Corlacken

 

Field in Corlackan

Carmel O'Rourke

Corlackan

Civil Parish of Kilbegnet

An Chorrleaca, rough hill side

Corlackan is located in the civil parish of Kilbegnet, Barony of Ballymoe, County Galway. The townland can be found one-mile West-North West of a monument situated in Kilbegnet townland.

The Down Survey Map states Corlackan, under the name Corlack, was owned by Sir Ulick Bourke (Catholic). There were 30 plantation acres of unprofitable land and 96 acres of profitable land. 96 plantation acres were forfeited.

O’Donovan’s Field Name Books states that four Danish forts can be found in the Eastern portion of Corlackan. An area of bog land can be found in the South of the townland. There is a road passing through the North Eastern portion of Corlackan, forming part of the Eastern boundary. Tillage and pasture make up the rest of the townland.

Census 1841-1851

According to the 1851 census records, Corlackan consisted of an area of 376 acres, 2 roods and 12 perches. In 1841 the population totaled 187 people, 93 of which were male and 94 were female. By 1851, the population had decreased to 117 people, 52 were male and 65 were female. There were 24 houses in 1851, all of which were occupied. The poor law valuation paid was £164-3-0.

Griffith’s Valuation 1847-1864

According to Griffith’s Valuation, Rev. Solomon Richards and others owned the land and rented tenements. Hugh Fannin paid £1-0-0 for 2 acres, 0 roods and 5 perches for land. Edward McDermott paid a total of £16-0-0 for 31 acres, 1 rood and 30 perches for house, offices and land. A cottier’s house and office were on the same holding. William Daly, John Kelly, Bryan Hanly and Owen Kelly jointly rented a holding measuring 22 acres, 3 roods and 24 perches. William Daly paid £7-10-0 for house, office and land. John Kelly paid £1-3-0 for land, Bryan Hanly paid £1-15-0 for land and Owen Kelly paid £0-12-0 for land. Martin Morgan rented a herd’s house and land measuring 159 acres, 0 roods and 36 perches for £96-0-0. Bartholomew Egan, Ellen Courtney, Hubert Burke, John Kennealy and Peter Egan jointly leased a holding measuring 37 acres, 0 roods and 27 perches. Bartholomew Egan paid £6-15-0 for house, office and land. Ellen Courtney paid £4-0-0 for house and land. Hubert Burke paid £4-5-0 for house, office and land. John Kennealy paid £4-0-0 for house and land. Peter Egan paid £5-10-0 for house, office and land. Peter Fannin, Peter Keane and John Rowan jointly rented 41 acres, 1 rood and 7 perches. Peter Fannin paid £4-10-0 for house, office and land. Peter Keane paid £5-0-0 for house, office and land. John Rowan paid £7-15-0 for house and land. Bryan Hurley paid £15-15-0 for 37 acres, 3 roods and 22 perches for house, offices and land. Bryan McGovern, Ellen McGovern, John Kelly, Thomas McGovern, Thomas Hurley and Owen Kelly jointly rented a holding measuring 32 acres, 3 roods and 38 perches. Bryan McGovern, Ellen McGovern, John Kelly, Thomas McGovern and Owen Kelly each paid £3-0-0 for house, office and land. Thomas Hurley paid £2-12-0 for land. John Kelly paid £2-10-0 for land measuring 4 acres, 2 roods and 3 perches. Rev. Solomon Richards and others kept a portion of bog measuring 15 acres, 3 roods and 0 perches and three cottier’s houses and gardens measuring 0 acres, 1 rood and 20 perches in fee for £2-10-0. The total annual valuation of rateable property was £204-2-0.

Census 1901

There was a total of 17 houses in Corlackan in 1901, all of which were occupied. The population was 80 people, 43 of which were male and 37 were female. The heads of the households were as follows: Bridget Kelly, Patrick McGovern, Thomas McGovern, James Melia, Michael Hurley, Martin Kelly, Pat Scanlon, Sarah Roan, John Fannon, William Joyce, Edward McDermott, Bernard Hurley, Pat Flanagan, Bartley Egan, Bridget Beatty, Michael Connolly and Margaret Raftery. All residents were born in County Galway and all were Roman Catholic. All houses were listed as private dwellings. The census forms were collected on the 4^th of April. There were at least 49 farm steadings comprising 10 stables, 2 coach houses, 14 cow houses, 2 calf houses, 12 piggeries, 4 fowl houses and 5 barns. However, as a result of the second B2 return form being unavailable as of the 18th of February 2020, the nature of the other 5 farm steadings and out offices is not clear.

