Castleblakeney

Irish Grid: M 68413 42159

Author: Roger Harrison

Description:

(John O’Donovan 1806-1861)

Is the property of John H. Blakeney, held by deed for ever. It contains a.r.p. all of which is dry land of good quality. The town of Castleblakeney is situated therein and the houses in pretty good repair. Pays for County Cess £6. 19s. 8d. including the Cess of the townland Cartron.

Situation:

(John O’Donovan 1806-1861)

Lies in the S. West of this parish in the barony of Tiaquin is bounded by Gallagh, Course and Gortavally townlands in this parish and by Creggaun, Ashfield and Hundred Acres in the parish of Ballymacward in said barony.

This is a list of townlands that share a border with Castleblakeney.

• Ashfield
• Course
• Creggaun
• Gallagh
• Gortavally
• Hundredacres

Census of Ireland (1821- 1911)

The first full population census of Ireland was taken in 1821 and the first four Irish censuses were arranged by county, barony, civil parish and townland.

1821:  Only some fragments for small parts of county Galway survive. There are no records      for Killosolan.

1831:  The only surviving records are from Counties Antrim and Derry.

1841:  There are no surviving records for County Galway.

1851:   There are no surviving records for County Galway.

1861:  Census records for 1861 and 1871 were deliberately destroyed by the government

1881:  The records for 1881 and 1891 were pulped as waster paper during the shortages of World War I.

1901:   Full Census records are available    See below.

1911:   Full Census records are available    See below.

1911 Census

Overview of the townland

The 1911 census shows that there were a total of 24 houses in the townland of Castleblakeney of which 22 were occupied. House 14 was unoccupied and was the national school and the landholder was Michael Cloonin [sic], and house 24 was also unoccupied. All the occupied houses were constructed of stone, brick or concrete walls and houses 1, 3, 5, 6, 11, 15-17, 20, 21 and 23 had slate, iron or tiled roofs while the others all had thatch, wood or other perishable materials for roofing. Of the occupied houses, houses 6 and 17 were public houses, house 16 was a shop and houses 23 and 24 were the R.I.C. barracks. Houses 3, 6, and 23 where 1^st class dwellings, houses 1, 4, 5, 8, 10-18, 20 and 21 were 2^nd class dwellings and the rest were all 3^rd class. House 19 had 1 room and 1 window in the front, houses 2, 7, 9 and 22 had 2 rooms and 2 windows in the front, houses 4, 10, 12, 13 and 18 had between 2 and 4 rooms and 3 windows in the front and houses 1, 8, 20 and 21 had between 2 and 4 rooms and 4 windows in the front. Houses 5, 11 and 17 had between 2 and 4 rooms and 5 windows, house 15 had 5 rooms and windows, houses 23 and 24 between them had 8 rooms and 8 windows, house 6 had 5 rooms and 8 windows and house 3 had 10 rooms and 10 windows in the front. The out-offices and farm-steadings return shows that there were a total of 71 out buildings in the townland and they consisted of 19 stables, 13 cow houses, 3 calf houses, 11 piggeries, 6 fowl houses, 5 barns, 2 turf houses, a workshop, 5 sheds and 6 stores. The enumerator’s abstract return shows that there were 112 people, 56 each of male and female. Two were Protestant and the rest were all Roman Catholic. The enumerator was John Gallagher.

House 1: Kelly

The head of the first family in Castleblakeney was the widower, John (49) who lived in the house with 3 of his daughters, Margaret E. (17), Julia (15) and Annie (14). They were all Roman Catholic and Margaret E. was born in Co. Leitrim and the other 3 were born in Co. Galway. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and could also read and write. John was an ex sergeant in the R.I.C. and the girls were all scholars. The house they lived in was a 2^nd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was Richard Potter.

House 2: Jennings / Davis

Thomas (72), a single man, was the head of this household and he shared the house with John Davis (30) who was married to Nora Davis (27) and had been for 3 years but they had no children. They were all Roman Catholic and Thomas was born in Co. Galway, John was born in Co. Sligo and Nora was born in Co. Tipperary. Thomas could not read but both John and Nora could read and write. There were no occupations listed. The house they lived in was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a cow house. The landholder was Thomas Jennings.

