Shankill / An tSeanchill
Compiled by Paul Greaney
Overview
Irish name: An tSeanchill
Irish pronunciation:
English name: Shankill
Meaning: the old church
Area: 198 acres, 1 rood and 28 perches
Field Names: Monéir Beg, Monéir Mór, Cladach (along the lake shore), Briarpark (the lands around Hynes’s thatched cottage).
Information from O’Donovan’s Field Name Books
Other names: Shankill, Sean-chill, Shancill, Shankill (Inq. Temp. Gal. III.), Shankill (B. S. Sketch Map), Shankill (High Constable, 1838), Shankill (Inq. Temp. Car. I.), Shankeile (Inq. Temp. Ire. I), Old Bury (Local), Old Bury (Rector of Annaghdown); Comment: Old Bury is ridiculous.
Description: Townland. Proprietor Staunton, Esq. All under tillage. There is a small village situate on its western boundary. Also a bye road passes through at its ? north. There is a ? ? called Briarfield situate 3½ ? East of its Western boundary.
Situation: It is situated 4½ miles south-west of Annaghdown Church [of Ireland]. Bounded north by Rinnaharney, south by Muckrush, east by Barranny and west by Lough Corrib.
Population Statistics
1841: 44 houses, 235 people (118 male, 117 female)
1851: 7 houses, 34 people (17 male, 17 female)
1861: 10 houses, 57 people (31 male, 26 female)
1871: 10 houses, 75 people (38 male, 37 female)
1881: 10 houses, people (37 male, 38 female)
1891: 10 houses, 71 people (36 male, 35 female)
1901: 11 houses, 64 people (36 male, 28 female)
1911: 9 houses, 56 people (31 male, 25 female)
2011: 23 houses (3 vacant), 55 people (34 male, 21 female)
1821 Tithe Applotment Books
The Tithe Applotment Books do not record the names of any tenants in Oldberry. They record several subdenominations of the townland: Pidgeon Park, New Park, West Division, Monere Garriffe, Ballynaquilty, Moneremore, Monerebeg, Cloghanagar, Bryarfield, Poulnabrock, Gate Village.
1840 Griffith’s House Books & 1855 Griffith’s Valuation
Griffith’s Valuation records nine houses in Shankill, with lands held by several other tenants from the neighbouring townlands of Muckrush and Barranny.
The heads of the nine households recorded are Patrick Farraher, Michael Healy, Edmond Dooley, Michael Ford, John Moylan, James Ford, Michael Meehan, Richard Monaghan, and Patrick O’Hara. The entire townland was in the possession of Mary Woodcock and George Stanford.
Lands were also held by William Ford, Thomas Feenaghty, Thomas Farraher, John Elward and James Elward, all of Muckrush; and by Michael King, Laurence Elward, Paul Newell, Patrick King, John Newell, William Casey, and Bryan Fahy, all of Barranny.
The 1845 house books do not record any entries for Shankill. The 1853 edition is in agreement with the printed volume of Griffith’s Valuation.
Sale in Encumbered Estates Court, 1879
The townland of Shankill was offered for sale by auction at the Land Judges Court on 25 November 1879, alongside the lands of Ballylee, Barranny, Muckrush, and Woodpark, all then in the possession of Mary Hall and several others. Ballylee, Woodpark, and part of Barranny were purchased by Peter Newell of Woodpark, and Muckrush and Shankill were eventually purchased by John Byrne.
The accompanying sale catalogue records the following tenants with leases where applicable.
- Patrick Faragher occupied 16 acres, 2 roods, and 3 perches at a yearly rent of £11-2s-6d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Patrick Faraher, for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Monerbeg and Monergarrow, containing 15a. 2r. 32p. of arable land, with 5a. 0r. 25p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana (statute measure). The rent included 2s. 6d. annual drainage rent charged on the holding by the Commissioners of Public Works by deep poll on 23 March 1860.
- Edmond Dooley occupied 17 acres, 3 roods, 7 perches at a yearly rent of £11-2s-4.5d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Edmund Dooley, for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Brierpark, containing 17a. 3r. 10p. of arable land, together with 5a. 0r. 25p. of the bog to the north of Barrana, adjoining Woodpark, and cutaway bog, statute measure. The rent included 2s. 6d. annual drainage rent.
- John Forde, representative of William Forde, Thomas Faragher, and Bryan Fahey, representative of P. Newell, occupied 20 acres, 3 roods and 22 perches at an annual rent of £12-4s-7d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to William Forde and others, for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Brierpark, containing 19a. 3r. 10p. of arable land, together with 5a. 2r. 21p. of the bog on the north side of Barrana and cutaway bog, statute measure.
