Irish name: Mucrois
English name: Muckrush
Meaning: pig headland
Area: 303 acres and 2 perches
Field names in this townland: Corrach, meaning wet bog/marsh; Eascaigh, meaning wet, swampy ground.
Rabbit Island and Muckrush Island form part of the farms in this townland.
Population Statistics
1841: 6 houses, 35 people
1851: 5 houses, 36 people
1861: 6 houses, 31 people
1871: 5 houses, 36 people (18 male, 18 female)
1881: 5 houses, 37 people (18 male, 19 female)
1891: 5 houses, 32 people (16 male, 16 female)
1901: 5 houses, 25 people (16 male, 9 female)
1911: 5 houses, 23 people (13 male, 10 female)
2011: 8 houses (3 vacant), 11 people (6 male, 5 female)
It remains unclear who occupied the sixth house in 1841 and 1861.
1821 Tithe Applotment Books
The Tithe Applotment Books record William Forde, M. Moylan, and partners as tenants of 72 acres in Muckrush.
1840s Griffith’s House Books & 1850s Griffith’s Valuation
Griffith’s Valuation shows that Muckrush was held under the Rundale system, with a two-fifths share held by William Forde, one-fifth each by Thomas Farragher and Thomas Finnerty, and one-tenth shares held by James and John Elwood. The 1840s house books record Patrick Farragher as predecessor to Thomas; they were brothers, and Patrick died in October 1845.
Each holding was occupied by the same family in 1901 as in Griffith’s Valuation.
Winifred Farragher (née Moran; widow of Thomas), lived with her sons Michael and William, daughter Bridget, grandson Thomas Killilea, and servant Patrick Hynes.
Honor Finnerty (née Ruane; widow of Patrick, son of Thomas), lived with her son Patrick.
James Elwood (son of James), lived with his wife Ellen (née Silke), and her nephew John Kyne.
John Forde (son of William), lived with his wife Julia (née Newell) and their children William, Peter, Ellen, Margaret, Patrick, Thomas, and Bridget.
Bartholomew Elwood (son of John), a widower, lived with his children John, Mary & William, and brother-in-law Charles Forde.
All five houses were of the second class, with stone walls, thatched roofs, three front windows each, and between two and four rooms each. Each also had a stable, cow house, piggery, barn, and cart house, and all except James Elwood also had a calf house.