Mace / An Más

Mace / An Más

Compiled by Irene McGoldrick

Irish name: An Más

English name: Mace

Meaning: the long, low hill; más, ‘thigh’ ‘buttock’

Area: 430 acres, 0 roods and 36 perches

Field Names: none yet recorded

Other Landmarks: Well located in a wooded dell by the roadside – see http://wells.annaghdownheritage.ie/map/

Information from O’Donovan’s Field Name Books

Other names: Mace, Más, Mase, Mace (B. S. Sketch Map), Maes (Cahill, Esq., Annaghdown), Maze or onemace (High Constable 1835), Mase (Inq. Temp. Iac. I), Mace – Mache – bottom (Local), Mace (Rector of Annaghdown).

Description: Present Proprietor Francis Blake, Esq., Cregg Castle. Under tillage except a portion of flooded bog on the East side, the greater portion is laid out on Demesne. There is neat house of two stories. The former residence of Mr. Francis Blake ? ?.[sic]

Situation: It is situated 1 mile S. W. of Currandulla Chapel. Bounded North by Shanbally. South by Castlequarter. East by Currandulla and Castlecreavan and West by Thonamace.

Population Statistics

1841: 19 houses, 128 people (65 male, 63 female)

1851: 9 houses, 53 people (30 male, 23 female)

1861: 6 (inhabited), 2 (vacant)  houses, 40 people (21 male, 19 female)

1871: 9 houses, 54 people (20 male, 24 female)

1881: 8 houses, 50 people (25 male, 25 female)

1891: 7 (inhabited), 1 (vacant) houses, 41 people (24 male, 17 female)

1901: 8 houses, 46 people (27 male, 19 female)

1911: 9 houses, 51 people (31 male, 20 female)

2011: 36 houses (1 vacant), 112 people (60 male, 52 female)

1821 Tithe Applotment Books

The Tithe Applotments records only Fr Blake Esq with a total of 20 acres, bog 10 acres and tenants 5 acres.

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

The 22 July 1845 Griffith’s House Book lists Patt Collins (Caretaker to Mr. Blake) with a dwelling, barn, stable, car house and lime house. The book dated 7 December 1853 lists Francis Blake Esq. holding a herd’s office and house,  John Neil – house,  John Hargadan – house, Malachy Hargadan – house and office, Willian Hargadan – house and office, Patt Hargadan – house and office,  Patt Keany – house and office.

Griffith’s Valuation shows that Mace was held by Francis Blake, who occupied a herd’s house, office and land; with the following tenants of Francis Blake: John Neil – house and land; John Hargaden – house and land; Patrick Collins and Patrick Keany – land; Malachy Hargaden – house, offices and land; William Hargaden – house, offices and land; Patrick Hargaden – house, offices and land; Patrick Keany – house, offices and land; water is also listed [Referring to Lough Afoor].

1871-1901 Deaths

Date	Townland	Name	Sex	Condition	Age	Occupation	Cause	Medical Attendant	Certified	Registered by	Link
20/05/1876	Mace	Patrick Hargadon	M	Married	75 years	Peasant farmer	Kidney and gravel disease, 1 year	N	N	Bridget Hargadon, PAD	Link
14/04/1877	Windvillage	Honor Hargadon	F	Widow	74 years	Labourer	Bronchitis, 3 months	N	N	James O’Hara, PAD	Link
01/09/1879	Windvillage	Thomas Keaney	M	Bachelor	13 years	Peasant’s son	Fever, 21 days		Y	Patrick Keaney, occupier	Link
04/08/1880	Windvillage	Patrick Keaney	M	Married	60 years	Landholder	Pleurisy and cough, 3 months	N	N	Bridget Keaney, PAD	Link
07/06/1881	Ballinageeha	Mary Hardiman	F	Spinster	10 days	Peasant’s child	Weakness since birth, 10 days	N	N	Patrick Hardiman, occupier & father	Link
03/07/1882	Mace	Martin Murray	M	Bachelor	20 years	Labourer	Decline, 10 years	N	N	Martin Murray, father and occupier	Link
22/02/1890	Balanaghea	Bridget Hardiman	F	Widow	74 years	Housekeeper	Influenza, one week	N	N	Denis Hynes, son-in-law, PAD, Clonboo	Link
13/12/1890	Mace	Mary Forde	F	Widow	80 years	Poor peasant	Chronic bronchitis, 2 years	N	N	Michael Moran, occupier	Link
22/12/1890	Ballinaghea	Ellen Hardiman	F	Married	33 years	Peasant	Consumption, 3 years	N	N	Patrick Hardiman, widower of deceased and occupier	Link
03/02/1891	Ballinaghea	Mary O’Hara	F	Married	55 years	Peasant	Suffocative bronchitis, 5 weeks	Y		Redmond O’Hara, son, PAD	Link
28/08/1891	Ballinaghea	John Lenihan	M	Widower	80 years	Labourer	Weakness from old age, 2 weeks	N	N	John Hardiman, PAD	Link
26/02/1893	Mace	Michael Hardiman	M	Widower	85 years	Peasant	Pains all over his body, five days	N	N	John Hardiman, son and occupier, PAD	Link
07/12/1895	Mace	Patrick Hardiman	M	Married	50 years	Farmer	Cellule cutaneous erysipelas of left leg, 1 month and 14 days	Y	Y	Bridget Hardiman, widow, PAD	Link
04/06/1897	Mace	Martin Wynne	M	Married	66 years	Householder	Complaining of weakness and want of appetite, 12 months	N	N	Bridget Wynne, wife, PAD	Link
13/11/1898	Mace	John O’Neil	M	Married	92 years	Landholder	Old age	N	N	Pat O’Neil, son	Link
20/07/1899	Mace	Michael Keaney	M	Bachelor	26 years	Labourer	Masturlation, 3 months		Y	John Keaney, brother, PAD	Link
18/01/1900	Mace	Honor O’Neill	F	Widow	84 years	Widow of farmer	Influenza, 1 week	N	N	Patrick O’Neill, grandson, PAD	Link
04/02/1901	Mace	John Keaney	M	Bachelor	32 years	Farmer	Phthisis, 1 year	N	N	Francis Keaney, brother	Link

