Ardgaineen / Ard Géinín

Compiled by Paul Greaney

Overview

Irish name: Ard Géinín

English name: Ardgaineen

Meaning: the high place of Géinín (Géinín – probably a personal name)

Area: 616 acres, 2 roods and 31 perches

Field names in this townland: None yet recorded.

Information from O’Donovan’s Field Name Books

Names: Ardgaineen, Árd Géinin, Ardgainin, Ardgineen (Crampton Esq., Cahermorris), Ardgaineen (Local), Ardgainneen (Rector of Annaghdown).

Description: Patk. Kirwan Esq. Proprietor. All under tillage except portions of wood on the South and West sides of the townland.

Situation: It is situated 1 1/2 miles N. E. of Annaghdown Church. North by Bunnaghanaun. South part of Tumnahulla. East by Kilcahill and N. by Tumnahulla.

Population Statistics

1841: 31 houses, 205 people (96 male, 109 female)

1851: 3 houses, 22 people (10 male, 12 female)

1861: 10 houses, 47 people (20 male, 27 female)

1871: 9 houses, 53 people (22 male, 31 female)

1881: 10 houses, 58 people (24 male, 34 female)

1891: 11 houses, 61 people (32 male, 29 female)

1901: 11 houses, 67 people (34 male, 33 female)

1911:  12 houses, 76 people (40 male, 36 female)

2011: 39 houses (incl. 4 vacant), 100 people (52 male, 48 female)

1821 Tithe Applotment Books

The Tithe Applotment Books record P Kirwan Esq. as occupier of a total 375 acres of land. No tenants are recorded.

1840 Griffith’s House Books & 1855 Griffith’s Valuation

Ardgaineen entries in Griffith’s Valuation

The 1845 house book for Ardgaineen records Patt Feeney as occupier of a dwelling together with barn and stable, and William Bourke as occupier of a dwelling, barn and stables.

The December 1853 house book records Richard Kerwan (sic.) as occupier of a herd’s house, while William Burke and Patt Feeny (sic.) both held houses and offices.

Griffith’s Valuation records three houses in Ardgaineen: Richard Kirwan held a herd’s house and land, and William Burke and Patrick Feeney both held a house, offices and land from Richard Kirwan.

Sales in Encumbered Estates Court, 1856-1863

The townland of Ardgaineen was offered for sale by auction at the Land Judges Court on 6 November 1856, alongside the lands of Monroe, Racoona, Knockdoebeg East & West, Caraun, the Glebe, Cloughaun, Liscananaun, Bawnmore, Drumbaun, and Cregg, as well as several other lots in counties Galway in the ownership of Richard Andrew Hyacinth Kirwan. Ardgaineen, described as ‘otherwise Ardneagh’ has the following tenants listed in the sale catalogue:

  1. Patt Feeney held held 27 acres and 2 roods at a yearly rent of £11-5s-0d.
  2. William Burke held 30 acres and 1 rood at an annual rent of £30-1s-0d.

Both were tenants from year to year, with the tenancy determinable on 1 November each year; the Gale Days were 1 May and 1 November. The remainder of the townland, consisting of 558 acres, 3 roods and 31 perches, was held by the owner, Richard A. Hyacinth Kirwan.

The townland was again offered for sale on 21 May 1857, alongside Monroe, the Glebe, and part of Knockdoebeg West, all in the Barony of Clare and Quinaltagh in the Barony of Dunmore. The sale catalogue shows Ardgaineen divided into two lots: the first, consisting of 292 acres, 3 roods and 21 perches, was occupied by Richard A.H. Kirwan, while the second lot was split amongst William Burke, Patrick Feeney, and Richard A.H. Kirwan. Both Burke and Feeney held the same lands at the same rent as in the previous catalogue.

Map accompanying the 1857 Sale Catalogue for Ardgaineen

A third sale took place on 19 November 1863, consisting only of one half of Ardgaineen (again given as ‘otherwise Ardneagh’). By this stage the lands were owned by Nicholas Kirwan, Esq., of Nelson Street, Liverpool, and further information could be obtained from Kirwan, from Mr. Martin O’Neill of Ardgaineen, Drumgriffin, or from Henry Torrens Graham of Mountjoy Place, Dublin, solicitor with Carriage of Sale. The townland is divided into four lots, as follows.

Lot 1.

Nicholas Kirwan, the owner, held 92 acres, 3 roods and 6 perches, while Patrick Burke held 29 acres, 1 rood and 28 perches at an annual rent of £10-1s-4d. The tenancy was held from year to year, determinable on 1 November.

