Muckanaghkillew (Muiceanach Coille)

Antoinette Lydon

Muckanaghkillew (Muiceanach Coille) 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.

Irish Form of Name: Muiceanach Coille

Translation: piggery of the wood

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

Muiceanach Choille is in the Electoral Division of Kilcummin, in Civil Parish of Kilcummin, in the Barony of Moycullen, in the County of Galway

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

Muckanaghkillew
Muiceanach Coille
Muicineach choille
Mwickanaghkellour Boundary Surveyor
Mockinaghkelly Inquis. Temp. Car. I
Mwickanaghcoille Local

Description:

James Blake, Esq., Tullagh, Proprietor. Contains 1,044 ¾ acres of land about 50 acres of which are under tillage and 194 acres of water, the remainder is mountain pasture.

Situation:

In the S. Eastern extremity of the parish. Bounded on the N. by Logganimma, on the E. by Formweel, on the W. by Crucknagorrivna and Lettermuckoo, and on the S. by Glannamurrin and Lettermuckoo townlands.

This is a list of townlands that share a border with this townland.

Some other placenames in or near this townland are…

Landlord

James Blake is a member of the Blake (Drum, Tully and Gortnamona) family.

Blake (Drum, Tully & Gortnamona)– In his genealogy of the Blakes of Drum, Tully and Gortnamona, Martin J. Blake refers to a grant dated 22 Aug 1677 of the lands of Drum and others in the barony of Moycullen, county Galway, to Walter Blake. A descendant, Patrick Blake of Drum, was Mayor of Galway in 1771 and his eldest son, Valentine, married Anne Burke of Gortnamona, near Ballinasloe. About 500 acres belonging to the Blakes, devisees of Nicholas A. Burke, in the baronies of Leitrim, Longford and Clonmacnowen, were advertised for sale in July 1853. This family of Blakes owned a large estate in the parishes of Killannin, Kilcummin and Moycullen, barony of Moycullen, county Galway, at the time of Griffith’s Valuation. In the 1870s Valentine [Fitzpatrick] Blake of Gortnamona is recorded as the owner of 17,335 acres in county Galway though Walford notes that he had died in 1870 and his son, Valentine Blake, born in 1868, was a Ward in Chancery.

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 was ‘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 the amounts were calculated by two Parochial Commissioners, one of whom 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 plough lands, 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 recognized 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 information available.

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)

Townland of MUCKANAGHKILLEW

Down Survey Name: Mountain
1670 Owner(s): Martin, Richard (Catholic)
County: Galway
Barony: Muckullin
Parish: Killcumyn
Unprofitable land: 44 plantation acres
Profitable land: 5 plantation acres
Forfeited: 5 plantation acres

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

Down Survey Website

Griffith Valuation 1855

In Griffith’s Valuation the area in Muckanghkillew was a total of 1238 acres, 3 rood & 7 perch.  1044 acres 3 rood & 13 perch of land with a value of £13-0s-0d. 193 acres 3 rood & 34 perch of Water. Value of Buildings was £3-0s-0d, and the total value is £15-0s-0d.

Occupiers:

Michl Walsh (Peter), Patrick Walsh, William Walsh & Mich Walsh (Patt)

Immediate Lessor: Patrick Blake & Colman Broughton

http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=doNameSearch&PlaceID=559567

View the heads of households in the townland at this time.

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 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, subdividing and reorganizing the boundaries of some existing Unions, particularly in the west of the country created an additional 33 Unions.

Boards of Guardians were elected annually on 25th March. Only ratepayers were eligible for election, which effectively disenfranchised most of the native Irish who were usually tenants at this time. Ratepayers 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.

Muckanaghkillew is a townland.

People & Population 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 of this townland.

1841-1891 Census

1841 – 4 houses with 27 people

1851 – 5 houses with 35 people

1861 – 4 houses with 30 people

1871 – 4 houses with 21 people

1881 – 4 houses (4 inhabited) with 22 people (10 males, 12 females). There were 5 outbuildings.

The valuation of Houses & Land in 1881 was £14 15s 0d.

1891 – 4 houses (4 inhabited) with 23 people (9 males, 14 females). There were 8 outbuildings.

The valuation of Houses & Land in 1881 was £14 15s 0d.

1901 Census

This is a return of the member of the family, their Visitors, Boarders, and Servants who slept or abode in their house on the night of 31st of March 1901 in Muckanaghkillew. There were 4 houses listed in the townland of Muckanaghkillew. 22 (10 males/ 12 females) were all Roman Catholics. The people that lived in Muckanaghkillew were born in Co. Galway.

There were a total of 9 farm buildings and out offices, which included cow houses, piggeries, potato house & fowl house.

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 1st class house was considered the highest standard.

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

Enumerators Extract

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840223/

House & Building Return

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840224/

Out Office & Farm Steadings

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai000840225/

House 1

Kate Walsh aged 40 was head of the family, a widow. She lived with her children Peter aged 21, Maggie aged 19, Michael aged 18 & Anne aged 14.

Kate was a farmer; Peter & Michael were farmer’s sons and Maggie & Anne were farmer’s daughter’s. Kate, Maggie, Michael & Anne spoke Irish. Peter spoke Irish & English. The entire family could not read. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 2nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/1394407/

House 2

Pat Walsh aged 52 was head of the family; married to Jude aged 52. They lived with his cousin Tom Walsh aged 35.

