and they were Peter (22), Martin (17), Mary (14) and Patrick (11) and also a servant, John Joyce (17). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and all 4 children could read and write. Patrick was listed as being a farmer, Peter and Martin were farmer’s sons, Mary (14) was a farmer’s daughter and Patrick was a scholar. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a coach house, a cow house, a piggery and a barn. The landholder was Patrick Joyce.

 

Diomand [sic]

The head of this family was Patrick (68) and he lived with his wife of 34 years, Honor (60) and they had had 8 children and 7 had survived. They shared the house with 3 sons, Michael (28), Patrick (16) and Thomas (14). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and the sons could all read and write. Patrick (68) was a farmer and Thomas was a scholar. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn. The landholder was Patrick Diamond.

 

Lynch

The sole occupant of house 3 was the widow, Maria (63) and she was a Roman Catholic and was born in Galway. She could read and write and was listed as a gatekeeper with the M.G.W.R. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and she had a piggery. The landholder was the M.G.W. Railway.

 

Gavin                                                                                      (additional surname: Connell)

Thomas (36) was listed as being the head of this household and he had been married to Sarah for 3 years and had had 2 children and 1 of those had survived, Mary (2), who lived with them and also in the house was a servant, Patrick Connell (18). They were all Roman Catholic and Thomas, Sarah and Mary were born in Co. Galway while Patrick was born in Co. Roscommon. Apart from young Mary, they could all speak both Irish and English and read and write. Thomas was a railway labourer and Patrick was a farm labourer. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a calf house, a piggery and a fowl house. The landholder was Thomas Gavin.

 

Walsh

There were 7 members of this Walsh family and the widow, Mary (80) was listed as being the head and she shared the house with her son Patrick (60) who had been married to Kate (60) for 30 years and they had had 8 children, all of whom had survived. Four of those children also lived in the house and they were, Michael (18), Kate (16), John (14) and Richard (12). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and, apart from Mary and Kate, they could all read and write. Mary was a farmer, Patrick, Michael and John were farmer’s sons, Kate was listed as a daughter and Richard was a scholar. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a fowl house. The landholder was Mary Walsh.

 

Walsh

The widower, John (72) lived in this house with his nephew, Thomas (40). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both could speak both Irish and English but only Thomas could read and write. John was a farmer and Thomas was a farmer’s sons. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a coach house and a cow house. The landholder was John Walsh.

 

Gavin

Michael (50) was the head of this Gavin family and he had been married to Barbara (43) for 12 years and they had had 6 children and all had survived. Five of those children were also in the house, Mary Ellen (15), Thomas (10), Norah (8), Bridget Agnes (5) and Barbara Josephine (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Michael, Barbara, Mary Ellen and Thomas spoke both Irish and English and they, along with Norah, could read and write. Michael was a farmer and Mary Ellen, Thomas and Norah were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a coach house, a cow house, a piggery and a fowl house. The landholder was Michael Gavin.

 

Walsh                                                                                      (additional surname: OMalley)

John Walsh (Pat) (34) was the head of this household and he was married to Annie (29) and had been for 6 years and they had 3 children, Patrick (5), Thomas (3) and Mary (1) and also in the house at that time was a servant, Bridget OMalley (14). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. John, Annie and Bridget could read and write and speak both Irish and English. John was a farmer and Bridget was a domestic servant. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a coach house and a cow house. The landholder was John Walsh (Pat)

 

King

Of the 5 members of this family, John (64) was listed as the head and he had been married to Ellen (40) for 6 years and they had had 3 children, Mary (5), Kate (3) and Patrick (1). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. John was a farmer and could read only. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was John King.

 

King

Michael (50) was married to Barbara (35) and had been for 15 years and they had had 9 children with 8 of those surviving. Seven of those were also in the house at the time of the census and were, John (14), Michael (13), Patrick (10), Bridget (8), Lizzie (6), Catherine (4) and Martin (3). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. With the exception of Catherine and Martin, all of the family could speak both Irish and English. Apart from Barbara, Catherine and Martin, they could all read and write. Michael (50) was a miles man [sic] and John, Michael (14), Patrick, Bridget and Lizzie were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they also had a piggery. The landholder was Michael King.

 

Walsh

There were 8 members of this family and the head was listed as being the widower, Patrick (69) and he shared the house with 6 of his children, Anne (20), John (18), Rath [sic] (16), Michael (14), Peter (12) and Joe (11) and also a grandson, Malachy (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Patrick, Anne, John and Rath [sic] spoke Irish and English and Michael, Peter and Joe spoke only English. Apart from young Malachy, they could all read and write. Patrick was a Farmer, Anne was a farmer’s daughter, John and Rath [sic] were farmer’s sons and Michael, Peter and Joe were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they also had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was Patrick Walsh.