Lot 2.

Lacky Healy, Martin O’Neill and Francis McCormick (sic.) held 31 acres, 3 roods and 36 perches at a yearly rent of £11-17s-8d, and Margaret Walsh, Widow, held 36 acres, 3 roods and 9 perches at an annual rent of £18-7s-1d. Both tenancies were held from year to year, determinable on 1 November.

Lot 3.

James Mullen held 20 acres, 2 roods and 31 perches at a yearly rent of £10-3s-9d; Martin O’Neill held 19 acres and 27 perches at an annual rent of £9-10s-11d; and James Feighney (sic.) held 18 acres and 17 perches at an annual rent of £8-11s-6d. All three tenancies were held from year to year, determinable on 1 November.

Lot 4.

Francis McCormick (sic.) held 14 acres, 3 roods and 14 perches at an annual rent of £7-19s-6d, held under a yearly tenancy determinable on 1 November. Nicholas Kirwan, the owner, held a further 30 acres and 34 perches at an annual rent of £14-6s-11d.

Map accompanying the 1863 Sale Catalogue for Ardgaineen

1871-1901 Deaths

DateTownlandNameSexConditionAgeOccupationCauseMedical AttendantCertifiedRegistered byLink
15/08/1871ArdganeenCatherine McDermottFWidow80 yearsLabourer’s widowOld age and debility, 3 monthsNNEllen Burke, PADLink
16/03/1873ArdgaineenMary ScullyFSpinster23 yearsLabourer’s daughterHeart disease, 2 yearsNNThomas Scully, PADLink
04/12/1877ArdgaineenMary ScullyFSpinster3 yearsLandholder’s daughterDiarrhoea, 4 weeksNNBridget Scully, PADLink
06/04/1878ArdgaineenPatrick BurkeMMarried38 yearsLandholderParalysis, 6 yearsNNAndy Burke, PAD, CorthoonLink
06/04/1878ArdgaineenMargaret ScullyFSpinster2 yearsLandholder’s daughterVomiting, 1 dayNNBridget Scully, PADLink
04/07/1878ArdgaineenKate BurkeFSpinster2 yearsLandholder’s daughterConvulsions, 4 daysNNWilliam Burke, PADLink
15/03/1879ArdgaineenFrancis McCormackMMarried78 yearsLandholderBronchitis, 1 monthNNMary Concarr, PADLink
30/06/1879ArdgaineenJohn CavanaghMBachelor19 yearsLandholder’s sonFever, 14 daysNNPatrick Cavanagh, PADLink
24/02/1880ArdgaineenThomas WalsheMBachelor5 monthsLandholder’s sonVomiting, 1 weekNNMargaret Walsh, PADLink
26/08/1880ArdgaineenJohn WalsheMMarried28 yearsLandholderConsumption, 3 yearsNNBridget Scully, PADLink
07/06/1883ArdgaineenHonor BurkeFMarried68 yearsLandholder’s wifeBronchitis, 2 weeksNNHonor Burke, granddaughter, PADLink
19/07/1883ArdgaineenMary CavanaghFSpinster11 yearsLandholder’s daughterIntusseption, 6 daysYBartholomew Cavanagh, PADLink
03/02/1886ArdgaineenWilliam BurkeMWidower81 yearsLandholderSenile decay, 7 daysNNBridget Burke, granddaughter, PADLink
20/08/1886ArdgaineenTim ShaughnessyMWidower75 yearsLandholderParalysis, 3 weeksNNMargaret Donnellan, PADLink
14/07/1888ArdgaineenBridget ConcarFSpinster10 yearsLandholder’s childAscites, 4 monthsNNMargaret Walsh, PADLink
02/10/1891ArdgaineenKate ConcarFSpinster5 monthsLabourer’s childDebility from birthNNMary Concar, mother, PADLink
15/12/1891ArdgaineenMary ConcarFSpinster4 monthsLabouerer’s infantDebility from birthNNMary Concar, mother, PADLink
05/02/1892ArdgaineenWinney BurkeFSpinster5 yearsLandholder’s childAcute bronchitis, 3 weeksNNMary Burke, PADLink
11/10/1893ArdgaineenBridget BurkeFSpinster23 yearsLandholder’s daughterConsumption, 2 yearsNNThomas Burke, PAD, TumnahullaLink
01/08/1893ArdgaineenMargaret MonaghanFMarried67 yearsLandholder’s wifeGeneral debility, 6 monthsNNPat Monaghan, son, PADLink
14/03/1894ArdgaineenJohn O’NeilMBachelor13 yearsLandholder’s sonConsumption, 3 yearsNNMargaret McCormack, PADLink
04/02/1895ArdgaineenMargaret MonaghanFSpinster35 daysLandholder’s infantDebility from birthNNKate Greaney, PAD, CahermorrissLink
03/04/1895ArdgaineenMichael DonelanMMarried55 yearsLandholderPneumonia, 8 daysYMonica Donelan, PADLink
15/06/1896ArdgaineenPatrick MonaghanMBachelor4 monthsLandholder’s infantWhooping cough, 4 daysNNJulia Greany, PAD, BunnatubberLink
27/06/1897ArdgaineenHonor ScullyFWidow70 yearsLandholder’s widowSevere cough, 9 daysNNJohn Scully, son, PADLink
21/02/1899ArdgaineenMartin O’NeilMMarried79 yearsLandholderGeneral debility, 12 monthsNNPatrick O’Neil, son, PADLink
Deaths in Ardgaineen, 1871-1901