House 3: Klingen [sic] / O Dowd / Noctin [sic] (?) / Golding

Hubert (58) was the head of the household in house 3 and he was married to Margaret (61) and had been for 20 years but they had no children. Also in the house at that time were Hubert’s step children, Fannie C. O Dowd (23) and William D. O Dowd (22), a baker, Stephen Noctin [sic] (19) and a servant, Michael Golding (60). They were all Roman Catholic and Hubert was born in London and the others were all born in Co. Galway. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and read and write. Fannie C. was an assistant teacher, Stephen was a baker and Michael was a servant. The house they lived in was a 1^st class dwelling with 10 rooms and they had 5 stables, a cow house, a piggery and a fowl house. The landholder was Hubert Klingen.

House 4: Cloonin [sic]

Of the 7 members of this Cloonan family, the head of the family was Michael (38) and he had been married to Mary (32) for 5 years and in that time they had had 4 children, Martin (5), Mary (3), John (2) and Kate (1) and also in the house at that time was an uncle, James (78). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. James could speak both Irish and English. Michael and Mary (32) could read and write. Michael was listed as being a farmer. The house they lived in was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn. The landholder was Michael Cloonin [sic].

House 5: Smyth

The widow Mary (68) was listed as being then head of this family and she had been married for 38 years and had had 6 children, all of whom had survived. She lived in the house with 2 of those children, Thomas (30) and Kate (27). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Mary could speak both Irish and English and all of the household could read and write. Both Mary and Thomas were listed as being farmers. The house they lived in was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms and they had a cow house, a calf house. a piggery and a barn. The landholder was Mary Smyth.

House 6: Mannion / Mallony [sic] / Halvey [sic] / Walsh / Kelly

There were 10 members of this household and the head was Thomas (32) and he had been married to Mary (30) for 6 years and they had 2 children, Annie Maria (3) and Ellen Mary (1). Also in the house at that time were a visitor, Agnes Mallony [sic] (25) and 5 unspecified occupants, Patrick Halvey [sic] (18), John Halvey [sic] (14), Mary Ellen Kelly (19), Gertrude Mary Walsh (18) and Teressa [sic] Mary Kelly (16). All were Roman Catholic and Thomas, Annie Maria, Ellen Mary, Patrick and John were born in Co. Galway, Mary and Agnes were born in Co. Tipperary, Mary Ellen was born in Co. Mayo, Gertrude Mary was born in Athlone and Teressa [sic] Mary was born in Co. Westmeath. Apart from the 2 young children, all could read and write. Thomas was a shopkeeper and publican, Patrick, John, Mary Ellen and Gertrude Mary were shop assistants and Teressa [sic] Mary was a servant. The house was a 1st class dwelling with 5 rooms and they had 2 stables, a cow house, a piggery, a turf house, 2 sheds and 2 stores. The landholder was Thomas Mannion.

House 7: Blade

There were 2 sisters living in house 7, Julia (24) and Maria (25) and both were single. They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They could speak both Irish and English and both could read and write. Both sisters were listed as being dressmakers. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was Thomas Wade.

House 8: Wade

Thomas (41) was the head of this family and he was married to Bridgid [sic] (30) and had been for 3 years but at that time they had had no children. Both were Roman Catholic but there was no place of birth listed. They could speak both Irish and English and read and write. Thomas was listed as being a farmer. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms with a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn. The landholder was Thomas Wade.

House 9: Lohan

The sole occupant of house 9 was John (80), a widower. He was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway, He could not read, but could speak both Irish and English and was listed as being a tailor. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms. The landholder was Thomas Wade.

House 10: Cahill

Thomas (49) was listed as being the head of this family and he had been married to Kate (34) for 11 years and they had had 6 children, John Frances (11), Thomas (9), Michael Joseph (8), Patrick James (7), Mary Bridget (5) and Christopher (1). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic, with the exception of Thomas (49), who was born in America. Thomas, Kate, John Frances and Thomas (9) spoke Irish and English and, apart from Mary Bridget and Christopher, they could all read and write. Thomas (49) was a rural postman and the children, with the exception of baby Christopher, were scholars. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 2 rooms with a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a fowl house. The landholder was Thomas Cahill.