Bridget Kelly (60) was a widowed farmer. She lived with her 2 unmarried sons John (30) and Michael (24) and her unmarried daughter Maggie (16). Both John and Michael listed their occupation as farmer’s sons, while Maggie was a farmer’s daughter. All members of the family could read and write. Bridget spoke Irish and English, while her children spoke English only. The Kelly family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material, while the roof was constructed using perishable material. Bridget owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Patrick McGovern (48) lived with his wife Bridget (28) and their 3 children, Nellie (6), Bernard (11) and Margaret (2). Patrick was a farmer, while Nellie and Bernard were scholars. Patrick, Bridget and their eldest child Nellie could read and write. Bernard could read only, while Margaret was too young to read or write at the time of the census. Patrick spoke Irish and English, while the rest of the family spoke English only. The family occupied a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 4 rooms. Permanent material was used to construct the walls of the house, while the roof was made of perishable material. Patrick owned the land his house was situated on as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Thomas McGovern (76) was a married farmer. He lived with his wife Rose (56), their unmarried son Thomas (30), married son John (35), daughter-in-law Mary (19) and his unmarried brother John (66). John and Thomas both listed their occupation as farmer’s sons. John (Sen.) was recorded as a farmer’s brother. Neither Thomas or his wife could read or write, but Thomas spoke Irish and English. The rest of the family spoke English only. His son John, daughter-in-law Mary and brother John could read and write, while son Thomas could read only. The McGovern family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material while the roof was made of perishable material. Thomas owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

James Melia (40) lived with his wife Margaret (40), their 4 sons, James (11), Edward (6), Michael (4) and Patrick (3) and 2 daughters, Bridget (9) and Ellen (8). James worked as a farmer and his 3 eldest children were scholars. James, his wife and their 3 eldest children could read and write. The 3 youngest children could not read or write. James spoke both Irish and English, while the rest of the family spoke English only. The Melia family occupied a 3^rd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Perishable material was used to construct both the walls and the roof of the house. James owned the land on which his house was located along with 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Michael Hurley (64) was a widower. He lived with his 3 unmarried sons, John (24), James (16) and Bernard (12) and unmarried daughter Hannah (18). Michael was a farmer, while both John and James listed their occupation as farmer’s sons. Hannah was a farmer’s daughter, while Bernard was a scholar. All members of the family could read and write. Michael spoke Irish and English, while his children spoke English only. The Hurley family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material, while the roof was made of perishable material. Michael owned the land his house was located on along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 fowl house.

Martin Kelly (50) was a widower who lived with his son John (22). Martin was a farmer, while John was listed as a farmer’s son. Both Martin and John could read and write. Martin spoke Irish and English, while John spoke English only. The family lived in a 3^rd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls and the roof of the house were made of perishable material. Martin owned the land on which his house was located as well as 1 cow house, 1 calf house and 1 piggery.

Pat Scanlon (38) lived with his wife Bridget (24), their 2 daughters Mary Kate (4) and Maggie Jane (5 months), their son Lawrence (2) and his 2 unmarried brothers James (20) and Bernard (15). Pat was a farmer, while his brother James worked as a general labourer. Mary Kate and Bernard were scholars. All members of the family could read and write, except Lawrence and Maggie Jane who were too young to read or write at the time of the census. All members of the family spoke English only, except Bridget who spoke Irish and English. The Scanlon family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Permanent material was used to construct the walls of the house, while the roof was made of perishable material. Pat owned the land his house was situated on as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

Sarah Roan (70) was a widowed farmer. She lived with her 3 unmarried sons, Patrick (56), Michael (50) and John (35) and her niece Mary Cunniffe (5). Each son had their occupation listed as a farmer’s son. Mary was a scholar. John was the only member of the family who could read and write, while Mary could read only. Each family member spoke Irish and English, except John who spoke English only. The family lived in a 2^nd class house that had 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material, while the roof was made of perishable material. Sarah owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