1901 Census

The 1901 Census of Ireland records the following 11 houses in Ardgaineen:

  1. Daniel Monaghan (60), farmer; his wife Bridget [née Greaney] (30); and sons Patrick (32), farmer, Daniel (3), and Michael (1).
    [Note: Bridget is incorrectly entered as Daniel’s wife; she was married to Patrick.]
  2. Michael Burke (21), his wife Mary (27) [née Joyce], his father Michael (61), mother Ellen [née Boyle] (60), niece Mary Cannovan [Canavan, from Glenrevagh] (11) and nephew Martin Moylan [from Cloonleenaun/Farmerstown] (2).
  3. Michael Kilgarriff (61), carpenter; his wife Mary [née Keenan] (54); and children Michael (25), carpenter; Sabina (20), seamstress; Norah (18), Annie (14), Joseph (12), and James (10), all scholars.
  4. Bridget Burke [née Burke] (50), widow; her son Thomas (29), farmer; and daughter Julia (23), seamstress.
  5. Margaret Donnellan [née Blake] (60), widow; her son Francis (26), farmer, and daughter Monica (20).
  6. Honor Scully [née Crowe] (60); her children Pat (17), farmer; Catherine (20), seamstress; Honor (15), scholar; Thomas (13), scholar.
  7. Morgan Murray (60), farmer; his wife Margaret [née Walsh] (36); sons William (14), farmer’s son; Patrick (5); and daughter Mary (2).
  8. James Lawless (58), farmer; his wife Bridget [née Greaney] (52); son Thomas (27), farmer; daughter-in-law Julia [née Nolan]; granddaughters Bridget Lawless (20); Maggie Lawless (16), scholar; Katie Murphy [from Carheens, Belclare] (4).
  9. Patrick O’Neill (31), farmer; his wife Margaret [née Burke] (30); his mother Margaret [née Boyle] (60); children Martin (5), Patrick (4), John (3), Delia (2); niece Bridget Langan (13), scholar.
  10. Denis Concar (55), farmer; his wife Mary [née McCormack] (46), their children Patrick (24), farmer’s son; Francis (20), farmer’s son; Michael (18), farmer’s son; John (16), scholar; Denis (14), scholar; Thomas (10), scholar; Mary (5); daughter Margaret Coleman (27), seamstress; granddaughter Mary Coleman (8 months); mother-in-law Margaret McCormack [née Tully] (86).
  11. Patrick Kavanagh (66), farmer; his wife Julia [née Forde] (60); their son Pat (27), farmer; daughter-in-law Kate [née Flaherty] (25); grandson Michael (6).

All houses were of the second class with thatched roofs and three front windows, with the exception of the houses of Michael Kilgarriff and James Lawless, each of which had four front windows.

All inhabitants were recorded as having been born in County Galway.

There was resident of the townland who spoke only Irish: James Lawless (58).

1911 Census

The 1911 Census of Ireland records the following 12 households in Ardgaineen.