 

Gavin

There were 9 members of this Gavin family and the head was John (50) and he had been married to Anne (36) for 15 years and during that marriage they had had 8 children and all had survived. Seven of those children also lived in the house and they were, Maggie (13), Festy (11), Michl [sic] (10), Norah (7), Mary (6), Anne (4) and James (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. John, Anne (36), Maggie and Festy spoke Irish and English and Michl [sic] Norah, Mary and Anne (4) spoke only English. Mary Anne (4) and James could not read, Norah could read only and the others could all read and write. John was a farmer and Maggie, Festy, Michl [sic] and Norah were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they also had a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn. The landholder was John Gavin.

 

Gavin

Mathew (39) was the head of the family in house 13 and he had been married to Bridget (40) for 13 years and they had 5 children at that time, John (12), Thomas (10), Martin (8), Mary (6) and Stephen (4). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. The parents spoke both Irish and English and the children spoke only English. All, apart from Stephen could read and write. Mathew was a farmer, John was a farmer’s son and Thomas, Martin and Mary were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they also had a stable. The landholder was Mattie Gavin.

 

Coyne

The head of this family was John (52), a widower who lived in the house with 5 of his children, Patrick (23), Mary (21), John (20), James (14) and Annie (12). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and read and write. John (52), Patrick and John (20) were listed as being farmer’s sons and James and Annie were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they also had a stable, a coach house and a cow house. The landholder was John Coyne.

 

Folan

There were only 2 people in the last house in Gowlan West, the widow, Mary (80) and her son, Simon (40). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Mary spoke Irish and English but neither could read. Mary was a farmer and Simon was a farmer’s son. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 1 room and they also had a piggery. The landholder was Mary Coyne.

 

1901 Census for Gowlan West

Overview of Gowlan West in 1901

There was no Gowlan West listed in the 1901 census, just Gowlan.

There were a total of 17 houses in the townland in 1901 and all were listed as private dwellings and were occupied. They were all constructed of stone, brick or concrete walls and had thatch, wood or other perishable materials for roofing. Houses 6, 10 and 14 were 2nd class dwellings, houses 2 and 9 were 4th class dwellings and all the others were 3rd class. Houses 2 and 9 had 1 room and no windows, houses 1 and 3 had 1 room and 2 windows, Houses 16 and 17 had 2 rooms and 1 window in the front, houses 4, 5, 7, 11-13 and 15 had 2 rooms and 2 windows, houses 6 and 10 had 2 rooms and 3 windows and house 14 had 3 rooms and 3 windows. There were 26 out buildings in the townland at that time, 11 stables, 10 cow houses, 4 piggeries and a fowl house. There were 83 people in the townland at that time, 48 males and 35 females. The enumerator for the area was Const. William Lavelle.

 

Coyne

The widower, Patrick (80) was listed as the head of the first household in Gowlan and he lived in the house with his son, John (38), his daughter-in-law, Margaret (43) and 5 grandchildren, Patrick (14), Mary (13), John (11), James (4) and Annie (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Apart from the youngest 2 members of the family they could all speak both Irish and English. John (38), Patrick, Mary and John (11) could read and write. Patrick was a farmer, John (38) and James were farmer’s sons, Annie was a farmer’s daughter and Patrick, Mary and John (11) were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 1 room and they had a cow house. The landholder was Pat Coyne.

 

ODonnell

Pat (82) and his wife, Mary (80) lived in house 2 and they were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway. Pat spoke Irish and English and Mary spoke only Irish and neither of them could read. Pat was listed as being a farmer. The house was a 4th class dwelling The landholder was Pat ODonnell.

 

Gavin

The widow Margaret (58) lived in this house with her Mary (22). Both were Roman Catholic and Margaret was born in Co. Tipperary and Mary was born in Co. Galway. Both could read and write and speak only English and Margaret was listed as being a housekeeper while Mary was a farmer’s daughter. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 1 room and they had a stable, a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was Margaret Gavin.

 

Gavin                                                                                      (additional surname: Joyce)

Martin (30) was the head of this family and he was married to Bridget (28) and they shared the house with 2 of their sons, John (3) and Thomas (1) and also in the house was a nephew, Michael Joyce (12). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Martin, Bridget and Michael spoke Irish and English and could read and write. Martin was listed as being a farmer, John and Thomas were farmer’s sons and Michael was a farm servant. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable. The landholder was Martin Gavin.

 

Gavin

There were 5 members of this family and the head of that family was John (29) and he lived in the house with his wife, Anne (21) and 3 of their children, Margaret (3), Festus (2) and Michael (8mths). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both parents spoke both Irish and English and could read and write. John was listed as being a farmer and Margaret was a farmer’s daughter and Festus and Michael were farmer’s sons. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable. The landholder was John Gavin.

 

Hanlon

John (28) was listed as being the head of this family and he was married to Norah (26) and they lived in the house with 2 of their children, Daniel (2) and Mary (1). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both parents spoke Irish and English and read and write. John was a farmer and Daniel was a farmer’s son and Mary was a farmer’s daughter. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a fowl house. The landholder was John Hanlon.

