Kilmeelickin

Translation: wood of the midges

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 admeasurement 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.

There is no information for this townland available online. (5/2/2019).

O’Donovan’s Field Name Books 1838:

O’Donovan tells us the name for this townland was Kilmeelickin and Coill Míolach was the Irish form of the name.

Other forms of the name:

Kilmeelickin, Coill Míolach, Coill Milicín, Milikin’s Wood, Coill Miolach, Kilmilkin (By Surveyors Sketch Map), Kilmilkin (County Cess Collector), Kylemeelagh (County Map) Kilmeelekin (Local), Kilmilkan (Mearsman), Kilmilkin (Rev. Michael Heraghty P.P.), Kilmilkin (Tithe Ledger). It is also called Kilmeelagh.

Description:

The proprietor was the Earl of Leitrim and Charlemont, Rosshill, in this parish or Dublin. The agent was Mr. James Fair of Fairhill, parish of Ross. The land was all held under lease. The rent of this townland and Brenane together is £149. 15. 2 per year. The soil all mountainous, part of it steep green and pastureable; some mixed pasture with a part reclaimable coarse pasture and bog near village. There were good crops of oats and potatoes. Griggins Bridge is the name of a bridge conveying a mountain stream running between Griggins and Kilmilkin townlands.

Situation:

Kilmeelickin is a central townland; bounded on the north by the townland of Griggins, on the west by Derreen, to the south by Maumgownagh and Breenaan (sic), and on the east by Breenaan. It is in the barony of Ross and is in County Galway.

Kilmilkin Chapel is described as a Roman Catholic Chapel having a thatch roof.

Griffiths Valuation 1849:

Kilmeelickin (Ordnance Survey Sheet 25) has an area of 475 acres and 17 perches. The land value at the time was £43. 12. 4. The Earls of Leitrim and Charlemont were the immediate lessors of the land and they had five tenants that paid rent in accordance with the size and quality of their holding.

Plot 1: Mary Walsh had a house, office and land. She had 120 acres, 3 roods and 19 perches of land that had an annual valuation of £11 and 10 shillings. The buildings were valued at 10 shillings. Her total annual valuation of rateable property was £12.

Plot 2: John Malia (sic) had a house, offices and land. He had 123 acres, 1 rood and 9 perches that had an annual valuation of £12 and the buildings were valued at £1. John’s total annual valuation of rateable property was £13.

Plot 3: had two divisions, (a) and (-b)

(a): John King had a house, offices and land. He had 67 acres and 32 perches of land that had an annual valuation of £10 and the buildings had a valuation of £3. His total annual valuation of rateable property was £13.

(-b): was a Roman Catholic Chapel and Peter Waldron was the immediate lessor of the building that had an annual valuation of £4 but was exempt from payment.

Plot 4: John Malia had a house, office and land. He had 70 acres, 1 rood and 11 perches of land that had an annual valuation of £10. The buildings were valued at £2 and 10 shillings. His total annual valuation of rateable property was £12 and 10 shillings.

Plot 5: contained 93 acres, 2 roods and 22 perches that was held in equal divisions by John King and Thomas Malia.

John King had a total annual valuation of £5 and 5 shillings on his piece of land.

Thomas Malia had a house and land. Thomas also paid £5 and 5 shillings annually for his piece of land and the house was valued at 15 shillings. His total annual valuation of rateable property was £6.

All rents were paid to the Earls of Leitrim and Charlemont.

1901 Census:

The census for Kilmeelickin (sic) in the electoral district of Curr in the district of Maam was collected by Constable John Doherty on 2^nd April 1901. There were thirty six people resident in the area at the time; twenty two were male and fourteen female, all were Roman Catholic and all but one was born in County Galway. (Michael McGreal was born in County Mayo). Their occupations were: farmer, farmer’s assistant, shopkeeper, shop assistant, seam stress, scholar, poor rate collector, commercial traveler, general domestic servant and nurse domestic servant. There were four 2^nd class private dwellings; three had perishable roofs that were presumably thatch and one house was vacant. There was a 1^st class public house that had a slate roof and there was a shop and a church in the townland of Kilmeelickin.

No 1: Patrick O’Malley (60) a farmer and a shopkeeper etc, was a widower.   His sons were Patrick (21) a poor rate collector and Thomas (16), Michael (15) and Conor (11) who were listed as farmer’s sons. His daughters Aileen (19) and Kathleen (18) were farmer’s daughters. Three members of an O’Toole family were documented as Patrick’s nephews and niece. Peter O’Toole (21) was a commercial traveler and Richard O’Toole (18) and Nan O’Toole (19) shop assistants. Michael McKeown (19), Penelope Walsh (19) and Kate Joyce (16) were farm servants.

No 2: was listed as a shop that was uninhabited but still in use. Peter O’Malley was the name of the landholder where the shop was situated.

No 3: Patrick O’Malley (46) and his wife Lizzie (33) were farmers. They had a baby daughter Mary who was (2) months old, and sons Thomas (6), Patrick (5), Peter (3) and Charles (2) were scholars. (Patrick filled his census form so I assume the ages of the scholars are correct). Michael (34) a single man was Patrick’s brother and he was a farm assistant. Maurice Lynch (28) a farmer, was visiting the family. Anne Folan (16) was a general domestic servant who could not read and she spoke Irish only. The other adults could read and write and were bilingual; even two year old Charles spoke Irish and English. The sons Thomas and Patrick could read and write and Peter could read. The house was 2^nd class with five windows to the front and ten people occupied six rooms. They had four outbuildings on the premises; a stable, a cow house, a calf house and a piggery.