  1. Michael Kilgarriff (75), farmer and carpenter; his wife Mary [née Keenan] (67); children Joseph (24), farmer’s son; Lizzie (27); James I. (21); servant John Melia (11), scholar.
  2. John Scully (65), farmer; son-in-law Pat Fahey (32), farmer’s son; daughter Catherine [née Scully] (29); grandsons Patrick (3) and Michael Fahey (2 months).
  3. Marget Murray [née Walsh] (52), farmer, widow, married for 27 years with 3 children born alive and 2 still living; children Patrick (17), farmer’s son; Mary (12), scholar.
  4. Bridget Burke [née Burke] (64), farmer, widow; her son Thomas (40), farmer’s son; daughter Julia Fahy (35); grandchildren Thomas Fahy (8), Bridget Fahy (6), Pat Fahy (4), and John Fahy (2).
  5. 1. Margaret Donnellan [née Blake] (75), widow, born in Co. Mayo.
    2. John Moran (30), agricultural labourer; his wife Monica [née Donnellan] (30); children Pat (2) and Maggie (1).
  6. Bridget Lawless [née Greaney] (72), widow; her son Thomas (44), farmer’s son; daughter-in-law Julia [née Nolan] (50), married 12 years with 2 children born alive, both still living; daughter Bridget (37); granddaughters Mary (10), Maggie (7), scholars.
  7. Margaret O’Neill [née Boyle] (69), widow; her son Pat (45), farmer; daughter-in-law Margaret [née Burke] (47), married 16 years, 4 children born alive, all still living; grandchildren Martin (16), Patrick (15), John (13), Mary (9), all scholars.
  8. Denis Concar (73), farmer; his wife Mary [née McCormack] (56), married 37 years, 9 children born alive with 8 still living; children Patrick (35), farmer’s son; Michael (28), farmer’s son; Denis (24), agricultural labourer; Thomas (20), farmer’s son; daughter Mary (14), scholar; granddaughter Kathleen Coleman (10), scholar.
  9. Michael Burke (73), farmer; his wife Ellen [née Boyle] (73), married 46 years, 8 children born alive with 6 still living; servant Mary Canavan (21), general servant domestic; servant John Moylan (18), farm servant.
  10. Michael Burke (32), farmer; his wife Mary [née Joyce] (38), children Mary C. (9), scholar; Julia (6), scholar; Michael (7), scholar; John (4), and Patrick (3).
  11. Pat Kavanagh (76), farmer, widower; his son Pat (42), farmer’s son; daughter-in-law Katie (38), married 10 years, 6 children born alive, all still living; grandchildren Bridget Mary (9), scholar; Norah (8), scholar; Michael S. (6), scholar; Julia (4), William (2), and John (11 months).
  12. Patrick Monaghan (42); his wife Bridget [née Greaney] (41), married 17 years, 11 children born alive with 8 still living; children Dan (14), scholar; Michael (10), scholar; Patrick (9), scholar; Mary (7), scholar; Maggie (6), scholar; Julia (4), and Delia (1).

Each house was of the second class, with thatched roofs and 3 front windows, except for that of Michael Kilgarriff, which had 4 front windows.

All residents were recorded as being born in County Galway, except for Margaret McCormack (house 5.1), who was born in County Mayo.

Note: Information in squared brackets has been added by the author and does not appear in the original record.

Further Reading

Some of the tenants of Ardgaineen were transferred from Liscananaun by Richard A.H. Kirwan in the 1840s – for further information, see the letter he wrote to the Freeman’s Journal in May 1846.

Ardgaineen / Ard Géinín

4 thoughts on “Ardgaineen / Ard Géinín

  • July 8, 2019 at 11:20 am
    Permalink

    What does the area of Tumnahulla mean in English?

    Reply
    • August 5, 2019 at 9:14 pm
      Permalink

      Hi Nuala,
      According to the Placenames Commission, Tomnahulla means “the bush of the penitential stone” – see https://www.logainm.ie/en/21344.
      Regards,
      Paul,
      Annaghdown Heritage Society

      Reply
  • December 20, 2019 at 4:08 am
    Permalink

    Paul
    I Love your work ( Its Pat Higgins here , originally from Ardgaineen )
    How did you confirm Michael Kilgarrif’s wife Mary was a a Keenan ?

    My late mother thought she was Kinneen ? But I never heard that name.
    Thanks Pat

    Reply
    • December 20, 2019 at 2:24 pm
      Permalink

      Hi Pat,

      Good to hear from you. Do you know anything else about Mary Kinneen/Keenan? She spelt it Keenan on her pension application form – see
      http://censussearchforms.nationalarchives.ie/search/cs/details.jsp?id=28760. The two names aren’t that far removed though. According to that form the Keenan family were living in Caranavoodaun, near Kilcolgan, in 1851.

      Kind regards,
      Paul.

      Reply

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