Illaunaconaun

Antoinette Lydon

Illaunaconaun is in the civil parish of Kilcummin. The civil Parish corresponds with the following Church of Ireland parish of Kilcummin, Galway West. In general, the civil parish and the Church of Ireland parish are the same as is the case in the Kilcummin Oughterard area.

Illaunaconaun is in the Electoral Division of Oughterard, in Civil Parish of Kilcummin, in the Barony of Moycullen, in the County of Galway

Irish Form of Name: Oileán a Chonáin

Translation: Conan’s Island

Parish: Kilcummin View all place names in this civil parish.

Other Forms of the Name with the authority source (if provided) in italics.

Illaunaconaun Oileán a Chonáin Conan’s island Illauncunnaun Boundary Surveyor Illanconnan County Map Illaunacunnaun Local Illanaconnan Barony Map

Description:

Illaunaconaun contains 26¼ acres all under tillage and pasture together with a few patches of brushwood, it is also inhabited.

Situation:

Situated E. of Illaunachurabra and S. of Innishhool, in Lough Corrib, it belongs to the townland of Portacarron.

Information from the Down Survey Website:

The Down Survey is a mapped survey. Using the Civil Survey as a guide, teams of surveyors, mainly former soldiers, were sent out under Petty’s direction to measure every townland to be forfeited to soldiers and adventurers. The resulting maps, made at a scale of 40 perches to one inch (the modern equivalent of 1:50,000), were the first systematic mapping of a large area on such a scale attempted anywhere. The primary purpose of these maps was to record the boundaries of each townland and to calculate their areas with great precision. The maps are also rich in other detail showing churches, roads, rivers, castles, houses and fortifications. Most towns are represented pictorially and the cartouches, the decorative titles, of each map in many cases reflect a specific characteristic of each barony. (http://downsurvey.tcd.ie)

The Down Survey website will tell you who owned this townland in 1641 (pre Cromwell) and in 1671 (post Cromwell).

Down Survey website

No information available for Illaunaconaun.

The Tithe Applotment Books

About the Records

Tithes were a tax on agricultural produce which was payable by the occupiers of agricultural land. They were the main source of income for the parish clergy of the Church of Ireland (the largest Protestant church and the church established by law). However, in many parishes a large part of the tithes were ‘appropriate’, which meant that they were payable to a bishop, cathedral chapter or other ecclesiastical recipient, or were ‘impropriate’, which generally meant that they were payable to a local landowner. The parishes used in the Tithe Applotment Books are civil or Church of Ireland parishes, which often differ in name and territory from Catholic parishes, Acts of Parliament of 1823 and 1832 provided for the conversion of tithes into a fixed charge on land, and specified the average price of wheat or oats in the parish in the seven years before 1821 as the basis on which the tithes would be calculated. They also extended the application of tithes to pasture, where previously they had been levied only on tillage.

This change in the law resulted in the valuation of individual holdings in almost all parishes containing agricultural land, in order to assess the portion of the tithes for which each occupier of land would be liable. The apportionment was recorded for each Church of Ireland parish in a Tithe Composition Applotment Book. The information was collected and two Parochial Commissioners calculated the amounts, one of who was appointed by the cess-payers of the parish and the other by the relevant Diocese of the Church of Ireland. This procedure was carried out in over 2,500 parishes between the years 1823 and 1837.

The Tithe Applotment Books are in a variety of formats, from a few pages sewn together to elaborately bound volumes. In most cases they are written in manuscript throughout, although some consist of manuscript entries on printed questionnaires. The information in the books is broadly uniform and generally includes at least the name of occupier, the size of holding, the valuation and the tithe payable. In some cases, more detailed information is provided. Some volumes have maps and most have certificates and correspondence attached.

The sub-divisions of the parish were recorded. Some of these subdivisions, such as ploughlands, ceased to be in official use after the six-inch survey of the Ordnance Survey was completed in the 1840s. Only productive land was subject to tithe, and the books usually distinguish between this tithable land and untithable land such as roads or mountains. Tithable land was in some cases classified by quality, and a money value was given to each class. In some cases, the proportion of tithe payable to the rector, vicar or lay proprietor of the tithes was set out. The column for observations was sometimes completed, with information about commonage, for example.

There are a number of other points that should be noted. The acreages given in the Tithe Applotment Books are in Irish or Plantation measure, which is 1.62 times larger than statute measure. Only occupiers of land at the time of the tithe composition are recorded, so not all heads of households living in a parish at the time are included. Only rural areas are systematically covered, although inhabitants of towns who held plots of cultivable land are included. The equivalent tax in urban areas, Minister’s Money, has left few records.