- Bryan Fahey, representative of Michael King, held 55 acres and 33 perches at a yearly rent of £34-9s, 5.5d, together with a further 4 acres and 30 perches at a yearly rent of £1-11s-6d, all held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Michael King for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Monergarrow, containing 3a. 3r. of arable land, together with 2r. 32.5p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana, statute measure. The rent on this holding included 1s. 6d. drainage rent.
- Bryan Fahey occupied 6 acres, 2 roods, and 18 perches, Thomas Scully (representative of Patrick King) occupied 8 acres and 8 perches, Richard Monahan occupied 8 acres, 2 roods and 30 perches, John Newell occupied 8 acres, 3 roods and 27 perches, William Hardiman occupied 6 acres and 6 perches, William Casey occupied 6 acres and 28 perches, all at an annual rent of £25-3s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to John Newell and others for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Gatevillage, containing 44a. 2r. 35p. of arable land, with 11a. 2r. 30p. of the bog and cutaway bog to the north side of Baranna. The rent on this holding included 6s. drainage rent.
- Michael Forde occupied 13 acres, 1 rood and 15 perches, James Forde occupied 8 acres, 2 roods and 36 perches, and Patrick Meehan occupied 4 acres and 25 perches, all at an annual rent of £17-16s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Michael Forde and others for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Oldberry, Moneymore, and Quilt Village, containing 26a. 0r. 30p. of arable land, and 8a. 1r. 5p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana, statute measure. The rent on this holding included 3s. 6d. drainage rent.
- Patrick Hynes occupied 8 acres and 22 perches at an annual rent of £5-5s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to John Moylan for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Quilt Village, containing 8a. 0r. 20p. of arable land, with 2a. 1r. 34p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana.
- Martin Moran (representative of Michael Healy) held 9 acres and 3 perches at an annual rent of £4-8s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Michael Healy for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Monergarrow, containing 8a. 3r. 30p. of arable land, with 1a. 3r. 39p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana. The rent for this holding included 2s. 6d. drainage rent.
- Bartholomew Elwood occupied 6 acres, 2 roods and 28 perches, James Elwood occupied 6 acres and 20 perches, John Forde occupied 6 acres and 9 perches, Thomas Farragher occupied 7 acres, 2 roods and 18 perches, and Patrick Feenaghty occupied 7 acres and 36 perches, all at an annual rate of £24-8s-3.5d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to William Forde and others for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Gatevillage and Oldberry, containing 33a. 1r. 0p. of arable land, with 11a. 1r. 35.5p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana.
- Paul Newell occupied 4 acres, 3 roods and 3 perches at an annual rent of £2-7s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Paul Newell and others for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Fahey’s Garden, containing 4a. 3r. 10p. of arable land, with 1a. 0r. 15p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana.
- Laurence Elwood occupied 12 acres, 3 roods and 4 perches at an annual rent of £8-7s-0d, held under a lease bearing date 25th July 1856 made by Elizabeth Woodcock and others to Laurence Elwood for the term of 31 years from the 1st November, 1855, of part of the lands of Gatevillage, containing 12a. 0r. 30p. of arable land, with 3a. 3r. 33p. of the bog and cutaway bog on the north side of Barrana. The rent for this holding included 1s. 6d. drainage rent.
The lease reserved liberty to the lessors and their followers of fishing, fowling, hawking and hunting over and through the lands, and forbade the making of bricks on the lands.
The catalog also states that the tenants were not permitted to cut turf for sale on the bog assigned to them by their lease, or on the bog of the Woodpark estate; each tenant was entitled to cut only as much turf as might be necessary for consumption in their own dwelling-house.
