By Paul Greaney

Between 1720 and 1925, many local loan associations operated throughout Ireland, offering small loans to the ‘industrious poor’, for purposes such as buying grain, farm animals, or machinery. A scheme on the Kirwan estate at Castlehacket operated from the 1830s to the 1850s, which resulted in an excellent set of surviving records. A return of the state of the scheme in December 1853 is particularly interesting. It offers an insight into local conditions before and during the Famine, and records several inhabitants of the townlands of Bunatober, Cahermorris, Cluidrevagh, and Biggera, who died or emigrated during this period, as well as recording the progress of each person who took out a loan.

In Cahermorris, for example, we find Martin McHugh, a farmer in good circumstances, who took out a loan in November 1839, and died in the summer of 1844. Winifred Forde, a small landholder, went to America in 1847. John Fitzpatrick, a poor landholder, went to America in 1847. John Cohen, a stonecutter, went to reside in Galway in 1847.

In Bunatober, Michael Templeton took out a loan in May 1839. He left Bunatober in 1850 and was thereafter in Glenrevagh supported by his daughter. Francis Noone, a labourer, died in October 1842. Pat Flaherty, a farmer in good circumstances, died in May 1841. Michael Crisham, a small poor landholder, died in the winter of 1847. William Gilmore, a small poor landholder, died in summer 1848. Pat Raftery, a farmer in good circumstances, died in summer 1848. Pat Drinane, a labourer, went to America in 1847. James Nevin, a farmer of good circumstances in 1839, died in June 1848, leaving his family in middling circumstances. James Noone, a landholder of poor circumstances, went to America with his family in the year 1844. William Noone, a poor landholder, went to America with his family in 1848. Thomas Cunningham, a poor landholder, left his holding in 1848 and died in Tuam Workhouse, following which his family left the country. James Fitzpatrick left his holding in Bunatober in 1848 and was described in 1853 as a farmer of good circumstances in Cahermorris.

In Cluidrevagh, Pat Lydon died of destitution in the summer of 1847 and his family left the country. Peggy Lydon, a poor landholder, left her holding in 1850 and was subsequently ‘a pauper about Galway’. Michael Gibbons, a small farmer of middling circumstances, ‘himself and family went to America in 1849’. Mary Gibbons, a poor landholder of poor circumstances, left her holding in 1850 and died a pauper near Castlehacket. John Dowd, a small farmer of middling circumstances, took his family to America in 1848.

In the ‘neighbourhood of Biggery’, Catherine Greally, a poor landholder, went to America in the summer of 1846. Thomas Turner, a poor labourer, left his holding in 1845 and went to reside in Galway town, with the loan officer unable to say his circumstances there. Pat Fallon, a farmer of good circumstances, went to America in July 1853. Michael Wynne, a poor landholder, left his holding in 1847 and by 1853 was residing in the adjoining townland of Carheens, a farmer in good circumstances. Owen Mangan, a blacksmith and farmer of good circumstances, went to America in 1846.

The full listings for each of the four townlands is given below. The full collection for Castlehacket and other estates is available at Ancestry.com.

