Island Eddy

Island Eddy

Island Eddy is a townland, located in the civil parish of Drumacoo, and the Barony of Drumkellin.

Its standard name is Island Eddy, and the Irish form of the name is listed as Oileán Eide, translating to Eddy’s Island. Other forms of the name include the following: Eddy Island on the Beaufort’s map of Ireland, Islandeddy on the 1820 County Registry and Island Eddey in the Tithe Composition Book.

Griffith’s Valuation

The aim of Griffith’s valuation was to produce a uniform guide to the relative value of land through Ireland, in order to decide how to pay out the Poor rate.

Griffiths Valuation has recorded of this townland  was composed of 137 Acres, 3 Roods and 3 Perches.

The land value at the time would have been £150.10s.0d

The currency measures at the time was in the form of Pounds, Shillings, Pence (£.s.d)

In this townland, there was 1 landholding, subdivided into 7 different holdings, all rented out by Sir Thomas N. Reddington.

1a. Patk (sic) Birmingham: A house, offices and land – £21.10s.0d

1b. John Birmingham: A house, offices and land – £21.5s.0d

1c. Thomas Kane: A house, offices and land – £21.10s.0d

1d. Patrick Conlan Jr: A house, offices and land – £21.10s.0d

1e. Patrick Kane: A house, offices and land – £21.10s.0d

1f. Patrick Conlan: A house, offices and land – £21.10s.0d

1g. Patrick Hynes: A house, offices and land – £21.15s.0d

1901 Census

The 1901 Census shows that there were 8 different households in Eddy Island, composed of 28 males and 26 females, a total population of 56 residents. 26 out offices were also recorded alongside the 8 houses.

Residents

House 1 – Bermingham – In the first house, there were 5 people living there at the time of the census. 90-year-old Thomas Bermingham is the listed head of the family, working as a farmer. He was a widower, and he lived with his 3 children, Mary (40), Patrick (38) and Michael (34), who were all listed on the census as ‘Farmer’s Son/Daughter,’. On the night of the census, a boarder named Winnie Killalea was staying in the Bermingham household. She was a widow aged 94, and wasn’t listed as having an occupation. Everyone in the household was born in County Galway, and were able to speak Irish and English. They lived in a private dwelling with stone-type walls, a thatched roof and 3 windows to the front of the house. They also had 3 out offices, including a stable, cow house and a piggery. Their house was deemed a 2^nd class residence.

House 2 – Bermingham – 7 people lived in this house, all members of the Bermingham family. Thomas Bermingham was the head of the family, aged 69 and working as a farmer. He was married to his wife Bridget, who was aged 55, and lived with her and their 4 children; Martin (20) and Patrick (16), listed as ‘Farmer’s Son,’ 18 year old Nora, the farmer’s daughter, and Edward (13), who was listed as a scholar. They also lived with Thomas’ brother, Michael, who was 54 and also listed as a farmer on the census. Only the three eldest in the house were recorded as speaking both Irish and English, with the rest of the household assumed to only speak English. They lived in a 2^nd class house, with 4 out offices; a stable, cow house, piggery and a barn.

House 3 – Keane – 6 people lived in this house, with Thomas Keane, a 38-year-old farmer, being the head of the family. He was married, and lived with his 36-year-old wife Margaret. Thomas’ mother Bridget also lived with them, who was a 61-year old widow with no recorded occupation. Thomas and Margaret had two daughters, who lived with them, named Katie (4) and Nora (2). They also employed James Fitzgerald, aged 70, as a servant and labourer. All of the household were born in County Galway, with all of the adults of the house speaking Irish and English.

House 4 – Keane – 10 people lived in this house, members of the Keane family. James Keane, aged 60 and working as a farmer, was the head of the family. He lived in the house with his wife named Maria (50), and their 8 children. From eldest to youngest, their children were named Thomas (28), Catherine (24), Michael (22), Honor (20), John (18), Martin (15), Winnie (12) and James Keane (7). The youngest three children were listed on the census as scholars, whilst the rest of the children were listed as the ‘Farmer’s Son/Daughter,’ Everyone in the household could read and write, except for the head of the family, who could only read. They lived together in a private dwelling, which is deemed to be second class.

House 5 – Conlan – Catherine Conlan was the head of the family, in the fifth house recorded. She was a 55 year old farmer and a widow, living with her brother, John, and her 6 own children. Her brother was 60 years old, unmarried, and also listed as a farmer. She had 3 sons, Bartly (29), Thomas (27) and Patrick (25), all listed on the census as ‘Farmer’s Son,’. She also had 3 daughters, Margaret (23), Bridget (21) and Nono (19), all with the occupation, ‘Farmer’s Daughter,’ All of the household spoke Irish and English, and all were able to read and write, except for the head of the family. They occupied a 2^nd class private dwelling, with 4 out offices, which were: a stable, cow house, a piggery and a barn.

House 6 – Conlan – 8 people resided in this house on the night of the census, with 63 year old Patrick Conlan being the head of the family. He worked as a farmer, and was married to his 57-year-old wife Honor. Also living with them was their 3 sons, one of whom was married, and had a child together, and their one daughter. John Conlan (31) was listed as the ‘Farmer’s Son,’ and was married to Winnie Conlon (31), Patrick’s daughter-in-law. They had a child, Patrick (1), living in the household with them, named after the head of the family. Denis (16), James (13) and Winnie (26) were the other 3 of the head of the family’s children, listed as being ‘Farmer’s Son/Daughter,’ All of the household were born in County Galway, and everyone except Patrick’s grandson, were able to speak Irish and English. They all lived together, occupying 4 rooms in a 2^nd class house.

