Extract from “The History of
Crossmolina” by Tony Donohoe; Dublin De Burca & Castlehill Donohoe,
2003, ISBN 0 946130 38 8; pp 471-477; Dublin by Eamonn de Burca for
Edmund Burke Publisher, “Cloonagashel”, 27 Priory Drive, Blackrock,
County Dublin
POLLADOOHY O.S
29, 28 & 38 POLLACHA-DUBHA –
The Black Hole
It has been said that there was a hole in the
village which contained a black substance which was used to dye wool.
Polladoohy was part of the district of Moylaha (Moylaw) in the parish of
Crossmolina in medieval times. The first time this townland was
mentioned was in the Charter of Francis Jackson of Inniscoe when James I
granted him full title to the sequestered lands he claimed in Mayo. The
description is thus: part of Gortduff and Moylagh now called
Cloonooragh; part of Gortduff and Moylagh now called Pulladoohy. It
was not mentioned in any other survey until that of 1830.
The townland consisted of 461 acres; 3 perches
statute measure and lies west of Tobbermore. Since it has been recorded
it has been thickly populated. In 1830 there were 24 families on
roughly 460 acres of poor land and small valuations. In the last
century the men used to go to Erris and buy cattle, sheep and pigs, sell
them in Crossmolina, Rakestreet, Newtown, Ballina and other local fares
and were known as ‘stick and dog men’. They made a living and
survived. A considerable amount of the green land of today was
reclaimed by the tenants over the last three hundred years., but
especially during the 20th century.
THE TITHE APPLOTMENT BOOK 1830
Thomas Berry had the lease at ₤55:8:6
Tenant
₤:S:D
Thomas Berry
4:17:8
John McKeon
4:17:6
Daniel McKeon
2:8:10
John Regan
2:8:10
John Roan
1:12:6
Henry Gillespie
0:16:3
John Gillespie
2:8:10
John Gallagher
3:13:3
Owen McAndrew 1:4:5
Matw. Leonard
2:14:0
Pat Leonard
2:14:0
Thomas Leonard
1:8:4 ˝
Roger Leonard
1:8:4 ˝
Ed. Brogan
2:13:8
John Brogan
2:13:8
Pat Brogan
2:18:0
Thomas Regan
1:9:0
Michael Regan
1:9:0
Pat Madden
1:9:0
Dom. McAndrew 2:3:6
Bartly McAndrew 2:3:6
Anty. Murry
1:1:9
Pat McGowan
3:12:6
Frank Naughton
1:1:9
Here is the list of the tenants on the Jackson
Estate in 1830. Thomas Berry had the lease and it states in this
Tithe Applotment Book that there were only 89 acres: 1 rood; 25
perches in the townland. The lease cost ₤55:8:4 each year to be paid on
the gale days, 1st November and the 1st May in two
installments. That would have been plantation measure and it was the
case of the owner not admitting how much land he had to the
establishment and it remained that way until Richard Griffith made his
survey which was published in 1860 in statute measure and was valued
under a new system where houses were valued also. Berry was an English
name, one of the rare ones as was Holmes in Eskeragh and Derra. You
will note that there are similar family names for succeeding plots so
one must draw the conclusion that in the former generation this holding
was held by their fathers and was divided between his sons and
sons-in-law and therefore making them completely uneconomic units. You
will also note that land was divided into shares. In 1841 there were
146 people in the townland, that was on average six to each house and
that was a lot of people. Four years after this Mervyn Pratt had the
estate surveyed and re-valued. There was an amount of reorganizing done
and some of the holdings were rearranged and the rents raised. The
following list of tenants has been taken from the rent roll of the new
owner, Mervyn Pratt, beginning in 1834.