House 11: Mellody [sic] / Warde

The head of this family was the widow, Margaret (40) and she shared the house with 6 of her children, Martin (18), Mary (15), Bridget (11), Margaret (10), John (8) and Nora (5) as well as a boarder, John Warde (72), a widower. They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Margaret (40), Martin, Mary, Bridget and John Warde spoke both Irish and English. Apart from Norah, they could all read and write. Martin was a farmer and all the other children were scholars and John (72) was a retired farmer. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms with a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn. The landholder was Margaret Mellody [sic].

House 12: Connolly

Thomas (69) was listed as being the head of this family and was married to Mary (68) and had been for 45 years and they had had 8 children but only 4 of those had survived. Two of those children also lived in the house with them and they were, Annie (30) and Christopher (21). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and all could read and write. Thomas was listed as being a farmer and Christopher was a farmer’s son. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 2 rooms with a stable, a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was Thomas Connolly.

House 13: McElwain

Of the 7 members of this family, James (37) was listed as being the head. He was married to Ellen (36) and had been for 8 years and they had 5 children, Annie Mary (7), Mary Julia (6), Edwd [sic] Martin (5), Michl Joe (3) and John Paul (9mths). They were all Roman Catholic and James was born in Donegal, Ellen and John Paul were born in Co. Mayo and the others were all born in Co. Galway. Only James could speak Irish and English and all, apart from the 2 youngest children, could read and write. James was a constable in the R.I.C. and the 4 oldest children were scholars. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms with 2 sheds. The landholder was Jane Conheeney.

House 14: Unoccupied

House 15: Naughton / Kenny / Gormally / Miskell [sic]

Frank (40) was the head of this household and he had been married to Delia (31) for 3 years but they had no children. There were 3 other people in the house no relation entered. Mary Margret Kenny (23), Martin Gormally (20) and Theady Miskell [sic] (17). Apart from Theady [sic], they were all Roman Catholic and Mary Margret was born in Co. Roscommon and the others were all born in Co. Galway. Frank and Mary Margret spoke Irish and English but only Frank could read and write. Frank was a farmer and Mary Margret was a teacher. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 5 rooms with 2 stables, a cow house, a calf house, a piggery, a fowl house and a barn. The landholder was Frances Naughton.

House 16: Ferity / Derwan [sic] / McDermott / Lally / Mannion / Griffin

The head of this household was James (31) and he was married to Mary F. (23) and had been for 2 years and in that time they had 2 children, Margaret M. (1) and James P. (9mths). Also in the house at that time were a servant, Wm Kate Derwan [sic] (21) and 4 shop assistants, William McDermott (23), Martin Lally (19), Michael Mannion (19) and Pat Griffin (19). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic with the exception of Mary F., who was born in Co. Roscommon. James, Martin and Michael could speak both Irish and English. Margaret M. and James P. could not read, Pat could read only and all the others could read and write. James was a shopkeeper, Wm Kate and Pat were servants and William, Martin and Michael were shop assistants. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 5 rooms with 2 stables, a cow house, a calf house, a piggery, a fowl house, a workshop, a shed and 4 stores. The landholder was James Ferity.

House 17: Cotter

Richard (59) was the head of this family and he shared the house with his wife of 30 years, Mary (55), but they had no children. Richard was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Cork and Mary was Church of Ireland and was born in Co. Galway. Both spoke only English and they could read and write. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms with a stable, a cow house and a piggery. The landholder was Richard Cotter.

House 18: Potter / O Dowd / Raftery / Ryan

The head of this household was Elizabeth Potter (70) and she was single and she shared the house with Annie O Dowd (26), Teresa Raftery (19) and Delia Ryan (14). Elizabeth was Church of Ireland and the others were all Roman Catholic and they were all born in Co. Galway. They spoke only English and they could all read and write. Elizabeth was a sub postmistress, Annie and Teresa were P O Assistant and Delia was a servant. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms. The landholder was Richard Cotter.

House 19: Lohan

The widow, Mary (68) was listed as the head of this family and she lived in the house with her son, James (35) and daughter, Catherine (25). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. James and Catherine could read and write and James was listed as being a labourer. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 1 room. The landholder was Richard Cotter.

