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Need Map Guidance - Near Aghadown

CorkAghadown (Cork)

Hi!

We're planning on coming in May, 2017. This is our 2nd trip to Ireland and this will probably be the last time we'll be able to attempt finding my relatives' homeland. This time I have all the information about where they lived, I just can't find it on a map. We'll have only one or two days at the most to spend.

My family's names that I'm focused on are Hegarty and Shannon (mostly the Shannon branch). The Shannons had a farm outside Aghadown in Lissaclarig West in and around 1897. I found an online map of Lissaclarig West and I understand it is .61 square U.S. miles in size, so I've got it narrowed down pretty closely. NOW! Which land in that area was theirs? I'd love to see it in person. One family member was shot to death outside the home and I was able to read the Irish newspapers online to follow that story. I'd even like to know if the house still exists. When it was sold, it was described as "a farm on the lands of Lisaclarig, near Kilcoe, midway between Skibbereen and Ballydehob." The 1901 census says the house is of stone, brick, or concrete, has six windows in front, 3 rooms (or is it 6?), and is considered in the census as a 2nd class house based on these criteria. There are 9 out buildings. Neighbors are the Learys, the Levis, Mahonys and Regans. This is the only house in this townland with 6 windows. There appear to be just 5 houses in Lissaclarig West in 1901. Google maps can't help me.

Can anyone recommend a source that could help me pin down this particular property? I'd also like to see where they're buried. I know they were Church of Ireland. I wrote to the Aghadown church for possible assistance in finding old records but they never responded. (The records may have been burned...) I do know they were active in that church, but I can't find evidence of the family's burials there. Where else might they be?

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your time!

olympia1955

12 replies

Griffiths Valuation for 1853 shows a Thomas Shannon in Lissaclarig West. He was the only Shannon in the townland at the time. He had plot 4 which was an 83 acre farm. So that seems likely to be the family farm in the 2 censuses. (There is a way of verifying that using the Valuation revision books in the Valuation Office in Dublin. They carry the Griffiths Valuation records forward from the 1850s right up to the 1920s. They show any changes of tenant/owner etc. If the family were farmers though it’s likely to be the same plot as is shown on Griffiths).

It’s a mile or two east of Aghadown on the N71. The little river that flows into Roaring Water Bay flows through the farm.

You can see exactly where the farm is using the maps on Griffiths Valuation. (Use the Griffiths Places option and just enter Lissaclarig). You can switch from the contemporaneous map to a modern map using the slider bar in the top rh side of the screen.http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=nameSearch

To get there today you will need to navigate through some minor roads, east from from the N71, so you’ll likely need a decent local map. (Most satnavs won’t work). 

The N71 sweeps through a 90 degree bend in Aghadown. Take the road east from that for about half a mile, then turn north at the first junction to the left.  Then after about a quarter of  a mile, the farm is up a dead end lane off to the left. There are a lot of trees on the lane leading to it. And if you use Google Earth you can see the river about 50 yards behind the farm buildings.

Looking at the farm on Google Earth, it looks to still be a working farm today.

According to my guide to Church of Ireland records, Aghadown’s baptism and burial records prior to 1880 were destroyed in the 1922 fire in Dublin. Marriages from 1845 exist and will be in the civil indexes on Familysearch and other Irish marriage sites. Your best bet is to try the graveyard and see if there is a gravestone. (Farmers usually were able to afford a gravestone). Few graveyards have any burial plans for the 1800s, but you might get lucky. Ask locally. (Ring the Vicar or Sexton).

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Elwin,

THANK you!  Wow, that was quick!  I still don't know how you did it, but we're grateful.  We were able to see the property from above on Google Earth and now I think we're ready to make the trip.  Tell me, if you will, your opinion on whether or not it would be considered too forward if I were to contact the owners of the farm to ask permission to walk around the farm a bit.  The last thing I want to do is to invade their privacy, but I'd like to see the outside of the place.  Because it's sort of in the middle of nowhere, a stranger arriving in their drive might be creepy and I don't want to scare anybody.  If you thought it would be ok to contact them, how would I best do that if they're living on a street with no name?  I would have no idea how to send them a letter.  Thank you again for your time and for answering a long discussed question in our house!

Ellen

olympia1955

Ellen,

I would have no hesitation in knocking on the door and asking to see around the farm.  In my experience most people in Ireland will happily agree to that. Don’t worry about arriving unannounced. It’s not our custom to shoot unannounced visitors. You are more likely to be offered a cup of tea and cake.

I haven’t a clue who lives on the property today. I have tried searching the local phone book but don’t see any houses in the townland listed.  (Many people are not listed these days, to avoid unwanted commercial pestering). The nearest in the phone book are in Aghadown which probably isn’t close enough to be of any help.