1834-38
AC:RD:PH ₤:S:D 1840
1. John Gillespie
10:0:5 3:0:2 Edward Gillespie
2. Pat Magellan
14:0:2 4:15:2 Pat McGowan
3. John Gallagher
11:1:7 4:15:2 John Gallagher
4. John Regan
7:0:16 3:9:0 John Regan
5. Roger Leonard
9:1:0 2:3:8 Roger Leonard
6. Thomas Leonard
5:2:6 2:3:8 Thomas Leonard
7. Bartly McAndrew
8:1:39 8:3:6 Bartly McAndrew
8. Matthew Leonard
9:1:38 3:19:10 Matthew Leonard
9. Martin Judge
4:3:16 2:6:0 Martin Judge
10. John McKeone
8:2:17 4:5:0 John McKeone
11. Thomas Berry
14:1:15 5:11:10 Thomas Berry
12. Edmond Brogan 9:1:29
3:10:2 Edmond Brogan
13. Pat Madden
10:0:29 2:4:8 Pat Madden
14. Dominick McAndrew 14:3:5
2:7:8 Dominick McAndrew
15. Owen McAndrew 7:0:14
1:12:10 Owen McAndrew
16. John Brogan
9:3:24 3:6:0 John Brogan
17. Henry Gillespey
3:3:3 1:4:0 Henry Gillespey
18. John Ruane
6:3:22 2:11:2 John Ruane
19. Francis Naughton
4:1:21 1:16:6 Francis Naughton
20. Anthony Murry
5:3:33 1:17:10 Francis Naughton
21. Patrick Regan
17:3:24 3:18:10 Patrick Regan
22. Widow Regan
20:2:26 1:19:2 Widow Honor Regan
23. Michael Regan
11:1:27 1:17:0 Widow Honor Regan
24. Daniel McKeon
20:3:4 3:1:10 Daniel McKeon
25. Pat Leonard
34:0:14 4:2:10 Pat Leonard
1847
1854 1870
1. Michael Gillespie Ml.
Gillespie Ml. Gillespie
2. Pat McGowan Pat McGowan
Mary McGowan
3. John Gallagher John
Gallagher John Regan
4. John Regan John
Regan John Regan
5. Roger Leonard Pat
Leonard Pat Leonard
6. Thomas Leonard Pat
Leonard Pat Leonard
7. Bartly McAndrew Bartly
McAndrew John Brogan
8. Matthew Leonard Matthew
Leonard John Brogan
9. John Wills John
Wills John Wills
10. John Wills John
Wills John Wills
11. Thomas Berry Anthony Lynsky
John Donnelly
12. Roger Leonard Anthony Lynsky
John Donnelly
13. Roger Leonard Anthony Lynsky
John Donnelly
14. Dom. McAndrew Dominick
McAndrew Dom. McAndrew
15. Dom. McAndrew Dominick
McAndrew Dom. McAndrew
16. John Brogan John
Brogan John Brogan
17. Henry Gillespie Pat
McGowan Pat McGowan
18. John Ruane John Ruane
Edward Brogan
19. Francis Naughton Francis Naughton
Bridget Naughton
20. Francis Naughton Francis Naughton
Bridget Naughton
21. John Wills John
Wills John Wills
22. Honor Regan John
Leonard John Leonard
23. Pat McGowan Pat
McGowan Pat McGowan
24. Michael Leonard Bartly
McAndrew John Brogan
25. Pat Leonard Pat
Leonard Pat Leonard
1890
1912 TODAY
1. Widow & sister John
Mahon To Patrick to Widow Mary
Murphy to Tony Doyle
2. Anty McGowan Anty McGowan
To Patrick to Widow Mary
Murphy to Tony Doyle
3. John Regan John
Regan Ned Regan to Bgt Lowther to
J.P.
Duncan
4. John Regan John
Regan Ned Regan to Wdw. Bgt.
Lowther to J.P. Duncan
5. Pat Leonard Pat
Leonard Roger Leonard
6. Pat Leonard Pat
Leonard Roger Leonard
7-8. Edward Brogan Edward Brogan
James Brogan to Bartly
(Sonny)
Brogan
9. John Wills Jane
Wills John Patterson to Robert
Patterson
10. Ferguson and McAndrew in possession
11. John Donnelly Patrick
Donnelly Anthony Donnelly
12. John Donnelly Patrick
Donnelly
13. John Wills John
McAndrew Michael Callaghan
14-15. John McAndrew Henry
James Edward Brogan for son
& Ferguson
16. Edward Brogan John
Brogan John Brogan Jnr
17. Anty McGowan Patrick
McGowan Tony Doyle
18. Edward Brogan
19-20. Pat Naughton Pat Naughton
William Naughton to dtr.
Cris McDermott
21. John Wills John
Patterson Robert Patterson
22. Ellen Leonard Roger
Leonard Roddy Leonard
23. Anty. McGowan Patrick
McGowan Tony Doyle
24. Edward Brogan Edward Brogan
25. Pat Leonard Roger
Leonard Roddy Leonard
No. 1. Edward Gillespie was married to Mary Fergus
and they left and went west to America about 1846. Michael Gillespie,
11, died about 1870. Widow Bridget was in possession, with a sister
from 1896 and the place went to John Mahon from 1899. It went from John
Mahon to Anthony (Tony) McGowan to son, Patrick, who died on the 22nd
June 1946. The Widow, Mary Murphy McGowan passed it on to Tony Doyle.
No. 2. Pat McGowan was married to Mary Gilroy and
had a son Pat in 1834. He had a son Pat, who succeeded him and he was
married to Mary Hopkins and they had a son, Tony in 1859. Pat died 1870
and Widow Mary held the place in trust for their son, Tony who
eventually passed it on to his son Packey. Tony Doyle has it now. The
McGowans were great horsemen and Tony McGowan had a long car, a sort of
taxi drawn by two horses. Tony McGowan’s widow lived to a very advanced
age.