Bunatober
NameDateStatus
Martin McHughNov 1839-May 1840Yes – a farmer in good circumstances. Died in the Summer of 1844
Michl CrishamMarch 1841Yes. A small poor Landholder. Died in the Winter of 1847 there
Murty NohellyMay 1841A poor labourer. Died in 1841
Winifred FordeMay 1846A small Land holder. She went to America in 1847.
John FlanaganMay 1846-May 1848A farmer in good circumstances and is still in the Townland. A farmer of good circumstances.
James RuaneMay 1846-March 1847, May 1848A farmer in good circumstances and is still in the Townland. A farmer of good circumstances.
John FitzpatrickMarch 1847He was a poor Landholder there then. He went to America in 1847.
James FitzpatrickMarch 1847He was then a poor landholder but in good circumstances there now
Bridget HanlyMarch 1847She was then a poor Landholder. She has left it and is now a Pauper in the Townland of Balrobuckbeg
John LenehanMarch 1847-March 1848He was then a poor landholder and is still on the Townland a poor Landholder of small circumstances
John CohenMarch 1847He was then a stone cutter. He went to reside to Galway in 1847
Willm BurkeMarch 1848Then a strong farmer, but died there in June 1853
Cahermorris
NameDateStatus
John BurkeMarch 1848-May 1848He was then a farmer in good circumstances and is there still in good circumstances
Michl TempletonMay 1839In good circumstances in 1839. Left Bunatober in 1850. Now in Glenrevagh supported by his daughter.
Francis NooneMarch 1840A labourer. Died in Oct 1842 there.
Pat FlahertyMay 1840A farmer in good circumstances. Died in May 1841.
Willm GilmoreMay 1841A small Landholder. Poor. Died in the Summer of 1848 there.
Pat RafteryMay 1841-March 1847A farmer in good circumstances. Died there in 1848.
Michl CunninghamMarch 1847In good circumstances in 1847 and now on the same Townland.
Martin SpelmanMarch 1847-March 1848, May 1848A poor Landholder in 1848 but now in good circumstances there.
Pat DrinaneMarch 1847A labourer, went to America in 1847
Willm HannonMarch 1848Then a labourer and there a labourer still
John Burke AugtaMarch 1848A Landholder in good circumstances in 1848 and so there still
Martin BurkeMarch 1848A labourer in 1848. Now a Landholder in Bunatober in good circumstances
Wm MorrisMarch 1848-May 1848A small farmer of good circumstances in 1848, and is still there in good circumstances
James NevinNov 1839-March 1848A farmer of good circumstances. Died in June 1848, his family are on the Townland in midling circumstances
Willm CunninghamMarch 1840-Jany 1847-March 1848A farmer of good circumstances and still on the Townland a farmer of good circumstances
James NooneJany 1842Then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. He went to America with his family in the year 1844
Willm NooneMarch 1847Then a poor Landholder of poor circumstances. He went to America with his family in 1848
Michl CunninghamMarch 1847-March 1848Then a farmer in good circumstances and now on the Townland a farmer of good Circumstances.
Cluidrevagh
NameDateStatus
Thos CunninghamMarch 1847Then a poor Landholder. He left in in 1848 and Died in Tuam Workhouse in 1848 and his family left the country
James FitzpatrickMarch 1848Then a poor Landholder. He left it in 1848 and now in Cahermorris, a farmer of good circumstances
Pat LydonMarch 1846He was then a poor landholder. He died of destitution in the Summer of 1847 and his family left the country
John BurkeMarch 1846-March 1847He was then a small farmer and now there a farmer of pretty good circumstances
John HessianMarch 1846He was then a poor landholder and is still there a poor landholder
Peggy LydonMarch 1846She was then a poor landholder. She left it in 1850 and now a pauper about Galway
Darby GreallyMarch 1846-May 1846, March 1848He was then a poor landholder and is there yet a poor landholder of poor circumstances
Thos BurkeMarch 1846Then a small farmer and there still a small farmer of midling circumstances
Michl GibbonsMay 1846Then a small farmer of midling circumstances. Himself and family went to America in 1849
Mary GibbonsMay 1846Then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. Left it in 1850 and died a pauper near Castlehacket
Martin QuinnMay 1846He was then a poor landholder and there as yet a poor landholder of poor circumstances
John DowdMarch 1847Then a small farmer of midling circumstances. He took his family to America in 1848
Neighbourhood of Biggery [Biggera]
NameDateStatus
Pat DowdMarch 1847, March 1848Then a small landholder of poor circumstances. Still there a small landholder of poor circumstances
James CostelloMarch 1847He was then a small farmer of pretty good circumstances and still there a small farmer of good circumstances
Francis DowdMarch 1848He was then a small farmer of good circumstances and still there a small farmer of good circumstances
Catherine GreallyMay 1846She was then a poor landholder of poor circumstances. And went to America in the summer of 1846
Thos TurnerMay 1846-Novr 1846He was there in 1845 a poor labourer and left it in 1845. Went to reside to Galway Town. Cannot say circumstances there.
Pat FallonNov 1846He was then a farmer of good circumstances. And went to America in July 1853
Michl WynneNov 1846Then a poor landholder. And left it in 1847. Now residing in the adjoining townland of Carheens, a farmer in good circumstances
Owen ManganMarch 1847He was there in 1846 a blacksmith and a farmer of good circumstances then. He went to America in the year 1846
Cahermorris page in the Sustainability Loan Fund for Castlehacket
The Sustainability Loan Fund on the Castlehacket Estate

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