No 4: Michael Walsh (50) a farmer and a shopkeeper, was married to Margaret (35) and they had an infant son Michael who was (6) months old. They had three servants; Mary Stanton (sic) (40) a widow was a nurse- domestic servant, Bridget Joyce (16) a general domestic servant and Thomas Laffy (sic) (19) a farm servant. Michael McGreal (16) born in County Mayo was Michael’s nephew and he was a farmer’s assistant. All could read and write except Mary, and she and the rest of the household were bilingual. The house was 1^st class with six windows in front and seven people occupied seven rooms. They had a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn on the property.

No 5: Martin Walsh (70) was married to Mary (57) and they were farmers. Their children were Martin (16) a farmer’s son, Sara (20) a seamstress and Maggie (18) a farmer’s daughter. Their grandson Patrick Lally (8) was a scholar. All in this household could read and write and were bilingual. The house was 2^nd class with three windows to the front and the family of six occupied three rooms. They had a cow house and a piggery on the premises.

No 6: was listed as a vacant house. Thomas King was the name of the landholder where the house was situated.

No 7: A Roman Catholic Chapel. Peter O’Malley was the name of the landholder where the church was situated.

1911 Census:

Constable Patrick Henaghan (sic) collected the census for Kilmeelickin (sic) on the 17^th April 1911. There were forty people resident in the area at the time; twenty four males and sixteen females and all were Roman Catholic. One was born in County Waterford, one in County Mayo and one in England. There was a variety of occupations among those recorded on the census form; farmer, wool weaver, stone mason, general practitioner, shopkeeper, scholar, seamstress, agricultural labourer, farm servant and domestic servant. There were three private dwellings and one public house in the townland and all were 2^nd class dwellings. Two houses had perishable roofs that were presumably thatch.

No 1: Mary Walsh was head of this household. Mary a widow had been married for forty six years and had thirteen children, ten were still living. Her son Thomas (37) a farmer and his wife Maria (38) were married for seven years and they had five children that included twins Martin (5) and Mary Ellen (5) who were scholars, Sarah (4), Annie (2) and baby Kathleen Margaret (1) month old. John Spillane (50) a wool weaver born in County Waterford was a single man and he was a boarder with the family. All the adults could read and write and Mary and the young couple were bilingual. The house was 2^nd class with four windows to the front and nine people occupied four rooms. They had four outhouses on the property; a stable, a cow house, a piggery and a barn.

No 2: Was listed as a public house that was also a family home. Michael Walsh (64) a farmer and a shopkeeper and his wife Margarite (sic) (40) were married for eleven years. They had seven children and six were still living. Their sons were Michael M (10), George (8) John J (6) and twins Patrick J (4) and Paul F (4) were all scholars and Thomas was (1) year old. Molly Walsh (19) a scholar was Michael’s niece. Michael Mannion (18) a servant was an agricultural labourer. Michael, his wife, his two eldest sons and his niece could read and write and were bilingual. Michael Mannion could not read but was bilingual. The house was 2^nd class with five windows in front and ten people occupied eight rooms. They had a stable, a coach house, a cow house, a fowl house and a store on the premises.

No 3: Peter James O’Malley (70) a farmer, was a widower. His son Thomas (26) was a poor rate collector and his daughter Mary (37) a farmer’s daughter. Dr. Bartly O’Beirne (sic) (25) a General Practitioner and Joseph Fitzpatrick (13) a scholar were listed as visitors. Bridget Fitzpatrick (23) and Bridget Keane (13) were domestic servants. Peter O’Malley (54) a married man was a farm servant and he could not read. All other adults could read and write. William Fletcher (24) was born in England and he too was a farm servant. Máire Ní Beirne (2) spoke Irish only and all but William were bilingual. The house was 2^nd class with four windows to the front and ten people occupied seven rooms. There were ten outbuildings on this property; a stable, a coach house, a cow house, a calf house, a dairy, a piggery, a fowl house, a barn, a shed and a store.

No 4: Was listed as a manufactory and Peter O’Malley was the landholder where the building was situated.

No 5: Was listed as a shop that was not inhabited and Peter O’Malley was the landholder where the shop was situated.

No 6: Pádhraic M O’Máille (57) a farmer, was married to Eilís A Ní Máille (45) for seventeen years and they had seven children. Thomas I (16), Patrick Vincent (15), Peter Henry (13), Cathal (12), Máire Cait (10), Brighid (8) and Mairtín (6) were scholars. Máighreád Ní Bhrian (24) was Pádrhaic’s niece and she was a seamstress. Thomas O’Raghallaigh (40?) a stone mason, born in County Mayo was a boarder with the family. All in this household were bilingual though Irish was obviously the language of choice. Pádhraic filled and signed his census form in the lovely old Irish script. The house was 2^nd class with five windows in front and eleven people occupied five rooms. The outbuildings contained a stable, a coach house, a harness room, a cow house, a calf house, a piggery, a fowl house and a store.