1871-1901 Deaths
Date | Townland | Name | Sex | Condition | Age | Occupation | Cause | Medical Attendant | Certified | Registered by | Link |
23/12/1873 | Oldbury | John Farraher | M | Bachelor | 15 weeks | Peasant’s son | Bronchitis, 4 days | N | N | Michael Farraher, occupier | Link |
25/07/1875 | Shankill | Julia Heally | F | Widow | 70 years | Peasant | Bronchitis & debility, 2 weeks | Y | Julia Mulryan, PAD | Link | |
17/10/1876 | Oldbury | Michael Heally | M | Married | 74 years | Peasant | Old age & bronchitis, a long time | N | N | Honor Dooley, PAD | Link |
12/04/1879 | Shankill | Redmond Murphy | M | Widower | 79 years | Landholder | Old age & debility, some time | N | N | Brian Neil, occupier | Link |
08/12/1881 | Shankill | Bridget Elwood | F | Married | 72 years | Peasant | Paralysis, long time | N | N | Mary Connor, PAD | Link |
28/02/1882 | Shankill | James Forde | M | Widower | 74 years | Peasant | Fever, one week | N | N | Patrick Farraher, PAD | Link |
14/05/1882 | Shankill | Catherine Forde | F | Widow | 80 years | Peasant | Severe burn on the foot, 3 months | N | N | James Farrington, occupier | Link |
15/06/1882 | Shankill | Edmund Dooley | M | Married | 80 years | Peasant | Chronic bronchitis, 2 years | N | N | Patrick Dooley, son, PAD | Link |
04/06/1884 | Oldbury | Margaret Jordan | F | Widow | 70 years | Peasant | Severe cold and cough, 3 weeks | N | N | Celia Hannen, daughter, PAD | Link |
01/01/1886 | Oldbury | Honor Dooley | F | Widow | 88 years | Peasant | Dysentry, 5 weeks | N | N | James Dooley, son and occupier | Link |
26/04/1886 | Shankil | Bridget Farraher | F | Married | 28 years | Peasant | Puerperal metritis, one week | Y | James Tarpy, PAD | Link | |
01/11/1886 | Shankil | Laurence Elwood | M | Widower | 80 years | Peasant | Old age and debility, 2 years | N | N | Bartly Elwood, son and occupier | Link |
16/12/1889 | Shankil | Mary Farraher | F | Married | 73 years | Peasant | Chronic liver disease, long time | Y | Patrick Farraher, son, PAD | Link | |
08/07/1891 | Shankil | Bridget Meehan | F | Spinster | 5 months | Peasant’s child | Bronchitis, one week | N | N | Bridget Meehan, mother, PAD | Link |
19/04/1892 | Shankil | Kate Meehan | F | Spinster | 5 weeks | Peasant’s child | Suffocative bronchitis, 10 days | N | N | Bridget Meehan, mother, PAD | Link |
23/10/1892 | Shankil | Patrick Meehan | M | Bachelor | 3.5 years | Labourer’s child | Croup, 3 days | N | N | Bridget Meehan, mother, PAD | Link |
29/01/1894 | Shankil | Celia Meehan | F | Spinster | 2 months | Peasant’s child | Smothering, 3 weeks | N | N | Michael Meehan, father, PAD | Link |
22/02/1895 | Shankill | Margaret Meeghan | F | Married | 66 years | Wife of farmer | Bronchitis and debility | N | N | Michael Meeghan, son, PAD | Link |
11/07/1895 | Shankill | Redmond Hardiman | M | Bachelor | 34 years | Labourer | Consumption, 5 years | N | N | Michael Hardiman, brother, PAD | Link |
29/07/1895 | Shankill | Patrick Connor | M | Married | 60 years | Landholder | Jaundice, 3 weeks | N | N | Philip Connor, PAD | Link |
15/08/1896 | Shankill | Bridget Hardiman | F | Widow | 75 years | Widow of farmer | Complaining of indigestion, 2 months | N | N | Michael Hardiman, son, PAD | Link |
06/05/1897 | Shankill | Delia Elwood | F | Spinster | 1 year, 9 months | Daughter of landholder | Severe cough and convulsions, 1 month | N | N | Kate Elwood, mother | Link |
05/09/1897 | Shankill | Michael Forde | M | Married | 75 years | Landholder | Cancer of liver, 6 months | Y | Ellen Forde, wife, PAD | Link | |
03/10/1898 | Shankill | Patrick Farrington | M | Widower | 67 years | Landholder | Sudden pain, half hour | N | N | Michael Farrington, son, PAD | Link |
25/02/1899 | Shankill | Mary Hardiman | F | Married | 27 years | Wife of landholder | Haemorrhage, 1 hour | Y | Mary Hynes, PAD | Link | |
05/12/1900 | Shankill | Kate Monaghan | F | Widow | 54 years | Widow of farmer | Severe cold and cough, 5 weeks | N | N | John Connor, grandnephew, PAD | Link |
25/03/1901 | Shankill | James Elwood | M | Bachelor | 11 years | Son of farmer | Influenza, 1 week, meningitis, 2 days | Y | Mary Elwood, sister, PAD | Link | |
17/05/1901 | Barrana | William Hardiman | M | Widower | 80 years | Farmer | Old age and debility | N | N | Michael Hardiman, son, PAD | Link |
1901 Census
The 1901 Census of Ireland records the following eleven households in Shankill.
- Bartley Elwood (62), farmer; his wife Kate (40) [née Meehan], and their children Laurence (19), Patrick (18), farmer’s sons; Kate (17), Mary (15), farmer’s daughters; Honor (13), Michael (12), Margaret (9), John (6), Thomas (4), scholars; and William (2).
- William Hardiman (95), farmer, widower; his son Michael (40), farmer’s son; daughter-in-law Julia (40) [née Gavin], and grandson William (6 months) [Liam Óg].