 

Walshe

There were 10 members of this family in house 7 and Pat (50) was the head and he was married to Bridget (50) and they lived with 8 of their children, Bridget (16), Mary (15), Annie (10), John (8), Patrick (7), Michael (5), Peter (2) and Joseph (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both parents spoke Irish and English and Pat could read only while Bridget (16), Mary and Annie could read and write. Pat was listed as being a farmer, Bridget (16), Mary and Annie were scholars and John, Patrick, Michael, Peter and Joseph were farmer’s sons. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable. The landholder was Pat Walshe.

 

King

The widow, Catherine (70) lived in this house with her son, John (42). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Catherine spoke Irish and English and John could read only. Catherine was a general housekeeper and John was a farmer. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was Catherine King.

 

King

Michael (38) was the head of this King family and he was married to Barbara (30) and they lived in the house with 5 of their children, John (8), Michael (7), Mary (5), Patrick (4) and Bridget (4mths). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both parents spoke Irish and English but only Michael (38) could read and write. Michael (38) was a farmer, John, Michael (7) and Patrick were farmer’s sons and Mary and Bridget were farmer’s daughters. The house was a 4th class dwelling with 1 room and they had a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was Michael King.

 

Walshe

The head of this Walshe family was Margaret (60), a widow, and she lived in the house with

3 of her sons, John (30), Thomas (28) and Patrick (22). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and the sons could read and write. The 3 sons were all listed as being farmer’s sons. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was Margaret Walshe.

 

Gavin

Michael (35) lived in this house with his wife, Barbara (29) and their 2 children, Mary (1) and Thomas (3mths). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both parents spoke Irish and English and could read and write. Michael was a farmer, Mary was a farmer’s daughter and Thomas was a farmer’s son. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was Michael Gavin.

 

Laffey

There were 9 members of the Laffey family living in this house and the head of that family was the widow, Bridget (80) who shared the house with 4 sons, Martin (45), John (40), John (4) and Michael (1), a daughter-in-law, Catherine (30) and 3 daughters, Maryanne (7), Maggie (5) and Honor (3)[i]. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Bridget spoke only Irish and Martin, John (40) and Catherine spoke Irish and English and could read and write. Bridget and Catherine were general housekeepers, Martin and John (40) were farmer’s sons and Maryanne, Maggie, John (4) and Michael were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was Bridget Laffey.

 

Walsh

John (62), a widower, lived in this house with his nephew, John (19) and both were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Galway. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and could read and write and John (62) was a farmer, while John (19) was a farm servant. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was John Walsh.

 

McDonough

The widow Mary (50) lived in house 15 with her daughter, Mary Anne (24). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Both could speak both Irish and English and Mary Anne could read and write and was a farmer’s daughter. The house was a 2nd class dwelling with 3 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was Mary McDonough.

 

Joyce

There were 8 members of this family and Pat (50) and he was married to Mary (40) and they shared the house with 6 of their children, John (18), Peter (15), Martin (9), Bridget (7), Mary (5) and Patrick (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English with the exception of young Patrick. John and Peter and Martin could read and write. Pat was a farmer, John, Peter and Patrick were farmer’s sons and Martin, Bridget and Mary were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a stable and a piggery. The landholder was Pat Joyce.

 

Joyce

There were two members of this Joyce household in house 16, the widow, Honor (90) and her grandson, Festus (13). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Honor spoke Irish only while Festus spoke both Irish and English and could read and write. Festus was listed as being a scholar. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a cow house. The landholder was Honor Joyce.

 

Diamond

The head of the last house in Gowlan was Pat (50) who was married to Honor (40) and they shared the house with 5 of their children, Michl [sic] (18), John (16), Bridget (10), Pat (7) and Thomas (3). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. With the exception of Thomas, all of the family could speak both Irish and English and the 4 eldest children were able to read and write. Pat was a farmer, Michl [sic], John and Thomas wee farmer’s sons and Bridget and Pat were scholars. The house was a 3rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was Pat Diamond.

 

 

Griffith’s Valuation (1847-1864) for Gowlan West

Griffith’s Valuation shows that Thomas Eyre was the owner of this land at that time. He had a herd’s house, offices and turbary[ii] on 755 acres, 1 rood and 15 perches of land that he had in fee that had an annual ratable valuation of £34 for the land and 7s for the buildings. He also had a vacant house that had an annual ratable valuation of 5s. There were also 12 acres, 3 roods and 24 perches of water in the townland.

 

 

1670 Down Survey for Gowlan West

The Down Survey name for this area was Slewkiroggy. In 1641 (pre-Cromwell) the owners were Thomas McRedmund Joyce and Murrogh McDow Flaherty, both were Catholic. In 1670 (post-Cromwell), the owners were the Protestants College of Dublin and Maurice Thompson and the Catholic Richard Martin.

 

[i] Considering Bridget’s age it is more likely that Maryanne, Maggie, John, Honor and Michael would be grandchildren rather than children.

[ii] the legal right to cut turf or peat for fuel on common ground or on another person’s ground.

  • a place where turf or peat is dug or cut under the right of turbary.

 

This page was added on 11/06/2018.

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