House 20: Dalton / Burke

James Perce [sic] (38) was the head of the family in house 20 and he had been married to Brigid (37) for 11 years and they had had 5 children that also lived in the house, Margret (10), Ellen (9), Mary Madeline (7), Christina (5) and James (4). As well as the immediate family, there was also a servant in the house, Mary Kate Burke (15). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic, with the exception of Brigid, who was born in Co. Mayo. Brigid, Margret, Ellen and Mary Madeline spoke Irish and English. With the exception of Christina and James (4), they could all reads and write. James Perce [sic] was a constable in the R.I.C., Brigid was a national school teacher, Margret, Ellen, Mary Madeline and Christina were scholars and Mary Kate Burke a domestic. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms. The landholder was James Donohoe.

House 21: Donohoe

James (34) and his wife, Margret (35) lived in house 21 and they had been married for 2 years but at that time they had no children. They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They could speak both Irish and English and read and write. James was listed as being a farmer. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a stable and a cow house. The landholder was James Donohoe.

House 22: Tarbert [sic]

The head of this family was the widow, Mary (43) and she shared the house with 2 of her sons, William (23) and Patrick (21) and also her brother-in-law, William (55). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Only Mary could speak Irish and English and none of the family could read. William (23), Patrick and William (55) were labourers. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was James Donohoe.

House 23.1: R.I.C. Barracks

(Note: Members of the R.I.C. were only listed by their initials, although some can be identified by other means, such as enumerators)

J.B. (John Brennan) (40) was a sergeant and he was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Sligo. He could read and write and before joining the R.I.C. he was a farmer’s son. J. G. (John Gallagher) (37) was a constable and he was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Fermanagh. He could read and write and before joining the R.I.C. he was a farmer’s son. P. Mc K. (25) was a constable and he was born in Co. Leitrim and was a Roman Catholic. He could read and write and before joining the R.I.C. was a farmer’s son and M. Mc G. (25) was a constable and was born in Co. Leitrim and he could read and write. Before joining the R.I.C. he was a farmer’s son. The building was a 1^st class dwelling with 8 rooms and it also had a stable and a turf house.

House 23.2: R.I.C. Barracks

Sergeant John Brennan (40) (see above in house 23.1) was the head of this family and he had been married to Kathrine (32) for 7 years and they had had 5 children and 4 of those had survived. Those 4 children also lived in the house and they were Joseph Patrick (6), John Edward (5), Mary (2) and Rachel (1). They were all Roman Catholic and John was born in Co. Sligo, Kathrine, John Edward and Mary were born in Co. Roscommon and Joseph Patrick and Rachel were born in Co. Galway. Mary and Rachel could not read, Joseph Patrick and John Edward could read only and John and Kathrin could read and write. John was a sergeant in the R.I.C. and Joseph Patrick and John Edward were scholars. The building was a 1^st class dwelling with 8 rooms and it also had a stable and a turf house.

1901 Census

Overview of the townland

The 1901 census shows that there were 22 buildings in the townland and that 19 of those were occupied, with houses 20, 21 and 22 being unoccupied. House 21 was the Castleblakeney National School and house 22 was a public building and the Protestant Church. The landholder of house 20 was Margaret E. Klingen. The occupied houses were all constructed of stone, brick or concrete walls and houses 1, 2, 4, 7, 9 and 10 had slate, iron or tiled roofs and all the others had only thatch, wood or other perishable materials for roofing. Houses 1, 4, 7, 10 and 15 were 1^st class dwellings, houses 2, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 19 were 2^nd class dwellings and the others were all 3^rd class. Houses 6 and 18 had 2 rooms and 1 window in the front, houses 3, 5 and 13 had between 2 and 4 rooms and 2 windows, houses 8, 12, 14, 17 and 19 had between 2 and 4 rooms and 3 windows in the front and house 16 had 4 rooms and 4 windows in the front. Houses 2 and 9 had 4 rooms and 5 windows in the front, house 11 had 7 rooms and 6 windows in the front, houses 4 and 15 had between 7 and 9 rooms and 7 windows in the front, houses 1 and 10 had between 7 and 9 rooms and 8 windows and house 7 had 10 rooms and 11 windows in the front. The out-offices and farm-steadings return only shows records up to house 15. There were 40 out buildings in those 15 houses and they consisted of 7 stables, 6 cow houses, 7 piggeries, 3 fowl houses, 5 barns, 1 turf house, 8 sheds and 3 stores. There were a total of 95 people in the townland at that time, 39 males and 56 females. The enumerator for the area was James Dalton.

