From the archives: Mayo in olden times

PART TWO

By Tom Gillespie

IN the last edition of The Connaught Telegraph of 1939 - December 30 - a feature appeared headed ‘Mayo in olden times’, tracing the history of 12 locations in the county.

BALLINTOBER

Ballintober (Carra) parish, according to the census of 1831, contained 6,212 inhabitants. The name in Irish signifies ‘Town of Well’, and, Lewis says, it probably derived that appellation from a spring which descends from a natural arch in a rock, with such force as to act like a shower bath, and near which is no other water whatever.

Cathal O’Connor, King of Connaught in 1216, founded an abbey here for Canons Regular of the Order of St. Augustine, dedicated to the Holy Trinity; it was burned in 1263, but was restored and continued to flourish till in the dissolution of 1605 a lease of it was granted in reversion for 50 years to Sir John King, Knight.

This abbey is said to have been erected on the site of an ancient castle in which were buried the former lords of Mayo, and parts of its remains are now converted into a Catholic Church.

The building appears to have been truly magnificent, and many of the ruined porticos are still entire in their principal features.

The doorway is a beautiful specimen of the pointed receding arch, supported on both sides by a range of five columns.

In 1837 there were daily pay-schools in which were about 170 boys and 40 girls.

BOHOLA

In Bohola, or Buchola, parish 70 years ago (1867) the principal seats were Barley Hill, the residence of Mr. Bernard McManus; Curragawn, of Mr. E. Deane; and Rosslevin Castle, of Mr. Henry Jordan.

There were two hedge schools, in which about 190 boys and 80 girls were educated.

The population in 1831 was 3,658.

BREAFFY

Breaffy, or Breagwee, parish (two miles from Castlebar) contained in 1831 some 2,315 inhabitants. From its contiguity to Castlebar it was the scene of much skirmishing and foraging while the French troops under General Humbert had possession of that town in 1798.

On the estate of Major Blake, of Tower Hill, there was a very fine quarry which was fit for building of the first order. Races were held generally in August.

The principal gentlemen’s seats (in 1837) were Breaffy Lodge, the residence of Major Browne, who had made extensive improvements and plantation in the Demesne; Windsor House, of Col. McAlpine; Fisherhill, of Major Blake; and Rocklands, of Mr. J.C. Larminie.

A school at Lightfort was supported by Mrs. O’Malley, and Mr. Larminie, and there were two others in which were abut 200 boys and 100 girls.

There were some remains of a very ancient monastery.

BURRISCARRA

In 1831 the parish contained 15,353 inhabitants. This place was distinguished at a very early period for its monastery of Carmelites, or White Friars, which Pope John 13th gave to Eremties of the Augustine Order in 1412.

It existed until the general dissolution, and there are still small remains of the ancient building, which appears to have been extensive and of elegant character.

The principal seats (in 1837) were Moore Hall, the residence of George Henry Moore; Tower Hill, of Major Blake; Carnacon, of Mr. J. McDonnell; Clogher, of Mr. Crean Lynch; and Castlecarra, of Mr. T. Lynch.

The Catholic Church, a good cruciform building, erected in 1835 at an expense of £2,000, was situated at Carnacon. A school of 60 boys and 20 girls was held in the chapel. There were some remains of a nunnery and a very fine mineral spring.

BURRISHOOLE

Burrishoole parish in 1832, including the town of Newport, contained 11,761 inhabitants.

By a Bull of Pope Innocent VII, dated February 9, 1480, it appeared that the place was distinguished as the seat of a monastery of Friars of the Dominican Order, funded by Richard de Burgh, Lord McWilliam Oughter, and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin.

The monastery was granted to Nicholas Weston, who assigned it to Theobald, Viscount Costello-Galen. Salt works were formally carried on here.

In 1837 the principal seats in the parish were: Newport House, the residence of Sir Richard Annesley O’Donnell; Newfield, of M.J. McLoughlin; Seamount, of Mr. Connell O’Donnell; Tymore, of Mr. J.T.S. Stuart, Newfort, of Mr. J.H. Hilles; and Abbeyvale, of Mr.J. McDonnell.

