Munterowen Middle

Translation:  Owen’s family

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 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.

In 1641 (pre Cromwell) Munterowen was owned by Sir Thomas Blake a protestant.  In 1670 (post Cromwell) it was still in the protestant ownership of John Brown, College of Dublin.  It is in the half barony of Ross, in the parish of Ross, Co. Galway.

O’Donovan’s Field Name Books 1838:  John O’Donovan tells us the name for the townland was Muntierowen middle.  The Irish form of the name was Muintir Eoghain that translates as the family of Owen.

Other forms of the name:  Muntierowen middle, Muntierowen (Boundary Surveyors Sketch Map), Munteroen (Co. Cess Collector), Munterowen (Local), Menterowen (Rev. Michael Heraghty P.P), Munterowen (Tithe Collector).

Description:  It was in the proprietorship of the provost and fellows of Trinity College Dublin.  The agent was Alexander Nesbitt, Esq, Jnr, no. 96 Stephens Green, South Dublin and the rent was £30 per year.  The soil all mountainous had some heath pasture, coarse mixed arable mountain and part pasturable mountain.  The County Cess of 11¼d was paid per acre for 22⅓ acres.  Munterowen is a village with no antiquities.

Situation:  It is a central townland; bounded on the north by the townland of Glanagevlagh, west by Culliagh and Muntierowen west, to the south by Lee and Muntierowen east and on the east by Muntierowen east and Gowlaun.  It is in the barony of Ross and is in County Galway.

Griffith’s Valuation:

(Ordnance Survey Sheet 12) Munterowen had an area of 531 acres and 32 perches.  Thomas Joyce had seven tenants on Plot 1. Each paid rent to him according to the quality and size of their holding.

Plot 1(a):  William Carr had a house, offices and land; his piece of land had an annual valuation of £2 and 5 shillings, the buildings had an annual valuation of 10 shillings.  His total annual rent was £2 and 15 shillings.

Plot 1(b): Penny Wallace had a house, office and land; she had an annual valuation of £3 for the land and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings.  Penny’s total annual rent was £3 and 10 shillings.

Plot 1(c):  Simon Wallace had a house, offices and land; he had an annual valuation of £4 and 10 shillings for his piece of land and he paid 10 shillings for the buildings. His total annual rent was £5.

Plot 1(d):  Richard Joyce had a house and land; his portion of land had an annual valuation of 15 shillings and the house was valued at 5 shillings.  Richard’s total annual rent was £1.

Plot 1(e):  Michael Gibbons had a house, office and land.  The land had an annual valuation of £3 and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings.  His total annual rent was £3 and 10 shillings.

Plot 1(f):  Peter Nee had a house, office and land; his portion of land had an annual valuation of £1 and 10 shillings and the buildings were valued at 5 shillings.  His total annual rent was £1 and 15 shillings.

Plot 1(g):  Michael Joyce had a house, office and land.  The land had a total annual valuation of £3 and 10 shillings and the buildings were valued at 10 shillings.  Michael’s total annual rent was £3 and 10 shillings.

All rents were payable to Thomas Joyce.

1901 Census:  There are no census records available for the townland of Munterowen. (22/7/2019).

1911 Census:

Monterowen middle in the district electoral division of Letterbrickaun, in the barony and parish of Ross, Co. Galway and in the sub district of Leenane had but one house in the townland in 1911.

House no 1:  John O’Malley (40) a shepherd, was married to Sarah (38) for fourteen years and they had seven children.  Mary (12), Annie (10) and Pat (8) were scholars; Bab was (6), John (4), Bridget (2) and the infant Michael, 1 month old.  John could not read; his wife and their school going children could read and write.  Only the parents were bilingual and this may suggest that English was the language of the home.  The house was 3^rd class with two windows to the front and the family of nine occupied two rooms.  There were two cow houses on the holding.  Arthur Joyce was the name of the landholder where the house was situated.