Tyrone

Tyrone

Niamh Broderick, University of Galway/Galway County Heritage Office

Tyrone is a townland, located in the civil parish of Drumacoo, and the Barony of Dunkellin.

The Standard Name is given as Tyrone and the Irish form of the name is Tír Eóghain, which directly translates to ‘Owen’s Land,’

Other forms of the name given to this townland include the following: Tyrowen, in the county book, as well as Tirroyne/Tyrroine when referring to Inq. Temp. Eliz.

The proprietor for this townland was A. French St George, and the Agent was John O’Hara. The soil was made up of light clay, allowing for the production of wheat, oats and potatoes. There was a lifetime lease in this rea, and the proprietor occupied this townland, in a mansion house.

Tyrone is situated in the north of the parish, being bounded on the north of the paris by Stradbally, in the east by Drumacoo, on the south by Drumacoo, Ballyvullaun and Killeenarran and on the west by the sea.

Some other placenames that are located in or near the townland include:

Knockapreaghaun (trigonometrical station)

Tyrone Bay (bay)

Tyrone Court House (house)

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 207 Acres, 1 Rood and 17 Perches.

The land value at the time would have been £250.0s.0d

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

There was one landholding in the townland of Tyrone, which was owned and used by the proprietor of the townland, Christopher St George. It was made up of a mansion house, offices and land, to the value of £250.0s.0d. The house was known as Tyrone Court House.

Residents

1901 Census

According to the 1901 census, Tyrone had a population of 15, which was made up of 10 females and 5 males. 13 of the 15 were Roman Catholic, with 2 of the residents being of Church of Ireland origin.

House 1 – St George – There were 14 residents occupying this house. The head of the family was Honoria St George, who was 88 years old and employed as a landlord. She lived with various family members, including her 50 year old daughter Matilda, also employed as a landlord. The next person listed on the census is Mary Joyce, the head of family’s granddaughter, who was aged 21 and unmarried. Matilda was born in County Kildare, whilst Mary was born in Dublin. Another one of Honoria’s granddaughters occupied the house, 20 year old Gwendolyne Lambert. 6 members of the Lahiff family were in this residence on the night of the census, with the eldest being Mary Lahiff, aged 60 and the head of family’s daughter. She was married and had 4 children, all staying in this residence, Hanrietta (37), Norah (34), Thomas (31), James (29), as well as a grandchild, 4 year old Mary Lahiff. On the night of the census, there was a visitor to the house, named as James Henson, who was aged 36, employed as a landlord also, originally from County Mayo. The head of the family also employed 2 servants that stayed in the house, 24 year old Bridget Larkin, who was a domestic servant, and 21 year old Mary Burke, who was a cook as well as a domestic servant. The last person listed on the census as living in this house was William St. George, the head of family’s grandson, who was aged 40, with no listed occupation. This house had 15 out offices recorded, which were as follows: a stable, coach house, harness room, cow house, piggery, fowl house, boiling house, barn, turf house, a potato house, a workshop, a shed, a store, a forge and laundry. The private dwelling had stone-type walls, a slated roof and 12 front windows. The family occupied 14 rooms, and it was deemed a 1^st class house.

House 2 – McFoy – James McFoy was the sole occupant of this house. He was aged 85 and a retired farmer. He was a widower, who was born in County Mayo. He spoke Irish and English and could read and write. His private dwelling had no recorded out offices, and was deemed to be a 2^nd class residence.

There was a third private dwelling in the Tyrone townland, which was uninhabited, and owned by Honoria St George, the head of the family in Tyrone Court House.

1911 Census

House 1 – Martyn – Thomas Martyn was the sole occupant of the first dwelling in this townland. He was a 66 year old married caretaker, who was born in Galway. He only spoke Irish and was described as being ‘lame,’ on the census. He occupied a 1^st class house, which also had 27 out offices. These included: 9 stables, 2 coach houses, 1 harness room, 4 cow houses, 2 calf houses, 1 dairy, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house, a boiling house, a barn, a turf house, a potato house, a store and laundry. The dwelling had brick-type walls, with a tiled roof and 26 front windows. 20 rooms in the house were occupied, and the landholder for this house was Mrs Concannon and Mrs St George, as indicated on the census.

House 2 – Cohen – There were 3 people occupying this house on the night of the census, all members of the Cohen family. John Cohen was the head of the family, a 56 year old working as a caretaker and a farmer. He had been married to his wife for 26 years, and they had 2 children together, both of whom were still living. They resided with one of their children, John Cohen, who was 19 years old and listed as the ‘Farmer’s Son,’ All of the household was able to read and write, but only the head of the family spoke both Irish and English. Their house had no out offices recorded, with the family occupying 4 rooms. It was deemed a 2^nd class house.