House 1.1: Dalton

The head of the first family in Castleblakeney was James (67) and he was married to Margaret (55) and they shared the house with their daughter, Margaret (9), daughter-in-law, Bridget (26) and granddaughter, Margaret (6mths). They were all Roman Catholic and James was born in Co. Monaghan, Margaret (55) was born in Co. Tipperary, Margaret (9) and Margaret (6mths) were born in Co. Galway and Bridget was born in Co, Mayo. Bridget could speak both Irish and English and all, with the exception of baby Margaret, could read and write. James was an ex sergeant in the R.I.C., Margaret (9) was a scholar and Bridget was a national school teacher. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 5 rooms and they had 2 sheds. The landholder was Thomas McLoughlin.

House 1.2: Kelly

The head of the family in the second part of house 1 was listed as being Ellen Kelly (34) and she shared the house with 4 of her daughters, Mary Ellen (10), Margaret Elizabeth (6), Julia (4) and Annie (3). They were all Roman Catholic and Ellen, Mary Ellen and Margaret Elizabeth were born in Co. Leitrim while Julia and Annie were born in Co. Galway. Ellen, Mary Ellen and Margaret Elizabeth could read and write. Ellen was a R.I.C. constable’s wife, and the children were all scholars. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 5 rooms and they had 2 sheds. The landholder was Thomas McLoughlin.

House 2: Keating / Noone / Lyons / McLoughlin

Bridget (24) was the head of this household and she shared the house with 3 boarders, Bridget Noone (17), Ellie Lyons (15) and Katie McLoughlin (13). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They all spoke only English and could read and write. They were all listed as being Dressmakers.  The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a fowl house. The landholder was Thomas G. Potter.

House 3: Mannion / Miskell [sic]

There were 7 members of this household and the head was James (75) and he was married to Bridget (60). They shared the house with their daughter, Lizzie (30), granddaughters, Mary (11) and Bridget Miskell [sic] (10) and 2 grandsons, Patrick Miskell [sic] (8) and Thady Miskell [sic] (7). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. James and Bridget (60) could speak both Irish and English but could not read. Lizzie, Patrick and Thady could read only while Mary and Bridget (10) could read and write. James was a tailor, Lizzie was a general servant domestic and the children were all scholars. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was Thomas G. Potter.

House 4: R.I.C Barracks

(Note: Members of the R.I.C. were only listed by their initials, although some can be identified by other means, such as enumerators) The barracks was divided into 2 parts.

House 4.1: Watson

The head of this family was William Watson (43) (details in House 4.2) Also in the house were his wife, Catherine (44) and their children, William John (9), George Albert (7) and Marion Elizabeth (5). They were all members of the Church of Ireland and Catherine was born in Kings County[i] and the children were all born in Co. Galway. Apart from Marion Elizabeth, they could all read and write. The children were all scholars. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 9 rooms and they had a turf house and 2 sheds. The landholder was John Blakeney.

House 4.2:

1. W. (William Watson) (43) was a sergeant and he was born in Co. Cork ER and he was Church of Ireland. He could read and write and before joining the R.I.C. he was a farmer’s son. J.K. (39) was a constable and he was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway WR. He spoke both Irish and English and could read and write. Before joining the R.I.C. he was a farmer’s son. J. P. D. (James Dalton) (29) was a constable. He was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway WR and he could read and write. Before joining the R.I.C. he was the son of an ex R.I.C. sergeant. T.K. (27) was a constable. He was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Westmeath and he could read and write. Before joining the R.I.C. he was the son of an ex R.I.C. sergeant. P. McC. (37) was a constable and he was born in Co. Armagh and was a Roman Catholic. He could read and write and was a farmer’s son before joining the R.I.C. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 9 rooms and they had a turf house and 2 sheds. The landholder was John Blakeney.