No. 3. John Gallagher was married to Bridget
Collins and he died in 1868. John Regan had the land next and he was
married to Sibby Gallagher, probably a daughter of John Gallagher. The
marriage was in 1866 and son, Edward, known as Ned, who was married to
Bridget Lowther, who outlived him and the place went to a nephew J.P.
Duncan of Rathowen.
No. 4. John Regan was married to Mary McKeon
before 1838. John died 1870 and the place went to Edward Regan, known
as Ned, and ended as the same above.
No. 5. Roger Leonard was married to Barbara
Brogan. Around 1845 the land went to Thomas Leonard, who was married to
Mary Commins and they had a son, John, in 1847. The next tenant was
Thomas Leonard and he was married to Cecily Barrett and they had a son,
Thomas in 1851. In 1854 Pat Leonard’s name was down in the Rental as
the tenant and he was married to Mary McHugh. This Pat was nicknamed
Patch. Pat died in 1910 and it passed to his son, Roger who died in the
1930’s. Roddy now has it. Ann Leonard married Owen Hegarty, 22nd
January 1834.
No. 6. Thomas Leonard was followed by his son,
Thomas, who married Mary Cummins, and the story is told above in no. 5.
No. 7. Bartly McAndrew was married to Mary Noone
and had a son Eugene in 1833. His name was down for the tenancy until
1860 when John Brogan had it. By 1894 Edward Brogan was there and he
married Anne McAndrew in 1869. Edward died on the 17th May
1929, aged 85. He left it to his son, James who married Catherine
Mulheran and their son, Bartly (Sonny) Brogan succeeded them.
No. 8. Bartly McAndrew was there until John
Barrett, who was married to Sally Leonard, came in by 1894 and he died
in 1905 and the place went to son, Patrick. His son Tony, had it and
his daughter married Patrick Carolan.
No. 9. Martin Judge was married to Anne McKeon in
1835 and they were gone by 1845 – 46. It must have been the great
famine that finished them. James Wills then stepped in and eventually
it went to George Patterson. Patterson was from Ardagh.
No. 10. John McKeon was married to Bridget
Leonard. You will notice that the men married girls from their own
villages and this was a very common practice at the time. They had a
son, Michael, in 1832 but were gone by 1840. Roger Leonard had the
house for a few years until 1847 when James Wills leased it and it
remained in his family name until his son’s widow left it to John
Patterson, her son-in-law, in 1911. It is now owned by Bob Patterson,
his grandson.
No. 11. Thomas Berry was there until 1846 and went
to America. Anthony Lynsky had it for a short period. He was married
to a daughter of Thomas Berry and had it from 1863. It is difficult to
know what happened then because in 1870 John Donnelly had it , but he
died in 1883. It went to his son Patrick Donnelly, whom I knew, and he
died on 28th January 1937. His widow, Maggie Mulheran of
Killacurrane is still alive and in good health at this date 23 March
1999. Her son, Tony has the place now. Mary Berry married Pat May.
No. 12. Edmond Brogan was gone by 1840 and Roger
Leonard had it until 1849. Pat McGowan had it for a while and Anthony
Lynsky took over and it went the way of No. 11 above. A Barbara Brogan
married to John Healy, 17th July 1833.
No. 13. Pat Madden, who was married to Mary Regan,
another neighbor, was gone by 1840. From that date until the holding
was joined to numbers 21 and 9 from 1847, the year of the Famine, and
that was James Wills who was accumulating quite an amount of land in
those years. The strange thing is that in the rental it states that
John McAndrew was there at the turn of the century and I have the next
owner as Michael Callaghan who died on the 2nd February 1960.
No. 14. Owen McDraw’s (McAndrew's) son, Domnick, had the land
from 1840 and he died in 1871. John McAndrew followed next; he was
married to Mary Walsh and they had a son, Pat in 1867. According to
the rental John McAndrew was in possession with Fergusons and the place
was joined to no. 14, above. The farm then went to son Henry James, who
was ejected in 1905 and the place was sold to Edward Brogan for his son,
John, who returned from America. He was afterwards known as ‘John
Yankee’. He married and raised a large family. Mickey Timoney and Mary
Brogan married 7th February 1858.
No.15. The account of this holding is as above.
No. 16. John Brogan was married to Sara May and
they had a son, James in 1838. He was there in 1854 when another John
Brogan took over, and I do not think it was his son, in the year 1863.
In 1883 Edward Brogan had it joined to his holding. His son ‘John
Yankee”, left it to his son, John, when he died in 1974, aged 96.