1901 Census

The 1901 Census of Ireland records the following 8 households in Mace.

1. John Small lived with his daughter Bridget Hardiman, Grand daughter Bridget Hardiman, and grandsons Patrick, James and John.
2. Bridget Keany lived with her son Francis Keany.
3. John O’Hara lived with his son Martin O’Hara and daughter in law Ellen.
4. Bridget Hardiman lived with her son John Hardiman, daughter in law Mary Hardiman, grandsons Martin, John, Michael, William and Malachy and grand daughters Mary and Bridget.
5. Michael Madden lived with his wife Catherine, son Patrick and daughter Annie.
6. Bridget Wynne lived with her sons Laurence and Martin, and daughter Mary.
7. Patrick O’Neill lived with his wife Mary, sons Patrick, James, John, Michael, Martin and Bartley, daughter Nora and lodger Bartley Moran, a mendicant born Co. Mayo.
8. Albertine C. Ryan lived with daughters Marcella A Alcorn, Emily G Ryan and servants Patrick N Hughes, Timothy Lavelle, Michael Kelly, Frances Saunders (born in England) and Winifred Killeleagh.

All eight houses were inhabited in 1901, with one first class house, five second class houses and two third class houses. One had a roof made of slate, iron or tiles, 5 rooms and 6 windows on front. The other houses had thatched roofs, each had 2 rooms, 5 houses having 3 windows on front, 2 houses having 2 windows on front.

1911 Census

1. John Small (widower), his daughter Bridget (widow) and grandsons Patrick and John.
2. Frank Keany and his wife Bridget, married 6 years, daughters Mary, Norah and Bridget and son Patrick.
3. Martin O’Hara and his wife Ellen, married 15 years.
4. Bridget Hardiman (widow), her son John Hardiman and wife Mary, married 27 years, grandsons John, Willie and Malachy, and grand daughters Mary and Bridget.
5. Michael Madden (widower), his son Patrick and daughter Anne
6. Bridget Wynne (widow), her sons Lawrence and Martin.
7. Patrick O’Neill and wife Mary, married 24 years, sons John, Michael, Martin, Bartly and Peter, daughters Honor and Bridget.
8. Albertine Ryan (widow), her daughter Emily, servants Francis Saunders, Mary Piggot, Patrick Hughes, Thomas Davin, James Hardiman, Honor Newell, (all born Galway), George Henderson, James Stafford and Samuel Telson (all born Cavan).
9. RIC Hut occupied by John A Shaw (Sergeant).

Folklore

Lough Afoor or Loch a Phúir, a lake in the townland of Mace, has a great deal of folklore attached to it. A story called ‘Gruagach Locha Fuair’ appears in the Duchas Folklore collection. This describes the adventures of Conchubair who encounters an enchanted boat that rises from Loch Afoor, tempting him to play cards and sending him on a quest to retrieve ‘an claidheamh soluis’ – the sword of light.

Another story tells house Loughgeorge got its name when enchanted horses rose from Lough Afoor at night destroying the crops of local farmers. Seoirse De Barra caught one of these horses and was meant to keep him for one year and one day so that the magic would be broken. Having counted the days incorrectly, he brought the horse out for a ride one day before the time was off and removed the blindfold from the horse. The horse threw Seoirse from the saddle but he remained attached to the horse. His was pulled and dragged for miles until his body was found near the Clare River. A grave was built for Seoirse, called a ‘Leacht’ and that, supposedly, is how Loughgeorge or Leacht Seoirse got its name.