Translation: White Lands
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 its 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.
Down Survey information is not available online for this townland (27/02/2020).
O’Donovan’s Field Name Books 1838: John O’Donovan tells us the name of this townland is Finny, and Fionna is the Irish form of the name that means ‘white lands’.
Other forms of the name: Finny, Fionna, Finny (Boundary Surveyor’s Sketch Map0, Finny (County Map), Finny (County Cess Collector), Fanymore (Inquis. Temp. Car1), Ffanagh (Inquisp, Temp. Jac.1), Finny (Local), Finny (Mearsman), Finny (Rev. Michael Heraty P.P.), Finny (Tither Ledger).
Description: The proprietor was the Earl of Leitrim and Charlemont, Rosshill in this parish and the agent was Mr. James Fair, Fairhill, also in this parish. The land was all held under lease for a bulked rent of £23 and 12 shillings. The soil was all mountainous; part steep heath pasture; some mixed pasture tillage and some arable mountain. Crops of oats were middling and potatoes were not so good. The County Cess of 11¼d was paid per acre half yearly for this and the townland of Cummer, 103 acres for both. The village has a chapel, a pound (a place of confinement for animals seized either for debt or trespass) and the Finny River issuing from Lough Foey that forms the boundary between the townlands of Drin and Finny. There are no antiquities.
Situation: It is a central townland; bounded on the north by the townland of Glanbeg west and Cummer; on the east by Cummer and Drin and to the south by Drin and Lough Mask and on the east by Kilmore. Finny is in the barony of Ross in County Galway.
Griffith’s Valuation 1849:
Finny can be found on Ordnance Survey Sheets 13& 26. According to the survey it had an area of 278 acres and 35 perches. The land value at the time was £21.17.6.
The proprietors were the Earls of Leitrim and Charlemont; they leased two plots and were paid an annual rent depending on the value of each holding. Anthony Joyce a tenant sublet part of his holding for rent.
Plot 1: John Lydon leased a house, office and 5 acres, 2 roods and 23 perches of land. The parcel of land had an annual valuation of £1 and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings. His total annual rent was £1 and 10 shillings.
Plot 2: had an area of 273 acres and 1 rood and this had five divisions (a), (b), (c), (d) and (e).
2(a): John Walsh had a house, office and land. His piece of land had an annual valuation of £4 and 15 shillings and the buildings were valued at 5 shillings. His total annual rent was £5.
2(b): John Joyce had a house, office and land. His piece of land had an annual valuation of £4 and 10 shillings and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings. His total annual rent was £5.
2(c): William O’Brien had a herd’s house and land. The land had an annual valuation of £4 and 15 shillings and the house was valued at 5 shillings. William’s total annual rent was £5.
2(d): Anthony Joyce had a house and land. The land had an annual valuation of £4 and 15 shillings and the house had an annual valuation of 5 shillings. His total annual rent was also £5.
2(e): John Philliban (sic) had a house and a corn mill. The buildings had an annual valuation of 10 shillings. This rent was payable to Anthony Joyce.
1901 Census:
Finny is in the electoral district of Owenbrinn; in the constabulary district of Ballinrobe and in the subdistrict of Derrypark in Co. Mayo. Constable Martin Higgins collected the census return on the 6th of April 1901. There was one house and a national school in the townland and Sarah Walsh was the name of the landholder where both buildings were situated.
No 1: Sarah Walsh (50) was a widow and farming was the family occupation. Martin (24) and Peter (18) were farmer’s sons, Anne (16) a farmer’s daughter and Julia (14) was a scholar. Sarah and her family were born in Co. Galway. Sarah could not read; her children could read and write and all were bilingual. The house was 2nd class with a perishable roof that was presumably thatch and it had four windows to the front. Five people occupied three rooms. There were three out offices on the premises that contained a cow house, a piggery and a barn.
No 2: Was listed as Finney National School.
1911 Census:
Constable John Reilly the enumerator collected the census return for Finny on the 17th of April 1911. There were two private dwellings, a catholic church and a national school in the townland. Ten people were resident here at the time; three males and seven females.
Ten years on, the census was expanded to include the following: Particulars as to Marriage / completed years the present marriage has lasted / children born alive to present marriage and children still living. Details for a widow or a widower were not always documented.
No 1: Sarah Walsh (67) a widow was a retired farmer. Her son Martin (32) and his wife Mary (33) were married for nine years and they had four children; Mary (7), Julia (5), Bridget (3) and Margaret (1) year, all born in Co. Mayo. Sarah’s son Peter (28), an agricultural labourer, was also in the house. Sarah and her granddaughters could not read; the others could read and write and from age five upwards spoke Irish and English. The house was 2nd class with 3 windows in front and the family of eight occupied three rooms. There were four outbuildings; a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a shed.
No 2: Was listed as a Roman Catholic Church.
No 3: Rev. James Biggins (38) a roman catholic curate, and Julia O’Brien (18) a house keeper and domestic servant, were born in Co. Mayo and were the occupants of this house. Julia was bilingual and she could read and write. The house was 2nd class with three windows in front and two people occupied five rooms. There was a stable and a coach house on the premises.
No 4: Was listed as Finny National School (ordinary).
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