John Fannon (37) lived with his wife Mary (34), their 3 daughters, Sarah (11), Mary Kate (7) and Lizzie (2) and their 2 sons Peter (9) and Patrick (4). John was a farmer, while his 2 eldest children were scholars. John and Mary could read only, while their 2 eldest children, Sarah and Peter, could read and write. The 3 youngest children could not read at the time of the census. Mary spoke both Irish and English, while her family spoke English only. The Fannon family occupied a 3^rd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Perishable material was used to construct the walls and the roof of the house. John owned the land on which her house was located along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

William Joyce (80) was a widower. He lived with his 3 unmarried sons, William (21), Thomas (14) and Edward (10) and his unmarried daughters, Mary (19) and Bridget (4). There was a widowed visitor, Salia Connor (86) on the night of the census. William was a farmer, while his son William was listed as a farmer’s son and Mary was a farmer’s daughter. Thomas and Edward were scholars. All members of the family could read and write, except the youngest child Bridget. Salia could also not read or write, but she spoke Irish and English. William also spoke both Irish and English while his children spoke English only. The family occupied a 3^rd class house with 2 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material, while the roof was made of perishable material. William owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

Edward McDermott (80) was a widower who lived alone. Edward worked as a farmer. He could read and write, as well as speak Irish and English. Edward lived in a 4^th class house that had just 1 front window and 1 room. Perishable material was used to construct both the walls and the roof of the house. Edward owned the land his house was situated on along with 1 cow house.

Bernard Hurley (35) was a married farmer. He lived with his wife Mary (30) and their daughter Maggie (5). Bernard was a farmer. Both Bernard and his wife could read and write, while their daughter was too young at the time. No language is listed for any family member, suggesting they spoke English only. The Hurley family lived in a 3^rd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls and the roof of the house were made using perishable material. Bernard owned the land on which his house was located along with 1 stable and 1 cow house.

Pat Flanagan (60) lived with his wife Anne (55), their 4 daughters, Ellen (20), Maggie (18), Hanoria (12) and Kate (9) and their son Fergus (16). Pat worked as a shepherd, while Ellen and Maggie were shepherd’s daughters. Fergus, Hanoria and Kate were scholars. All members of the family could read and write. Pat and Anne spoke Irish and English, while their children spoke English only. The family lived in a 3^rd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Both the walls and the roof of the house were made using perishable material. John Margor owned the land the house was situated on along with 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Bartley Egan (45) was an unmarried farmer. He lived with his unmarried brother John (50). John worked as a general labourer. Bartley could read and write, while John could not read. No language was listed for either of the brothers, suggesting they spoke English only. The family occupied a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. The walls of the house were made of permanent material, while the roof was made of perishable material. Bartley owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 coach house, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Bridget Beatty (65) was a widowed farmer. Bridget lived alone. She could not read or write, but she spoke both Irish and English. Bridget lived in a 4^th class house with 1 front window and 1 room. Perishable material was used to construct the walls and the roof of the house. Bridget owned the land on which her house was located.

Michael Connelly (38) lived with his wife Ellen (36), their 3 daughters, Mary (9), Kate (6) and Margaret (4) and his parents John (76) and Mary (70). Michael was a farmer, while his father John was a retired farmer. Ellen worked as a seamstress, while her 3 daughters were scholars. All members of the family could read and write. Ellen, John and Mary spoke Irish and English, while Michael and the 3 children spoke English only. The Connelly family lived in a 4^th class house with just 1 front window and 1 room. The walls and the roof of the house were made of perishable material. Michael owned the land on which his house was situated along with 2 farm steadings.

Margaret Raftery (65) was a widow who lived with her 2 unmarried sons, Michael (32) and Thomas (28). Margaret was a farmer, while both Michael and Thomas were farmer’s sons. All members of the family could read and write. Margaret spoke both Irish and English, while her sons spoke English only. The family lived in a 4^th class house with 1 front window and 3 rooms. Perishable material was used to construct the walls and the roof of the house. Margaret owned the land her house was situated along with 3 farm steadings.