House 7 – Bermingham – 6 people were living in this house, Patrick Bermingham was the head of the family, a 60 year old farmer, who was married to 80 year old Winifred Bermingham. Who has no listed occupation. They lived in the 7^th house, alongside their son Patrick, a 34 year old farmer, and their daughter Susan, aged 31. Also with them on the night of the census, but assumed to be visitors, as they are listed as grandchildren with different surnames, are Sabina Hynes, who was aged 12, and listed as a scholar, and Michael Hynes, (18), a visiting farmer. Everyone in the household was able to speak Irish and English, as well as being born in County Galway.  They stayed in a 2^nd class house, with 3 front windows, as well as 4 out offices.

Building 8 – Finnegan – 4 people lived in this residence, which can be identified on the census as the Island Eddy National School. Catherine Finnegan was the head of the family, aged 25 and working as a teacher. She lived with her sister Bina, aged 14 and her two nieces Mary Anne Finnegan (6), and Nora Hynes (6). All 3 were listed as scholars in the 1901 census.

1911 Census

In the 1911 census, it indicated 7 residences in the townland of Eddy’s Island. There was a population of 38, made up of 21 males and 17 females. As well as this, 30 out offices were recorded alongside the houses identified.

House 1 – Bermingham – The first house mentioned on the 1911 census, was the Bermingham family house. There were 3 people living there. Patrick Bermingham was the head of the family, a 49 year old farmer. He lived with his two siblings, brother Michael, aged 46, who worked as a labourer, and their sister Mary, aged 50 who had no listed occupation. They were all able to speak Irish and English, and were all born in County Galway. They lived in a built private dwelling, with 5 out offices, which were listed as follows: a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn. They occupied 3 rooms, and their house was deemed 2^nd class.

House 2 – Bermingham – 4 people occupied this house, all members of the Bermingham family. Tom was the head of the family, aged 74 and working as a farmer. He had been married to his wife for 42 years at the time of the census, 71 year old Bridget, whom he had 7 children with, all who were still alive. They lived with 1 of these children, 28 year old Pat, listed as the Farmer’s Son. They also lived with Tom’ brother, Michael, a 68 year old labourer. Everyone in the house was born in County Galway, as was able to speak Irish and English. They lived together in a private dwelling with 2 front windows, and 4 out offices. Their house was deemed 3^rd class on the census.

House 3 – Keane – 5 people were recorded as living in this house, all members of the Keane family. Maria Keane was the head of the family, aged 73 and a widow. She was not listed as having an occupation. She lived together with her 4 children, her 3 sons, Thomas (45), Martin (27) and James, (22) as well as Winifred (24). They lived in a third class private dwelling, with 5 out offices also recorded. This include: a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a potato house.

House 4 – Conlon – There were 5 people recorded as living in this house. Catherine Conlon was the head of the family, employed as a farmer, aged 70. She was a widow, and lived with her children, one of whom was married. Bartly, aged 43, and employed as the ‘Farmer’s Son,’ had been married to his wife Bridget Conlon (25) for less than a year, at the time that the census was recorded. Also living in the house was Catherine’s other son Patrick (35), and her daughter Norah (28). The house they lived in was deemed 2^nd class, with 4 out offices identified.

House 5 – Keane – 6 people occupied this house, all members of the Keane family. Thomas Keane is identified as the head of the family, a 47 year old farmer. He was married to Margaret for 15 years at the time that this census was taken. Together, they had 8 children born alive, with 6 of them still alive. Out of the 6 living children, 4 of them were present at the time of the census recording, Catherine (14), Honor (12), Sarah (6) and Martin (5), with the youngest 2 children being listed as scholars. All of the family were born in County Galway, and the oldest 4 residents were able to speak both Irish and English. Together, they inhabited a 2^nd class house, occupying 4 rooms.

House 6 – Conlon – There were 10 people living in this house, all members of the Conlon family. The head of the family was identified as 71 year old farmer, Patrick Conlon. He had  been married to his wife Honor, for 44 years. They had had 9 children, but only 2 were still living. On the night of the census, both living children were present in the same household.  John was the eldest, aged 41, and working as ‘Farmer’s Son,’ He was also married to Winnie Conlon for 12 years prior to the 1911 census, and had 5 children, all of whom were still alive. Winnie Conlon (38) was also the name of Patrick’s other child. John and Winnie lived with all their children in this house: Patrick (11), John (9), Bartly (7), Nora (4) and James (3). They all lived in a 3^rd class house, occupying 3 rooms.

House 7 – Birmingham – In the seventh house, there were 5 people occupying the residence. Patrick Birmingham was a 74 year old widowed farmer. He lived there with his son Patrick, aged 46, who was married to Margaret Birmingham (45). They had both been married for 8 years, and had 2 children, both of whom were still alive, also living in this household. Their children were named Thomas (5), and Mary (4). All of the adults in the household were able to read and write, as well as having the ability to speak Irish and English. They all lived together in a private dwelling with 4 out offices, which included: a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a potato house. It was deemed a 2^nd class house, with the family occupying 4 rooms.