House 5: Jennings

The widow Kate (84) was the head of this family and she lived in the house with her son, Thomas (55). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They could speak both Irish and English and Kate could read and write. Both of them were listed as being farmers. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 3 rooms and they had a cow house. The landholder was Kate Jennings.

House 6: Lohan

The head of this family was the widow, Mary (50) and she lived in the house with her son, James (22) and 2 daughters, Kate (16) and Margaret (13). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Mary could read only and the children could all read and write. Mary was a general servant domestic, James was an agricultural labourer and Kate and Margaret were scholars. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was John Blakeney.

House 7: Klingen / O Dowd

Margaret E. (49) was the head of the family and she was married but there was mention of a husband in this entry. She shared the house with 5 of her children, all with the surname O Dowd, and they were, Kathleen M. (21), Annie T. (17), Lizzie A. (16), Fannie C. (14) and Willie J. (13). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and could read and write. Margaret E. was a shopkeeper, Kathleen M. and Annie T. were assistant shopkeepers, Lizzie A. was a telegraphist and Fannie C. and Willie J. were scholars. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 10 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a fowl house and a barn. The landholder was Margaret E. Klingen.

House 8: Cloonan

Of the 5 members of this Cloonan family, the widow Mary (65) was the head and she shared the house with her brother-in-law, James (70) and 3 of her children, Anne (35), Michael (28) and Kate (22). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Mary and James spoke both Irish and English but could not read. The children could all read and write. Mary was listed as being a farmer, James was a farm servant, Anne and Kate were farmer’s daughters and Michael was a farmer’s son. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a barn and a shed. The landholder was Mary Cloonan.

House 9: Smyth

Mary (50), a widow, was the head of this family and she lived in the house with 4 of her children, Patrick (23), Thomas (21), Ellen (19) and Katie (17). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Mary spoke both Irish and English but the children spoke only English. They could all read and write. Mary was a farmer’s widow, Patrick and Thomas were farmer’s sons and Ellen and Katie were farmer’s daughters. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn. The landholder was listed as Mary Smith [sic]

House 10: Mullin / Keefe / Rush

The head of this household was Owen J. (36) and he shared the house with Richard Keefe (20) and John Rush (45). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. All of the family could speak both Irish and English and could read and write. Owen was a general merchant, Richard was a general shop assistant and John was a general servant domestic. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 8 rooms and they had a stable, a piggery, a shed and 3 stores. The landholder was Owen J. Mullin.

House 11: Potter / Cotter / Ormsby / Lohan

The head of this household in house 11 was Elizabeth (53) and she shared the house with her sisters, Delia (33) and Mary Cotter (35), her aunt, Elizabeth Ormsby (85) and a servant, Bridget Lohan (25). They were all born in Co. Galway and Bridget was a Roman Catholic while all the others were Church of Ireland. Elizabeth spoke Irish and English and all, apart from Bridget, could read and write. Elizabeth was a postmistress, Delia was a post office assistant Mary was a Hd. Constable R.I.C.’s wife, Elizabeth had no occupation and Bridget was a general servant domestic. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 7 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a barn and a shed. The landholder was Thomas A. Potter.

House 12: McCann

Margaret (35) was the only listed member of this family in house 12. She was a Roman Catholic and was born in Co. Galway. She spoke both Irish and English, could read and write and was a R.I.C. constable’s wife. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms and she had a fowl house. The landholder was Margaret E Klingen.

House 13: Lohan

John (65) was the head of this family and he shared the house with his wife, Mary (63). They were both born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. They could speak both Irish and English but they could not read. John was listed as being a tailor. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms and they had a piggery. The landholder was John Lohan.

House 14: Cahill / Connelly

The head of this household was Thomas (38) and he was married to Kate (25) and they had 1 child, John Farances [sic] (8mths). Also in the house at that time was a visitor, Anne Connelly. They were all Roman Catholic and Thomas was born in America and the others were all born in Co. Galway. Thomas spoke both Irish and English and Kate and Anne spoke only English. With the exception of baby John Farances [sic], they could all read and write. Thomas was a postman and Anne was a general servant domestic. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms and they had a stable and a piggery. The landholder was Thomas Cahill.