Census 1911

There were 15 households in Corlackan in 1911, all of which were occupied. The total population was 97 people, 48 were male and 49 were female. The heads of the households were as follows: Michael Connelly, Margaret Raftery, Bartley Egan, Pat Flanagan, Mary Hurley, William Joyce, John Fannon, John Rowan, Patrick Scanlon, John Hurley, John Kelly, James Melia, John McGovern, John Kelly and Patrick McGovern. All residents were born in County Galway and all were Roman Catholic. All houses were listed as private dwellings, and each had walls made of permanent material and a roof made of perishable material. The census forms were collected on the 4^th of April. There were 51 farm steadings, comprising 10 stables, 15 cow houses, 1 calf house, 15 piggeries, 3 fowl houses and 7 barns.

Michael Connelly (50) lived with his wife Ellen (50) and their daughter Margaret (14). Michael and Ellen had been married for 19 years and had 3 children, all of whom were living at the time of the census. Michael was a farmer and Margaret was a scholar. All members of the family could read and write, as well as speak Irish and English. The Connelly family lived in a 3^rd class house with 2 front windows and 2 rooms. Michael owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Margaret Raftery (74) was a widowed farmer. She lived with her unmarried son Michael (40). Michael was a farmer’s son. While Margaret could not read or write, her son could read and write. No language was recorded for the family, suggesting they spoke English only. The family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Margaret owned the land on which her house was situated along with 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Bartley Egan (56) lived with his wife of 9 years, Lizzie (33) and their 3 daughters, Anne (8), Bridget (7) and Lizzie (2). Bartley worked as a farmer and his 2 eldest daughters were scholars. All members of the family could read and write. Each member of the Egan family spoke English only. The family lived in 2^nd class house that had 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Bartley owned the land his house was situated on as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Pat Flanagan (69) lived with wife Anne (64) and their 2 children Fergus (23) and Kate (16). Pat and Anne had been married for 44 years in 1911. They had 13 children, 10 of whom were living at the time of the census. Both Pat and Fergus recorded their occupation as herd. All members of the family could read and write, except Anne who could read only. Pat spoke Irish and English, while his family spoke English only. The Flanagan family occupied a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John Morgan owned the land the house was located on as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

Mary Hurley (38) was a widowed farmer. She lived with her 5 daughters, Margaret (10), Mary Kathleen (8), Delia (6), Ellen (3) and Josephine (2), her son Michael (4) and farm servant Bernard Scanlon (24). Margaret, Mary Kathleen and Delia were scholars. Mary and her 2 eldest daughters, as well as Bernard could read and write. Delia could read only, while the other children were too young to read or write at the time of the census. No language was recorded for any family member, suggesting they spoke English only. The Hurley family lived in a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Mary owned the land on which her house was located along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

William Joyce (33) lived with his wife Mary (24), their son Thomas (1), his widower father William (77), sister Bridget (14), brother Edward (18) and his widowed aunt Celia Connor (81). William and Mary had been married 3 years and had 1 child in 1911. William was a farmer, while his brother Edward worked as a labourer. All members of the family could read and write, except Celia who could not read or write. Thomas is listed as being able to read and write as well [sic]. William (Sen.) spoke both Irish and English, while his family spoke English only. The family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. William owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

John Fannon (46) lived with his wife of 20 years Mary (40), their 5 daughters Sarah (19), Mary K. (13), Lizzie A. (10), Eileen J. (6) and Delia (1) and their 4 sons Peter (18), Patrick (16), John Joe (8) and Michael (4). John was a farmer, while Sarah was listed as a farmer’s daughter. Peter and Patrick both recorded their occupation as farmer’s son. Mary K., Lizzie A., John Joe and Eileen J. were scholars. All members of the family could read and write, except the 3 youngest children. No language was recorded for any family member, suggesting they spoke English only. The Fannon family occupied a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land his house was situated on as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