Pat was a general labourer; Jude was a housekeeper & Tom was a farmer. Pat & Tom spoke Irish & English. Jude spoke Irish. Pat, Jude & Tom could not read. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 3rd class house with 2 rooms and 2 front windows. They had a cow house, piggery & potato house. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/1394408/

House 3

Patrick Walsh aged 25 was head of the family, single. He lived with his siblings Winnie aged 26, Colman aged 22, Anne aged 20, Maggie aged 15 & lodger Thomas Joyce aged 50, all single.

Patrick was a farmer; Winnie was a housekeeper; Colman & Thomas were farm servants; Anne did general housework and Maggie aged 15. Patrick & Anne could not read; Winnie, Colman, Maggie & Thomas could read & write. The entire household spoke Irish & English. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 2nd class house with 2 rooms and 3 front windows. They had a cow house & a piggery. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/1394409/

House 4

Patrick Walsh aged 50 was head of the family; married to Mary aged 40. They lived with their children Mary aged 20, Anne aged 18, Margaret aged 14, William aged 12, Barbara aged 10 & his brother Tom aged 60.

Patrick was a farmer; Mary & Anne were farmer’s daughters; Margaret, William & Barbara were scholars and Tom was a farm servant. The entire household could read & write & spoke Irish & English. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 3rd class house with 2 rooms and 2 front windows. They had 2 cow houses, a piggery & a fowl house. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/1394410/

Census 1911

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

Description of the Houses:

All the houses in Muckanaghkillew 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. One family lived in each property. 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 4 family homes with 8 males, 9 females a total of 17 persons living in the town land; all Roman Catholic.  They had 11 farm buildings; which included stable, cow houses, calf house & piggeries.

Enumerators Extract

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002434575/

House & Building Returns

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002434577/

Out Offices & Farm Steadings

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/reels/nai002434579/

House 1

Pat Walsh aged 66 was head of the family; married to Julia aged 68. They lived with his cousin Tom Walsh aged 45.

Pat was a farmer. Pat, Julia & Tom could not read; they spoke Irish. Pat & Julia were married for 25 years. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 3rd class house with 2 rooms and 2 front windows. They had a cow house, calf house & piggery &. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/471205/

House 2

Pat Walsh aged 30 was head of the family, single. He lived with his sisters Winnie aged 26, Anne aged 22, Maggie aged 24 & servant Tom Joyce aged 73, all single.

Patrick was a farmer; Tom was a general servant. Patrick & Anne could not read; they spoke Irish. Winnie & Tom could read & write; they spoke Irish & English. Maggie could read & write and spoke Irish. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 2nd class house with 2 rooms and 4 front windows. They had a stable, cow house & a piggery. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/471206/

House 3

Pat Walsh aged 67 was head of the family; married to Mary aged 66. They lived with their children Mary aged 34 & William aged 26.

Pat & William were farmers. Pat, Mary & William could read & write & spoke Irish. Mary could not read. The family was Roman Catholic.

Pat & Mary were married for 36 years; they had 5 children with all 5 living at the time of the census.

They lived in a 3rd class house with 2 rooms and 2 front windows. They had 2 cow houses, a piggery & a fowl house. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/471207/

House 4

Katie Walsh aged 64 was head of the family, a widow. She lived with her children Peter aged 30, Maggie aged 26, Michael aged 25 & Annie aged 20.

Katie was a farmer; Peter & Michael were farmer’s sons and Maggie & Annie were farmer’s daughter’s. The family spoke Irish. The entire family could not read. Katie had 4 children with all 4 living at the time of the census. The family was Roman Catholic.

They lived in a 2nd class house with 2 rooms and 4 front windows. They had a cow house & piggery. This was a private dwelling.

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Kilcummin/Muckanaghkillew/471208/

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.)

Muckanaghkillew is in the civil parish of Kilcummin.

Roman Catholic parishes:

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

  • Carraroe
  • Kilannin
  • Kilcummin/Oughterard
  • Rosmuc

Church of Ireland parishes:

This civil parish corresponds with the following Church of Ireland parish.

  • Kilcummin

In general, the civil parish and the Church of Ireland parish are the same, but, this is not always the case.

Maps

It is located at 53° 20′ 37″ N, 9° 29′ 41″ W.

Original OS map of this area.
Ireland was first mapped in the 1840s. These original maps are available online.

Muckanaghkillew

Original OS maps at the Ordnance Survey of Ireland website.

Below is a link to the Ordnance Survey of Ireland website. It displays the original OS map that was created in the 1840s.

Muckanaghkillew

Information from the Down Survey Website.

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

Down Survey Website

Information from Google Maps.

You can use this link to find this townland on Google Maps.

Google Maps

Information from the National Monuments Service.

You can use this link to view a map of archaeological features.
This link brings you to a website wherein you will have to search for your townland.

Archaeological map from the National Monuments Service

Galway Library Website

http://places.galwaylibrary.ie/place/52994

Townlands.ie Website

https://www.townlands.ie/galway/moycullen/kilcummin/kilcummin/muiceanach-choille/

 

 

 

 

This page was added on 19/07/2016.

Comments about this page

  • I am the descendant of the Patrick and Mary Walsh in house #4 in 1901 and house #3 in 1911. Their daughter Barbara Walsh was my Grandmother.

    By Nancy Toulson (27/08/2023)
  • I am the descendant of the Patrick and Mary Walsh in house #4 in 1901 and house #3 in 1911. Their daughter Barbara Walsh was my Grandmother.

    By Susan Toulson (27/07/2016)

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