House 14: Ward

There were 7 members of this household and the head of the family was the widower, John (61) and he shared the house with 6 of his children, Mary Agnes (20), Edward Francis (18), Michael Huber (17), Patrick Wm. (15), Peter Paul (14) and Matilda M. (6). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. John and Peter Paul spoke both Irish and English and all the family could read and write. John was a farmer, Mary Agnes was a farmer’s daughter, Edward Francis and Michael Hubert were farmer’s sons, Patrick Wm. was a rural postman and Peter Paul and Matilda M. were scholars. The house was a 1^st class dwelling with 8 rooms and they had a stable, a cow house, a piggery, a barn and a shed. The landholder was John Ward.

House 16: Melody

The widower, John (73) was the head of this family and he lived in the house with his son, John (32), his Daughter-in-law, Margaret (30), another son, Pat (28) and 3 grandchildren, Martin (8), Mary (6) and Bridget (2). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. The 2 Johns and Margaret spoke Irish and English while the others spoke only English. Bridget could not read, Mary could read only and the others could all read and write. John (73) was listed as being a farmer, John (32) and Pat were farmer’s sons and Martin and Mary were scholars. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 4 rooms. The landholder was John Melody.

House 17: Connolly

Thomas (50) was the head of this family and he was married to Mary (46) and they lived in the house with their son, Christy (11). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Thomas and Mary spoke both Irish and English and Christy spoke only English but they could all read and write. Thomas was a farmer and Christy was a scholar. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms. The landholder was Thomas Connolly.

House 18: Talbot

There were 9 members of this family and Richard (39) was the head of that family and was married to Mary (38), They lived in the house with 6 of their children, William (13), Patrick (11), Lizzie (7), Annie (4), Julia (3) and Bridget (1) and also Richard’s father, Cornelius (80). They were all born in Co. Galway and were Roman Catholic. Richard, Mary and Cornelius spoke Irish and English but none of the family could read. Both Richard and Cornelius were Agricultural Labourers. The house was a 3^rd class dwelling with 2 rooms. The landholder was Owen J. Mullin.

House 19: Kearney

Anne (36) was listed as the head of the family and was listed as being married but there was no husband listed in this entry. Also in the house was her daughter, Delia (1). Both were Roman Catholic and were born in Co. Mayo and Anne could speak Irish and English and read and write. Anne was a R.I.C. Constable’s wife and Delia was listed as being a scholar. The house was a 2^nd class dwelling with 3 rooms. The landholder was John Conheeney.

Griffiths Valuation

Castleblakeney Rural

The main immediate lessor in the townland was John H. Blakeney and he leased all the tenements in Castleblakeney unless otherwise stated.

John Kealey paid £3 5s for 4acres and 39 perches of land and £1 5s for a house, William Bollinger paid £1 for 3 roods and 22 perches of land and 5s for an office, Thomas Bourke leased an office on 6 acres, 1 rood and 37 perches of land for £5 10s for the land and £1 for the office and Michael Nolan paid £2 5s for 3 acres and 13 perches of land. John McEvoy paid 14s for 3 roods and 20 perches of land, Edward Leonard paid 12s for 3 roods of land, Patrick Lahiff [sic] paid 10s for 2 roods and 10 perches of land and James Dowd leased 3 plots of land, 3 acres, 1 rood and 3 perches for £2, 3 acres, 3 roods and 17 perches for £3 and 4 acres, 2 roods and 19 perches for £3 10s. Joseph M. O’Dowd paid £2 15s for 4 acres and 39 perches of land, Thomas McHugh leased 2 plots of land, 3 roods and 21 perches for 14s and 1 rood and 20 perches for 7s, John Murray paid £1 for 1 acre and 1 acre and 1 rood of land and 15s for a house, Patrick Connolly paid £1 15s for 2 acres, 2 roods and 2 perches of land and Thomas Connolly paid 7s for 2 roods and 2 perches of land. John Ferguson leased 3 plots of land, 2 roods and 2 perches for 7s, 3 roods and 30 perches for £1 and 20 acres3 roods and 9 perches for £14 15s, Michael Nolan paid £10 15s for 12 acres, 3 roods and 35 perches of land. Patrick Ferguson leased 5 acres, 3 roods and 4 perches of land from Matthew Doyle for £5 12s and Honoria Cullinane a house and a garden of 1 rood and 25 perches, also from Matthew Doyle, for 5s for the garden and 15s for the house and John Potter leased 2 tenements for Rev. John Molloy, the first was 1 acre, 2 roods and 8 perches of land for £1 10s and the second was a house and office for £1. William Hushion [sic] leased a house from John Potter for 10s, Mary Hushion [sic] leased a house and offices with a 1 rood and 2 perches garden from John Potter for 3s for the garden and 6s for the buildings and Jane Fallon leased a house and office with 11 perches of a garden from John Potter for 1s for the garden and 19s for the buildings.

