Corbally / An Corrbhaile

Corbally / An Corrbhaile

Compiled by Paul Greaney

Note: Corbally is in the civil parish of Annaghdown, while the adjoining townlands of Corbally North and Corbally South are in the civil parish of Kilmoylan. Some earlier records may not reflect the current boundary.

Overview

Irish name: An Corrbhaile

English name: Corbally

Meaning: the noticeable town/village

Area: 222 acres and 34 perches.

Field Names: None yet recorded.

Information from O’Donovan’s Field Name Books

Other names: Corbhaile, Corbally, Corbhalla – Odd village, Corbally (B. S. Sketch Map), Corbally (B. S. Sketch Map), Corbally (Barony Map), Corbally (Barony Map), Corbally (Inq. Temp. Eliz.), Corbally (Inq. Temp. Gal. III), Corwalle alias Garvalle (Inq. Temp. Iac. I), Corbally (Inq. Temp. Ira. I.), Corbally South or Courwallen (Local), Corbally or Courballa (Local), Corbally (Rector of Annaghdown), Corbhalla (See Books of Kilmoylan Parish).

Description: Townland. It is the property of James O’Hara, Esq., Galway. The greater portion under tillage and a very large portion subject to winter floods forming part of the Turlough. The townland abounds in small forts and near its North side is Corbally house the residence of Browne, Esq., of this townland forms a demesne. There is a Trigl. Station in its Western centre 131 feet above the sea, and the general surface of the townland and varies from 94 to 130 feet above the sea. [Note that this description applies partly to the townland of Corbally South in Kilmoylan Parish].

Situation: It is situated 2 and 3/4 miles East of Annaghdown Church [of Ireland]. Bounded on the east by Corbally South, north by Carrownrooaun and Corrandrum, west by Racoona and south by Monroe.

Population Statistics

1841: 6 houses, 28 people (15 male, 13 female)

1851: 1 house, 7 people (4 male, 3 female)

1861: 1 house, 6 people (4 male, 2 female)

1871: No houses

1881: No houses

1891: No houses

1901: 4 houses, 27 people (11 male, 16 female)

1911: 6 houses, 31 people (14 male, 17 female)

2011: Not available.

Tithe Applotment Books

Corbally appears as Corballyblaney in the 1824 Tithe Applotment Books, consisting of 40 acres occupied by Mr Pat Burke.

1855 Griffith’s Valuation

Griffith’s Valuation records Thomas Kearney as occupier of a herd’s house and land. He held the entire townland from James O’Hara.

Valuation House & Field Books

The 1853 house book records Thomas Kearney as occupier of a herd’s house and Mary Spellman as occupier of a house.

1901 Census

The 1901 Census of Ireland records the following four households in Corbally.

1. Martin Wall (42), farmer; his wife Mary (35), and their children Sabina (16), farmer’s daughter, Bartholomew (14), farmer’s son, Patrick (10), Mary (8), Thomas (6), scholars, James (4), and Maggie (1).
2. Mary Hughes (85), widow; her son Thomas (32), farmer; daughter-in-law Maggy (29); sons Martin (60), farmer, and Pat (42), herd; and granddaughters Mary (7) and Ellen (4).
3. Pat Wall (29), farmer; his wife Mary (30); and daughters Kate (6), Maggy (4), and Bridget (2).
4. Michael Fahy (25), farmer; his wife Honoria (27); and grandmother/visitor Bridget Cramton (92), widow.

Each house was constructed of stone, had a thatched roof and consisted of between two and four rooms. Three had three front windows and were of the second class, while the fourth had two front windows and was of the third class.

Out-offices recorded in the townland were two stables, two cow-houses, three piggeries, three fowl-houses, a barn, and two sheds.

1911 Census

The same four households appear in 1911.

1. Martin Wall (53), farmer, widower; and his children Patrick (19), farm labourer, Thomas (15), James (14), Mary (17), and Maggie (11), scholar.
2. Thomas Hughes (48), farmer; his wife Margaret (37), married for 19 years with ten children born alive and still living; and children Mary (18), Bridget (17), John (15), Ellie (13), Norah (11), Martin (10), Thomas (8), all scholars; Patrick (5), Margaret (3), Annie (1); and boarder Martin Hughes (73), retired farmer.
3. Patrick Wall (44), farmer; his wife Mary (46), married for 17 years with seven children born alive and still living; and children Catherine (15), Margaret (14), Bridget (12), Mary (10), Sabina (7), Bartholomew (5), all scholars; and Ellen (2).
4. Michael Fahy (36), farmer; his wife Norah (38), married for ten years; and nephew John Noon (8), scholar.

Each house was constructed of stone, had a thatched roof and consisted of between two and four rooms. Three had three front windows and were of the second class, while the fourth had two front windows and was of the third class.

Out-offices recorded in the townland were three stables, four cow-houses, four calf-houses, four piggeries, a barn, and three sheds.

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