Castlelambert

Caisleán Lampart, Castlelambert

Castlelambert is situated 3 miles N.W. of Athenry, bounded on the W. by Tubbernaveena, Deerpark and Poulagooal South by Knocknacreeva on the East by Moanvaun and Poulnagrouagh.

The Down Survey map provides no record of this townland and indicates the map of the barony of Athenry was destroyed in 1711.

O’Donovan’s Field Name books provide various spellings of this townland: Castlelambert, Castle Lambert B. S. Sketch Map, Castle Lambert Barony Map, Castle Lambert County Map, Castlelambert High Constable 1838, Castle Lambert Vestry Book 1826.

Tithe Applotment Books

The Tithe Applotment books show that Walter Lambert occupied 1,162 acres of land. He paid £33 14s 5 ¼d in tax. John Shaughnessy paid £5 7s in tax for his 214 acres of terrain. John Gill occupied 90 acres of land and paid a tax of £1 12s 9d. John Givenan [SIC) occupied 131 acres of land and paid £2 9s 1 ½d in tax. Pat Kelly paid £2 4s 9d in tax for his 89 ½ acres of terrain. Thos [SIC] Neyland [SIC] occupied 257 acres of land and paid a tax of £4 16s and 4 ½d. Anthony Frehan [SIC] paid 3s 9d in tax for his 10 acres of land. Martin Connellan’s [SIC] 14 acres costs him ds 3 d in tax every year. Peter Egan[SIC] occupied 25 acres and paid 9s 4 ½ in tax. Wm [SIC] Burke paid £2 5s in tax for his 120 acres of terrain. Martin Kelly occupied 88 acres and paid £1 13s in tax. Thady Cunnane [SIC] paid £1 3s in tax for his 46 acres of terrain. John Brennan paid 15s 6 ¼ for his 41 ½ acres of land. James Macintire [SIC] occupied 15 ½ acres of land and paid 5s 9 ¾d in tax. Wm [SIC} Higgins paid 10s 3 ¾d for 27 ½ acres of his land. Edward Ward occupied 7 ¾ acres of land and paid a tax of 3s 10 ½d. James Burke also paid £10 1s 1d in tax for 348 acres of land. The tithes were calculated using pounds, shillings, and pence.

Griffith’s Valuation

According to Griffith’s Valuation 1855, Walter Lambert was cited as being ‘in Fee’. In fee were freehold tenures, derived from a grant from the crown. Walter Lambert paid £225-0-0 in tax for 588 acres,1 rood and 10 perches of land and buildings, encompassing a house, offices and land.

1901 Census

There were 2 households in Castlelambert in 1901, 2 individuals were listed as heads of household. A total of 11 inhabitants were recorded, 6 males and 5 females. All the residents in this townland were from County Galway and Roman Catholic. The census forms which were collected on the 2nd of April showed that both houses were made from stone, brick, or concrete. The roofs were made from slate, iron or tiles.

Patrick Kelly (84) was a farmer. He lived with his wife Sarah (77), single daughter Margaret (38), a dressmaker, unmarried son Thomas (28), granddaughter Sara Jane Morrisey (12) and farm servant John Kelly (22). Everyone in the house could read and write but Patrick and John Kelly. Everyone also spoke Irish and English but Margaret Kelly and Sara Jane, who had no language listed for them suggesting they both spoke English only. They lived in a 5 roomed, 2^nd class house with 4 front windows. R.G Adamson owned the holding his house resided.

John Kelly (37) was a farmer. He lived with his wife Maria (25), son Patrick (3), daughter Mary Joseph (1), and farm servant Thomas Kelly (20). John and Maria were the only people in the house capable of reading and writing. Everyone in the house spoke both Irish and English but the 2 children who had no language listed, suggesting they spoke English only. They inhabited a 4 roomed, 2^nd class house with 2 front windows. Patrick owned the land, his house, stable, cow house, and piggery resided.

There was a third private dwelling that resided on land owned by R.G Adamson. 18 farm steadings were also on this land. 2 stables, 1 coach house, 1 harness room, 2 cow houses, 1 calf house, dairy, a piggery, fowl house, boiling house, barn, turf house, potato house, shed, forge and laundry also resided on this land.

1911 Census

There were 2 households in Castlelambert in 1911. There were 14 inhabitants, 12 males and 2 females. All the occupants were Roman Catholic. The heads of household were: G.J and Thomas Kelly. The census forms, which were collected on the 4^th April 1911, showed that Thomas Kelly’s house was formed from stone, brick or concrete while the roof of his house was made from slate, iron or tiles.

G.J (James Gallagher) (48) was a married sergeant in the RIC, who originated from Co Mayo. He resided with 5 single constables, M.R (29) from Kerry, AP.B (29) from Tyrone, P.E (28) from Westmeath, M.K (23) from Kilkenny and RP.K (23) from Mayo. All the officers but RP.K were farmers sons before enlisting in the RIC, while he was national schoolteachers’ son and scholar beforehand. Everyone was able to read and write. They lived in a 4 roomed dwelling and RIC barracks.

Thomas Kelly (35) was a Herd. He had been married to his wife Margaret (30) for 10 years during which time they had 7 children. 5 of their children were alive at the time of the census. They lived with their sons Martin (9), Thomas (7), Patrick (5), and John (3), along with their daughter Lilly (6 months) and Thomas’s (35) widowed father Martin (73). No one in the house could read and write but Thomas (35). Martin (9) could only read. Everyone in the house was from County Galway and spoke English only, but Martin (73) who spoke both Irish and English. They dwelled in a 3 roomed, 1^st class house with 15 front windows. His house resided on land Frank Taylor owned along with 7 stables, 2 coach houses, 3 cow houses, 4 calf houses, 4 piggeries, 1 fowl house and potato house.