Town of Castleblakeney

The main immediate lessor was again John H. Blakeney and all tenements were leased from him unless otherwise stated.

Patrick Ferguson paid £1 for 3 roods and 30 perches of a garden and £13 10s for a house and offices, Thomas Bourke paid 10s for an office, John Ferguson paid 15s for an office and John Potter paid 10s for a 10 perches garden and 14s for a house. Thomas Bourke paid £4 5s for a house and office, Thomas Ormsby paid £1 10s for a house and 10s for a 1 rood and 30 perches garden, John Potter leased an office for 5s form Thomas Ormsby, Thomas Tyrell paid 12s for a house and Mary Petty paid 10s for a 1 rood and 30 perches garden and £1 for a house. John McEvoy paid 7s for a 1 rood and 11 perches garden and £1 8s for a house and offices, Edward Leonard paid 3s for a 16 perches garden and £4 10s for a house and offices, John Dowd paid 8s for a garden of 35 perches and Patrick Lahiff [sic] leased a house for £1 and 13s for a garden of 2 roods and 14 perches. The parochial school leased a house from Rev. John Molloy for £1 5s, Patrick Connolly leased a house and office with a yard of 19 perches for 3s for the yard and £3 for the buildings, Thaddeus Miskell [sic] leased a house from Patrick Connolly for 18s and Thomas Connolly paid 4s for a garden of 29 perches and £1 6s for a house and office. John Ferguson paid 10s for a garden of 1 rood and 27 perches, Thomas Ormsby paid 5s for a pound, Michael Nolan paid 11s for 2 gardens a total of 2 roods and £5 5s for a house and offices, Edward Geraghty leased a house from Thomas Nolan for £1 and Michael Cassidy leased a house and office with a garden of 1 rood from Thomas Nolan for 5s for the garden and £1 5s for the buildings. Michael J. Ward leased a house with a garden of 13 perches from Thomas Nolan for 2s for the garden and £2 for the buildings, John Ferguson paid 10s for a yard and garden of 1 rood and 23 perches and £5 for a house and offices, Patrick Roche leased a house from John Ferguson for 5s and Thomas Burke leased a house and offices with 3 gardens with a total of 1 rood and 13 perches from Matthew Doyle for 7s for the gardens and £2 the buildings. Michael Clark leased a house from Matthew Doyle for 7s, there was a vacant house belonging to Matthew Doyle that had an annual ratable valuation of 4s and Matthew Doyle 15s for a garden of 2 roods and 4 perches and £1 5s for a house. Arthur Woods leased a house and a garden of 33 perches from Matthew Doyle for 5s and he paid 10s for a house, Anne McGuire paid 10s for a garden of 1 rood and 23 perches and £2 10s for a house, Maryanne Kelly paid 15s for a house, Joseph O’Dowd paid 2 s for a garden of 17 perches and £1 for a house and Mary Donohoe paid 5s for a house to Joseph O’Dowd. James O’Dowd leased a house and offices with a garden of 32 perches from Joseph O’Dowd for which he paid 5s for the garden and £11 10s for the buildings and he also leased another garden of 30 perches from Joseph O’Dowd for 5s.

There were also 6 acres, 2 roods and 18 perches of waste under houses and streets etc. There were exemptions for the church and graveyard of £1 for the graveyard and £4 for the church and also £1 5s for the parochial school.

Catherine Ferguson 

[i] Co. Offaly