John Rowan (40) was a married farmer. He lived with his wife Margaret (28), their 3 children, Martin (3), Annie (2) and Sarah (7 months), his 2 brothers Pat (60) and Michael (56) and his niece Mary Cunniffe (15). John and Margaret had been married 5 years and had 4 children, 3 of whom were still living at the time of the census. Pat and Michael were labourers, while Mary was a scholar. John, Margaret and Mary could read and write. None of John’s children could read or write as they were too young at the time of the census. John’s brother Pat could not read or write either, but Michael could read. There was no language recorded for any family member, meaning they spoke English only. The family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land on which his house was located along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

Patrick Scanlon (46) lived with his wife Bridget (35), brother James Francis (31), his 3 daughters Mary Kate (14), Margaret Lane (10) and Bridget (9 months) and 4 sons Lawrence Michl (12), Patrick (7), Thomas (5) and John Edward (3). Patrick and Bridget had been married 14 years and had 8 children, 7 of whom were living at the time of the census. Patrick was a farmer, while his brother James Francis was a postman. The 5 eldest children were scholars. All members of the family could read and write, except the youngest 3 children. Thomas could read only, while John Edward and Bridget were too young to read or write at the time of the census. Bridget, Mary Kate and Margaret Lane spoke Irish and English, while the rest of the family spoke English only. The family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. Patrick owned the land on which his house was located along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery, 1 fowl house and 1 barn.

John Hurley (40) was married farmer. He lived with his wife of 8 years, Bridget (34). The couple had no children. Both John and his wife could read and write, as well as speak Irish and English. John and his wife lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land on which his house was located as well as 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

John Kelly (34) lived with his wife of 7 years Celia (34), their 3 children, Martin (5), Patrick (4) and Mary (1) and his widower father Martin (67). John was a farmer and his eldest child, Martin, was a scholar. John, Celia and Martin (Sen) could read and write. Martin (jun.) could read only, while the other children were too young to read or write at the time of the census. No language was listed for any family member, suggesting they spoke English only. The Kelly family occupied a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land his house was situated on along with 1 stable, 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

James Melia (53) lived with his wife Margaret (56), their 4 sons, James (21), Edward (17), Michael (15) and Patrick (14) and their 3 daughters, Bridget (19), Ellie (18) ad Lizzie (9). James and Margaret were married for 24 years and had 7 children in 1911. James was a farmer and each son was listed as a farmer’s son, while each daughter was a farmer’s daughter. While James could read only, all other members of the family could read and write. Each family member spoke English only. The Melia family lived in a 2^nd class house with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. James owned the land on which his house was located as well as 1 cow house and 1 piggery.

John McGovern (48) was a married farmer. He lived with his wife of 10 years Mary (33), their son John (8), their 4 daughters, Mary (6), Rose (4), Anne (3) and Bridget (1), his widower father Thomas (90) and his unmarried brother Thomas (41). John and his brother Thomas were farmers. The 2 eldest children, John and Mary were scholars. John, his brother, his wife and their 2 eldest children could read and write. Rose, Anne and Bridget were too young at the time of the census to read or write. Thomas (Sen.) could not read or write. No language was recorded for any family member, suggesting they spoke English only. The McGovern family lived in a 2^nd class house that had 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land his house was situated on along with 1 stable, 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

John Kelly (40) was an unmarried farmer. He lived with his 2 unmarried siblings, brother Michael (34) and sister Margaret (28). Michael was also a farmer. Each member of the family could read and write. No language was recorded for any family member, meaning they spoke English only. The siblings occupied a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 front windows and 3 rooms. John owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 cow house, 1 piggery and 1 barn.

Patrick McGovern (62) lived with his wife Bridget (39), their 3 daughters, Ellen (16), Margaret Mary (11) and Anne (9) and their 5 sons, Thomas (8), Patrick (6), John (5), Anthony (5) and William Joseph (3). Patrick and Bridget had been married for 17 years and had 9 children in 1911. Patrick was a farmer, while Ellen was recorded as a farmer’s daughter. All the other children were scholars, except the youngest child, William Joseph, who was too young at the time of the census. All members of the family could read and write, except the youngest 3 children; John and Anthony could read only, while William Joseph was too young to read or write. The family lived in a 2^nd class house with 2 front windows and 4 rooms. Pat owned the land on which his house was situated along with 1 cow house, 1 calf house, 1 piggery and 1 fowl house.