The Tithe Applotment Books are an important source of information for a wide variety of researchers of pre-Famine Ireland. They provide the first surviving national list of the occupiers of land, and are used by genealogists as a partial substitute for returns of the 1821 and 1831 censuses of population, which were destroyed in 1922. They also record information on the quality of land, and provide information on pre-Ordnance Survey territorial divisions, some of which were not recognised after the 1840s.

The National Archives hold the original Tithe Applotment Books only for the twenty-six counties of the Republic of Ireland. The books for the six counties of Northern Ireland are held in the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland in Belfast. http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/aboutmore.jsp

No available information.

Griffith’s Valuation 1850’s

In Griffith’s Valuation the area is 26 acres 1 rood 0 perch with a land value of £4 0s 0d. Value of Building is £0 10s 0d, and the total value is £4 10s 0d.

Occupiers of the Land: The land was farmed or herded by Loughlin Hanly & Patrick Beahan.

Immediate Lessor was Marianne Nolan.

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&PlaceID=560239

Offices and Land

The out office was a farm building, a cow house, piggery or barn. The land was very poor and sterile and people were always poverty-stricken. At this time most tenants were trying to eke out a living on 5 acres or less and a farmers needed at least 15.3 acres to survive.

Poor Law Union Ireland

In Ireland the Poor Relief Act of 1838 divided into districts or “unions” in which the local taxable inhabitants were to be financially responsible for all paupers in the area. In 1898 the Poor Law Union was adopted as the basic administrative division in place of the civil parish and barony. Further subdivision into 828 registration districts and 3,751 district electoral divisions followed. Townlands were not arranged according to these divisions with parish and barony retained as a means to make comparisons with records gathered before 1898.

The 1838 Act

The main provisions of the 1838 Act were:

The extension of the existing Poor Law Commissioners’ powers to Ireland, with the appointment of Assistant Commissioners who were to implement the Act in Ireland.
The division of the country into Poor Law Unions based on Irish electoral divisions which were themselves made up from townlands.
The creation of a Board of Guardians for each Union, two-thirds of whom were to be elected, the other third to be appointed ex officio.
The setting up of a workhouse in each Union.
The collection of a local poor-rate to finance the system.
Assistance for emigration.

Initially, 130 Unions were created, based upon 2,049 electoral divisions. The divisions were composed of townlands, a peculiarly Irish unit, traditionally of 120 Irish acres in area. (Between 1848 and 1850, an additional 33 Unions were created by subdividing and reorganizing the boundaries of some existing Unions, particularly in the west of the country.

Boards of Guardians were elected annually on 25th March. Only rate-payers were eligible for election, which effectively disenfranchised most of the native Irish who were usually tenants at this time. Rate-payers were allowed between one and six votes depending on the size of a valuation of their property.

What is a townland?

A townland is one of the smallest land divisions in Ireland. They range in size from a few acres to thousands of acres. Many are Gaelic in origin, but some came into existence after the Norman invasion of 1169. Illaunaconaun is a townland.

Population & Census Information

People who lived here:

You can retrieve a list of people who lived in this townland from 1827 to 1911. This list is compiled from the following resources.

The Tithe Applotment Books
Griffith’s Valuation
1901 Census
1911 Census

List of nineteenth century and early twentieth century inhabitants.

1841-1891 Census

1841 – 3 houses with 19 people

1851 – 2 houses with 10 people

1861 – 2 houses with 10 people

1871 – 2 houses with 9 people

1881 – 2 houses (3 inhabited) with 14 people (8 males / 6 females). There were 3 outbuildings. Total Valuation of Houses & Lands £9 0s 0d.

1891 – 2 houses (2 inhabited) with 16 people (10 males / 6 females). There were 5 Outbuildings. Total Valuation of Houses & Lands £9 0s 0d.

1901 Census Illaunaconaun

This is a return of the members of the family, visitors, boarders or servants who slept or abode in their house on the night of Sunday March 31^st 1901 in Illaunaconaun.

There were 2 houses listed in the Townland of Illaunaconaun. The people were all Roman Catholics – 10 males and 8 females a total of 18 persons and they were born in County Galway. There were 11 in total of farm buildings and out offices which included, cow houses, calf houses, piggeries, fowl houses and barns.

Class of House: The class of house depended on the materials used in the roof, walls, number of rooms and number of front windows. A 1^st class house was considered the highest standard.

Walls of the houses: The walls were of stone, brick, concrete or of mud, wood or other perishable material. The houses in Illaunaconaun were built of stone, brick or concrete. There were no mud cabins.