- Mary Connor (60), widow, and her sons John (35) and Andrew (25), farmer’s sons.
- Patrick Meehan (67), farmer, widower.
- Ellen Forde (73), farmer, widow; and her daughter Mary (30), farmer’s daughter.
- Patrick Forde (32), farmer; his wife Ellen [née Duggan], and their children Michael (13), William (10), Bridget (8), Daniel (7), and Thomas (4), scholars.
- James Farraher (30), farmer; his wife Honor (35) [née Boyle], and their children Bridget (12), Martin (9), Catherine (8), Patrick (7), Margaret (5), John (4), scholars, Mary (2), and James (1).
- Patrick Farraher (45), farmer; his wife Mary (40) [née Finnerty], and their children Bridget (11), Michael (9), Patrick (8), Martin (7), scholars; and Mary (2).
- Patrick Hynes (70), farmer; his wife Mary (50) [née Moylan], and their children Mary (28), Anne (18), farmer’s daughters; John (16), farmer’s son; and Celia (10), scholar.
- James Dooley (63), farmer; his wife Bridget (60) [née Moran], and their children Patrick (30), Willie (19), farmer’s sons; and Julia (21) farmer’s daughter.
- Martin Mulryan (70), farmer; his wife Bridget (60) [née Healy], and their children John (25), Michael (20), Martin (16), farmer’s sons; Honor (23), Bridget (18), farmer’s daughters.
One house was categorised in the first class, having a slated roof, 7-9 rooms, and seven front windows.
Four houses were classified as second class, and five were third class; the principal difference in these was the number of windows in the front of the house, each of the third class houses having two front windows. One house was classified as fourth class, having no front windows.
Nine of the holdings had a stable and cow-house, eight had a piggery, six had a cart-house, five had a barn, and two had a calf-house.
There were three residents of the townland who spoke only Irish: William Hardiman (95), Patrick Hynes (70), and Mary Hynes (50).
1911 Census
By 1911, both Forde houses had disappeared from the village, and the following nine households remained.
- John Connor (45), farmer; his wife Kate (43) [née Burke], married for 7 years, with 4 children born alive and 3 still living; and children Patrick (7), John (5), Michael (2), and Sarah (1), scholars.
- Bartly Elwood (75), farmer; his wife Kate (49) [née Meehan], and children Patrick (29), John (16), farmer’s sons; Mary (26), Maggie (21), farmer’s daughters; Thomas (13), William (12), Bridget (10), and Murty (5), scholars.
- Michael Hardiman (47), farmer; his wife Julia [née Gavin] (50), married for 12 years, with two children born alive and still living; and children William (10) [Liam Óg], and Bridget (1) [Bríd Óg].
- Pat Meehan (75), farmer, widower; his daughter-in-law Margaret (33) [née McDermott], born in Co. Mayo, married for 13 years with 5 children born alive and still living; and grandchildren Mary Margaret (11), born in Mayo, Brendan (8), born in Dublin, Thomas (6), born in Mayo, Julia (4), born in Galway, all scholars, and Myles (1), born in Dublin.
- James Farragher (49), farmer; his wife Honor (50) [née Boyle], married for 33 years, with 10 children born alive and 7 still living; and their children Mamie (14), Mary (13), Martin (8), and Michael (7), scholars.
- Mary Farragher [née Finnerty] (50), farmer’s wife, widow; and her children Bridget (20), farmer’s daughter, Micheal (18), Patrick (16), Martin (15), farmer’s sons, Mary (12), and John (8), scholars.
- Mary Hynes (69) [née Moylan], farmer, widow, married for 46 years with 8 children born alive and 7 still living; her children John (27), farmer’s son, and Celia (19), farmer’s daughter; and visitors William Ford (20), farmer’s son, and Delia Ford (18), seamstress.
- James Dooley (75), farmer; his wife Bridget (72) [née Moran], married for 43 years, with 9 children born alive and still living; their children Patrick (38), Willie (26), farmer’s sons, and Julia (27), farmer’s daughter; and daughter-in-law Margaret [née Hynes; Patrick’s wife].
- Martin Mulryan (77), farmer; his wife Bridget (72) [née Healy], married for 54 years, with 14 children born alive and 7 still living; and children John (35), Michael (32), farmer’s sons, and Bridget (29), farmer’s daughter.
One house was of the first class, with stone walls, a slated roof, seven front windows, and comprised between seven and nine rooms. Each of the remaining houses was of the second class, with stone walls, thatched roofs, three front windows in each, and comprising between two and four rooms each.
Each holding in the townland had a stable, cow house, and piggery, while eight of the houses has a barn and four had a further shed.
There were two monoglot Irish speakers recorded in the townland: Mary Hynes (69), and Bridget Mulryan (72).