No. 17. Henry Gillespie had a tiny holding. He
was processed for the rent in 1846 and it is recorded “no rent paid” in
1846 and from there he disappeared. The place went to Pat McGowan and
eventually to Tony Doyle.
No. 18. John Ruane was noticed to quit in 1840, a
man with another tiny holding and his land went the way of no. 17 above.
No. 19. Francis Naughton was the son of Thomas.
He was married to Bridget Murry and was processed for the rent in 1846
but survived until 1852 when he gave up. His widow died in 1871 and the
land went to son, Pat, who was married to Catherine Hegarty and they had
a son, Pat, in 1866. When Pat died, his son, William, was the owner and
I remember him coming to the forge at Rake Street with a cream coloured
horse. He died on the 6th July 1945 and left the place to
his daughter, Cris, who was married to a McDermott of Carrowkeel. He
was a postman, living in Crossmolina. Both are dead and a son
survives. John Naughton married Mary McNulty on the 20th
March 1853.
No. 20. Anthony Murry was gone by 1834 and the
place went to Frank Naughton, his brother-in-law. Note that Frank
Naughton was married to Bridget Murry above. It was amalgamated into
holding no. 19.
No 21. Patrick Regan was gone by 1847 and in
November of that year it was the property of James Wills. Regan was
another casualty of the Famine.
No. 22. The Widow Honor Regan, wife of Thomas
Regan, held on until 1852 and we find John Leonard had the place from
1854. He was married to Ellen Fleming and he died in 1882. His widow
died the next year 1883. The son, roger, inherited the land.
No. 23. Michael Regan was married to Mary Murry,
another neighbor, and they had a son, Peter, in 1831 and another son in
1834. They were gone by 1840 and the property went to Pat McGowan and
on to Tony Doyle. There is a record of a Peter Regan marrying a Grace
Quigley and they had a son, Michael, in 1833. Anne McGowan was married
to Michael Gordon of Gortduff 11th June 1854.
No. 24. Daniel McKeon was married to Eleanor
Murray. They were gone around the Famine years and Michael Leonard took
it but paid no rent and it went back to Bartly McAndrew, who held it
until 1860. John Brogan took over and held on to it. From John it was
passed to his son, Edward. to ‘John Yankee’, to John, Jnr. Who is
unmarried.
No.25. Pat Leonard, the last of the tenants, was
married to Biddy M’Cune (Keon), and his son, Pat followed him. He
married to Cate Ruane. Pat Sen. Died on the 17th February
1969, aged 93 years of age. Pat himself died in 1910, the land going to
Roger.
GRIFFITH’S PRIMARY VALUATION
This is the official list of tenants in 1850, from
Griffith’s Primary Valuation of Tenements. As the tenants had
land in different places in the village, I will only give the barest
details as to the amount of land they had and the valuation of their
houses.
TENANT
LAND VALUE HOUSE VALUE
₤:S:D
₤:S:D
Dominick McAndrew
4:18:0 0:10:0
Bartly McAndrew
7:5:0 0:15:0
John Brogan
3:10:0 0:10:0
Pat Leonard, Jnr.
4:5:0 0:10:0
Patrick Leonard, Snr.
6:10:0 0:10:0
James Wills
13:5:0 0:15:0
Roger Leonard
4:5:0 0:13:0
Francis Naughton
4:15:0 0:15:0
Patrick McGowan
10:5:0 0:15:0
Michael Gillespie
6:5:0 0:15:0
John Regan
3:5:0 0:10:0
John Gallagher
4:10:0 0:10:0
Honoria Regan
3:0:0 0:10:0
PRATT ESTATE
List of tenants for rates in 1878. Pratt Estate;
Rates, 1/3 in the pound.
John McAndrew
33:2:12 4:18:0 0:6:1
John Brogan
65:3:19 11:10:0 0:14:4
Patrick Leonard, Jnr.
23:3:15 4:5:0 0:5:4
Patrick Leonard, Snr.
64:1:2 6:10:0 0:8:4 ˝
John Wills
66:2:12 13:15:0 0:17:2 ˝
John Donnelly
37:1:9 9:17:0 0:12:3 ˝
Patrick Naughton
17:0:16 4:15:0 0:5:1 ˝
John Barrett
17:0:0 3:5:0 0:5:7 ˝
Mary McGowan
57:0:24 10:5:0 0:12:10 ˝
John Regan, Snr.
11:0:33 3:5:0 0:4:0 ˝
John Regan, Jnr
18:1:34 4:10:0 0:3:7 ˝
John Leonard
31:2:18 3:0:0 0:3:9
1901 CENSUS
John Mahon; John Regan; Anthony McGowan; Edward
Brogan; John Barrett; John Donnelly; Francis Ferguson; John Wills; Pat
Leonard; James Brogan; and William Naughton. |