Landholder of the property unless otherwise stated was the lawful owner.

Roofs were of slate, iron, tiles, thatch, wood or other perishable material. The roofs of houses were of thatch, wood or perishable material. Most likely they were thatched as there was ample reeds for thatching in the lakes.

House Occupancy: Each of the 2 houses was occupied by one family.

The people listed as Head of the Family were also listed as the lawful Landholder of the property.

Enumerators Extract

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840982/

House & Building Return

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840983/

Out Office & Farm Steadings

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840984/

House 1

Patrick Hanly aged 57 was head of the family; married to Mary aged 38. They lived with their children Malacky aged 14, Mary aged 12, Patt aged 10, Magret aged 9, John aged 8, Sarah aged 6, Kate aged 5, Mathise aged 4, Bridget aged 3 & Peter aged 1.

Patrick was a farmer. Malacky, Mary, Patt, Magret, John & Sarah were scholars. Patrick, Mary, Malacky, Mary & Patt could read & write and spoke Irish & English. Magret & John could read and spoke Irish & English. Sarah could not read; she spoke Irish & English. Kate, Mathise, Bridget & Peter could not read.

They lived in a 2^nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. They had a cow house, piggery, fowl house & a barn.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Oughterard/Illaunaconaun_Island/1394788/

House 2

John Lydon aged 66 was head of the family; married to Honor aged 56. They lived with their children Thady aged 27, Andy aged 22, Maria aged 20 & Thomas aged 16.

John was an Army pensioner and farmer. Thady & Andy were farmer’s sons, Maria was a farmer’s daughter & Thomas was a scholar.

John, Honor & Andy could read and spoke Irish & English. Maria & Thomas could read & write and spoke Irish & English and Thady could not read.

They lived in a 2^nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. They had a cow house, 2 calf houses, piggery, 2 fowl houses & a barn.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Oughterard/Illaunaconaun_Island/1394789/

Census 1911

This is a return of the Members of families in Illaunaconaun, their visitors, boarders and servants who slept or abode in the house on the night of Sunday the 2^nd of April 1911.

Description of the Houses

All the houses in Illanaconaun were listed as private dwellings and were built of concrete or stone. The roofs of the houses were of wood, thatch or other perishable material. Most likely they were thatched. The head of the family were listed as the landholders. The Class of the house depended on the material used in the roof, walls, number of rooms and number of front windows. Most of the houses came under “2’ in the census form meaning that there could be 2, 3, or 4, rooms in the house. There were 8 males and 6 females living in the townland. They had 9 farm buildings.

Enumerators Extract

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002436002/

House & Building Return

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002436004/

Out Office & Farm Steadings

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002436006/

House 1

Patrick Hanly aged 72 was head of the family; married to Mary aged 49. They lived with their children Mary aged 22, John aged 17, Kate aged 14, Matthew aged 13, Bridget aged 12, Michael aged 8, Martin aged 6 and visitor Walter Morrin aged 49.

Patrick was a farmer. John was a farmer’s son. Katie, Matthew & Bridget were scholars and Walter Morrin was a carpenter. The entire household could read & write. Patrick, Mary, Mary(daughter), John, Katie, Matthew, Bridget & Walter spoke Irish & English. Walter was born in Co. Mayo. The Hanly family were born in Co. Galway.

Patrick & Mary were married for 24 years; they had 12 children with 11 living at the time of the census.

They lived in a 2^nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. They had a cow house, calf house, piggery, fowl house & a barn.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Oughterard/Illaunaconaun/471370/

House 2

John Lydon aged 76 was head of the family; married to Honor aged 64. They lived with their children Timothy aged 33 & Maria aged 30, both single.

John was an Army pensioner and farmer; he could read & spoke Irish & English. Honor could not read; she spoke Irish & English. Timothy could not read. Maria could read & write and spoke Irish & English.

John & Honor were married for 43 years; they had 9 children with 8 living at the time of the census.

They lived in a 2^nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. They had a cow house, piggery, fowl house & a barn.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Oughterard/Illaunaconaun/471371/

Church records of births, deaths and marriages:

Church records of births, deaths and marriages are available online at http://www.rootsireland.ie. To search these records, you will need to know the ‘church parish’ rather than the ‘civil parish’. (The civil parish is the pre-reformation parish and was frequently used as a unit of administration in the past.)

Illaunaconaun is in the civil parish of Kilcummin.

Catholic parish:

This civil parish corresponds with the following Roman Catholic parish or parishes.