I’d be inclined to go there as soon as you arrive in the area. If you are going to be there for a day or two, that will give the occupants time to rummage in the attic for old photos etc or direct you to others in the area who may have some additional knowledge.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much, Elwyn!  OK, but if they greet us at the door with a shotgun, I'm calling, "Elwyn said you' wouldn't shoot!"  Looking forward to this adventure.  Thanks again!

olympia1955

Say, Elwin -- another question.  If you're familiar with the area, what, in your opinion, would be somewhere a local would say a visitor shouldn't miss seeing when we're around the area of Aghadown?  Do you know of any great local places to eat?  Are there any genealogical storehouses that you know about for the area?  

olympia1955

I don’t know the area that well at all. I actually live in Co. Antrim, 300 miles away, at the other end of Ireland, though I have visited Co. Cork many times. If you are looking for somewhere to eat you should probably head into either Skibbereen, Ballydehob or Schull. That area of Co. Cork is quite popular with tourists and so there’s no shortage of places to eat and stay. The whole area’s very scenic.

If you want something corny to do, you can kiss the Blarney stone at Blarney Castle. That’s just a few miles out of Cork city.

http://www.blarneycastle.ie

Regarding genealogical warehouses, most records in Ireland are either on-line now or are held in the National Archives and National Library in Dublin.  There may well be the odd museum in Skibbereen or surrounding area but I don’t know of anything specific.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Oh!  I thought you lived in County Cork!  We'll poke around when we get there.  Thanks again.  This is such a great service!

 

olympia1955

This message is for Elwyn

Elwyn, we made it to the home of Thomas Shannon in Lissaclarig West and I want to thank you again for your part in making that happen.  Just like you said, I went up to the house that's there and rang the bell.  The couple that lives there was so very kind!  They invited my husband and me in to have a sit and talk about the house and my family and everything.  It was the best part of our trip, so thanks again! Oh- and we spent some fun time at the Valuation Office in Dublin too and I was able to find some more information looking in the old books.  Fun!  Thank you.

Ellen

olympia1955

 

Ellen,

Glad to have helped and to hear it all went so well.

 

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hi Ellen,

I know its a bit too late now for your trip to Ireland but the following information came to my attention today. Not at all sure if the people mentioned are related to you but look at the following link. The name spelling is wrong but this is quite common in Church records in particular.     https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/search.jsp?name2f…

It is a huge link but it should open relative poage for you. If it does not, contact me through this website or email me at frankfahy@eircom.net and I will help you and let you know if I have found any more.

 

Abbeystrowry CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

Thought this might help you too:

Marriage of GULIELMUS REGAN of N/R and JOHANNAM SULLIVAN of N/R

on 5 February 1849

Parish/Church/Congregation - AUGHADOWN

Area - CORK & ROSS (RC)

Area - CORK & ROSS (RC), Parish/Church/Congregation - AUGHADOWN

Marriage of GULIELMUS REGAN of N/R and JOHANNAM SULLIVAN of N/R on 5 February 1849

HusbandWifeNameGULIELMUS REGANJOHANNAM SULLIVANAddressN/RN/ROccupationN/RN/RFatherN/R N/RN/R N/RMotherN/R N/RN/R N/R

Further details in the record
Witness 1THOMA SHANNONWitness 3CATH HOURIHAN

  • Marriage of MICHAEL SHANON of N/R and ELLENA DONOVAN of N/R

    on 17 April 1855

    Parish/Church/Congregation - AUGHADOWN

    Area - CORK & ROSS (RC)

    Marriage of MICHAEL SHANON of N/R and ELLENA DONOVAN of N/R on 17 April 1855

    HusbandWifeNameMICHAEL SHANONELLENA DONOVANAddressN/RN/ROccupationN/RN/RFatherN/R N/RN/R N/RMotherN/R N/RN/R N/R

    Further details in the record
    Witness 1JEREMIAH DONOVANWitness 3EUGENIUS MCCARTHY

    Area - CORK & ROSS (RC), Parish/Church/Congregation - AUGHADOWN

    Marriage of MICHAEL SHANON of N/R and ELLENA DONOVAN of N/R on 17 April 1855

    MICHAEL SHANON - ELLENA DONOVAN

    Further details in the record
    Witness 1JEREMIAH DONOVANWitness 3EUGENIUS MCCARTHY

  •  

     

    Baptism of MARY LANEN of N/R

    on 15 January 1854

    Parish/Church/Congregation - AUGHADOWN

    Area - CORK & ROSS (RC)

Abbeystrowry CorkIrelandXO Volunteer

Thank you so much, frankfahy.  I don't think I have enough information at this point to say definitively whether or not these people are related.  You would think they would be, given that this is such a small geographic spot, but I don't have any other evidence of a Michael Shannon, and the Thomas Shannon in my family was Church of Ireland.  I'll keep doing my research, though, and I'll return to these records if I can find any new evidence.  It sure was nice of you to take an interest in my searchings!  We had a wonderful time there in Aghadown in May.  It was a real life highlight to see where my relatives lived.  It's a stunningly beautiful area!  Thanks again.

 

olympia1955

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