There were two Catholic churches, one at Newport, then known as Newport-Pratt, and the other at Newfield, both good slated buildings.

The Protestant church was a neat, plain structure, for the repairs of which the Ecclesiastical Commissioners had recently grand £338 9s. 3d. The Glebe house was built by aid of a grant of £400 and a loan of £360 (in 1819) from the late Board of First Fruits; the Board comprised 521 acres 3 roods and 26 perches.

There was a place of worship for Primitive Methodists, open each alternative Wednesday and Friday, and a Presbyterian minister attended occasionally and performed divine service in the parish school house.

There were 12 public schools in the parish. One at Treenbeg was raised by an annual donation from the Marquis of Sligo, and a school house at Newport was erected at the expense of a Rev. James Hughes, P.P.

In these three schools there were about 1,300 children, and in a hedge school at Carriganeady there were about 20 children.

There were the remains of a castle formerly belonging to the O’Malley family; also several Druidical caves, many of which contained large rooms arched over with flags.

A pattern used to be held on St. Dominick’s Day, August 4.

BALLYCROY

This parish in 1831 had 2,925 inhabitants. In 1837 it was described as consisting of a large tract of bog, enclosed by an extensive range of mountains, on the south and east, but exposed to the western storms, by which the crops, chiefly potatoes, were frequently destroyed, and the cultivators, who depended chiefly on the produce of their land, were reduced to a state of famine.

Fish was abundant in the bay, but the inhabitants derived little benefit from this circumstance, being too poor to provide themselves with nets, lines and boats to carry on the fishing with any profit.

The Catholic Church was at Cross Hill, in an old thatched house appropriated to that purpose, the scanty means of the inhabitants being insufficient for the erection of a better one.

BALLYHEANE

The parish had a population of 3,734 persons in the year 1831. The principal building was Kilboyne House (now in ruins) which was the residence of Sir Samuel O’Malley, Bart.

At Drumrathcahill there was (in 1837) a school of 76 boys and 40 girls, and there were two pay-schools.

At Kinturk are the ruins of a fine old castle, formerly one of the residences of Granuaile.

BALLYHAUNIS

A monastery was founded here for Friars of the Order of St. Augustine, and was largely endowed by the family of Nangle, who afterwards took, the name of Costello.

It subsisted till the reign of James I., and at the commencement of the insurrection of 1641 was restored by some friars of the same Order.

BEKAN

Bekan or Becan, parish contained 5,659 inhabitants when the first Irish census was taken in 1831. Bekan was then the residence of Mr. J. Bourke, and Mr.J. Crean resided in Ballinville.

The River Robe has its source within the limits of the parish. At Brackloon, in 1837, there was a school of about 60 boys and 50 girls, and there were five private schools in the parish, in which were about 800 boys and 100 girls. There were some ruins of the old church with a burial place annexed.

BELMULLET

In 1837 Belmullet was a rapidly improving town, although 20 years before (18178) the surrounding district was scarcely accessible.

But since that period, says Lewis, by he construction of several lines of road by Thomas Nimmo, Knight, and Bald, engineers, and more especially from the county town of Castlebar and Ballina, the whole barony was thrown open and a great improvement took place in the agriculture of the district and the commerce of the port.

In 1822 the land of the barony produced only 80 tons of oats and barley; but in 1835 the annual produce was 1,800 tons.

This great improvement resulted from the reclamation of adjacent lands and from Belmullet having become a very considerable mart, where the neighbouring farmers could readily find immediate purchasers for all their products.

The town owed its origin to the establishment of the headquarters of the commander of the coastguard there in 1822. It is uniformly built and (in 1831) had 117 houses. It had the penny post to Ballina.

A commodious quarry was constructed in 1826 at the expense of £700, of which £300 was given by the Fisheries Board and £300 by Mr. Carter.

The courthouse was built in 1833 at an expense of £200 by Mr. Ivers. There was also a dispensary.

* Read Part 1 here.