tullydonnell gage

The Creggan 1766 Census is of a single townland. If we assume that subsequently the townland was split between the different owners, then Tullydonnell (Nixon) and Tullydonnell (O'Callaghan) are the same. Tullydonnell Gage remains as before and Tullydonnell Tichburn is Ballynaclosha.

The 1664 and 1766 details are included in both the Tullydonnell (Gage) and Tullydonnell (O'Callaghan) pages.

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish ⁽²⁾

TULLYDONNELL GAUGE (OSNB ii 48): Almost adjoining the N. of Balls-Mill Village. It is well lain out with bye roads. There are three old forts in It. Principally under tillage. Held in small tenures. The dwellings are numerous but very poor.
It contains 257.1.15.

By Griffiths Valuation (1854) the whole of the townland was owned by John Murphy who was not living there. Of the 22 land holdings, 14 were of less than 10 acres, five were between ten and 20 acres and three were of 20 or more acres.

Census of Ireland 1901 and 1911

In the 1901 Census the 17 households enumerated contained 90 people occupying 47 rooms - an average of 4.5 persons per household and 1.9 persons per room. Sixteen of the households occupied houses with two rooms, two with three rooms, one with four rooms and one with five rooms. Twelve of the houses were thatched.

In the 1911 Census the 20 households enumerated contained 99 people occupying 58 rooms - an average of 5 persons per household and 1.7 persons per room. Eight of the households occupied houses with two rooms, nine with three rooms, two with four rooms and one with seven rooms. Seven of the houses were thatched - five fewer in ten years.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 17 households enumerated in 1901, 11 contained at least one native Irish speaker - a total of 20 in all. Since theirs was the last generation to have been born into a predominently Irish speaking environment, their names are recorded here. All were born in Co. Armagh with the exception of Rosey McMahon, born in Co. Louth -

• Rosey McMahon, framer, widow, aged 70
• Rosey Duffy, farmer, widow, aged 50
• Edward Hollywood, farmer, aged 59 and his wife Bridget, aged 62
• Catherine Garland, farmer, widow, aged 53
• Patrick Smith, farmer, aged 60 and his wife Elizabeth, aged 55
• Joseph Murphy, framer, aged 60
• Denis Lavelle, National Teacher and shopkeeper, aged 45 and his daugher Mary Anne (9), sons John (4) and Denis (3) and farm servant Michael Mooney, (60)
• Michael Hearty, agricultural labourer, aged 52
• Patrick Murphy, farmer, aged 70 and his wife Bridget, aged 60
• John Boyle, farmer, aged 69 and his wife Jane, aged 70
• Thomas Campbell, farmer, aged 80 and his wife Margaret, aged 60

Population Decline

The following table sets out the number of houses and population enumerated in the townland in each of the 11 Censuses held between 1841 and 1951.

In the period of 110 years, the number of households reduced by 24% and the population by 40% - modest in comparison with other townlands. After the initial losses caused by the Great Famine there was a modest revival in the final decades of the 19th century followed by a gradual loss of population to emigration.

Family Connections

It is possible that the Thomas Boyle in the 1766 Creggan Census was an ancestor. My Great Grandfather was John Boyle. The John and Michael Boyle of the 1901 Census were brothers. The Edward Boyle of Griffiths Valuation was their uncle. Edward had "Ned Boyle's Loanan" named after him as his house was at the foot of the lane. John and Michaels father was Terence Boyle from Legmoylin (brother of Edward).

John married Jane Murphy from the townland. Her father was Felix Murphy. On Felix's death part of his farm was passed to John in 1982. The title to the land was obtained in 1907 it and remains in the family today.

In 1859 Terence rented 15 acres in the townland from John Murphy. By 1873 Terence had died and in 1880 the farm was registered to his son Michael Boyle, who, in 1883, also acquired four acres of Edward's land (but not the house). Michael's daughter, Alice, died in the tragic circumstances described in Tullydonnell Tragedy. Michael's land was passed to his son-in-law, James Dolan, and registered in the Valuation records, first to Bernard Boyle in 1943 and then to Peter Boyle in 1946.

Names of House and Land Holders

All the valuations since Griffiths distinguish between those with houses in the townland and those, living elsewhere, who leased or owned land there. The Census of Ireland enumerated only households in the townland. The following table uses this approach.

Although the data is not strictly comparable since the information was gathered for different purposes and used varying criteria, the details provide a comparison of the names of house and land holders who were listed in the Townland at the different periods. While we can not discern the direct lines of descent it is clear that many are from the same families.