Culliaghbeg

Translation:  wood land

The Down Survey:  

The Down Survey of Ireland is the first ever detailed land survey on a national scale anywhere in the world.  The survey is a cadastral survey of Ireland and was so called simply by its topographic details all laid down by admeasurements on maps.  It was carried out by William Petty an English scientist in 1655 and 1656.   The survey sought to measure all the land to be forfeited by the Catholic Irish, in order to facilitate it’s redistribution to merchant adventurers and English officers and soldiers in Oliver Cromwell’s army. It was to repay them and the many English politicians and adventurers who had funded Cromwell’s military campaign in Ireland.

The Down survey name for the townland of Culliaghbeg was Clagher in Rosney.  In 1670 (post Cromwell) it was in the protestant ownership of John Brown and also in the catholic ownership of John Browne.  It is in the half barony of Rosse (sic) in the parish of Ross and is in County Galway.  There were 42 plantation acres of profitable land and this amount was forfeited.

O’ Donovan’s Field Name Books 1838:  John O’Donovan tells us the standard name for the townland was Culliaghbeg and the Irish form of the name was Coilleach meaning wood land.

Other forms of the name:  Culliaghbeg (Local).

Situation:  It is situated in the townland of Culliagh beg and is in the civil parish of Ross.

Griffith’s Valuation 1849:

(Ordnance Survey Sheet 12).  Culliaghbeg had an area of 342 acres and 24 perches and the land value at the time was £13 and 1 shilling.  It was in the ownership of Edward Browne and contained two plots.

Plot 1:  Patrick Joyce had 4 acres, 2 roods and 20 perches of land that had a ratable annual valuation of £1.

Plot 2: Was leased between six tenants who paid rent according to the size and value of their holding

2(a):  Martin Nee had a house and land.  The land had an annual valuation of £1 and 10 shillings and the house was valued at 5 shillings.  His total annual valuation of ratable property was £1 and 15 shillings.

2(b):  John Collins had a house, office and land.  The land had an annual valuation of £3 and 10 shillings and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings.  His total annual valuation was valuation was £4.

2(c):  Anthony Coyne had a house and land.  The land was valued at £2 and 1 shilling and the house had an annual valuation of 5 shillings.  His total annual valuation of ratable property was £2 and 6 shillings.

2(d):  John Collins (jnr.) had offices and land.  The land had an annual valuation of £2 and 6 shillings and the offices were valued at 6 shillings.  His total annual valuation was 2 and 12 shillings.

2(e):  Patrick Joyce (jnr.) had a house and land.  The land was valued at £1 and 3 shilling and the house had an annual valuation of 3 shillings.  His total annual valuation was £1 and 6 shillings.

2(f):  Martin Malia (sic) had a house and land.  The land had an annual valuation £1 and 5 shillings and the house was valued at 3 shillings.  His total annual valuation of ratable property was £1 and 8 shillings.  All rents were paid to Edward Browne Esq.

1901 Census:

Constable Thomas Parkinson collected the census return for the townland of Cullaghbegt in the electoral division of Letterbrickane (sic) in the barony and parish of Ross.  There were five houses in Cullaghbeg at the time; one was 2^nd class and four were 3^rd class dwellings; all with perishable roofs that were presumably thatch.

No 1:  Thomas Heraghty (32) a herd and he and his wife Annie (21) had two daughters; Bridget (2) and Ellen (1) year old.  Thomas and Annie could read and were bilingual.  The house was 3^rd class with two windows in front and the couple and their children occupied two rooms.  There were two cow houses on the holding.  Thomas E. Joyce was the name of the landholder where the house was situated.

No 2:  Mary Wallace (50) a widow was head of this household and farming was the family occupation.  Her sons Patrick (20) and Michael (16) were farmer’s sons.  Bridget (14), Julia (12), Annie (9) and Money (5) were scholars.  Mary could not read or write while all her children could read and write.  Mary and her two sons were bilingual and her daughters spoke English.  The house was 3^rd class with 2 windows to the front and the family of seven occupied two rooms.  They had a cow house on the property.

No 3:  Thomas Coyne (64) a farmer and his wife Sarah (60) resided in this house with their son Michael (28) and his wife Mary (26).  The couple had a (7) month old daughter Mary.  They were all born in Co. Galway.  Thomas and Sarah could not read; the young couple could read and write and all spoke Irish and English.  The house was 3^rd class with one window in front and the family of five occupied two rooms.  They had a cow house and a piggery on the premises.

No 4:  Pat Sammon (sic) (37), his wife Mary (40) and his mother in law Mary Nee (90) were the occupants of this house.  Mary Nee a widow was born in Co. Mayo; Pat and his wife were born in Co. Galway.  Pat could read and write; his wife and mother could not.  All were bilingual.  The house was 3^rd class with two windows in front and three people occupied two rooms.  They had a stable and a cow house on the property.

No 5:  James Barrett (34) and his wife Norah (31) had two children; John P. (5) a scholar and (1) year old Martha.  Mary A Collins (25) was James’s sister in law. James was a carpenter and Norah and Mary A were dressmakers.  The adults could read and write and John P could read; all spoke Irish and English and were born in Co. Galway.  The house was 3^rd class with three windows in front and five people occupied three rooms.  They had a cow house on the premises.

1911 Census: 

Constable Joseph Carlos collected the census return for Culliagh Beg, Letterbrickaun on the 10^th April 1911.  There were four houses in the townland; two were 2^nd class and two 3^rd class dwellings; all had perishable roofs that were most likely thatch.

No 1:  James Barrett (48), a farmer and carpenter, and his wife Norah (45) were married for sixteen years and they had four children.  John (15), Martha (11) and Michael (7) were scholars and Mary was (5) years old.  Marian Collins (30) his sister in law, was a dressmaker.  The adults and two oldest scholars could read and write and seven year old Michael could read; James, Norah and Marian were bilingual, the children were not.  The house was 2^nd class with three windows to the front and seven people occupied three rooms.  They had a cow house on the property.

No 2:  Mary Wallace (68), a widow, was a farmer.  Mary was married for thirty two years and she had nine children; eight were still living.  Her son Pat (32) a farmer’s son was single.  Her daughter Nonnie (16) had no occupation listed.    Mary could not read while her children could read and write. All three were bilingual and were born in Co. Galway.  The house was 2^nd class with three windows in front and three people occupied three rooms.  The out buildings contained two cow houses and a piggery.

No 3:  Sarah Coyne (74) a widow was married for forty years and she had four children.  Her son Michael (40) a general labourer and his wife Mary (37) were married for eleven years. They had six children; Mary (10), Bridget (9), Martin (6), Tom (5), Anthony (3) and John (1) year old.  (It does not say if any of the children are scholars).  Sarah could not read or write; her son, his wife and their two eldest children could read and write.  The adults and Mary and Bridget were bilingual; the younger children spoke English and this may suggest it was the language of the home.  All were born in Co. Galway.  The house was 3^rd class with two windows in front and the family of nine occupied three rooms.  They had a cow house and a piggery on the premises.

No 4:  Patrick Sammon (50) and his wife Mary (71) were married for twenty six years and they did not have children.  Patrick’s nephews John King (10) and Willie King (7) were scholars.  Patrick and his nephews could read and write and they were born in Co. Mayo.  Mary could not read.  All spoke Irish and English.  The house was 3^rd class with two windows to the front and four people occupied two rooms.  They had a stable and a cow house on the property.