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Derrine, Kilbeacanty, Galway the 1850s and 1860s

GalwayKilbeacanty (Galway)

Does anyone know anything about Derrine, Kilbeacanty, Galway? Apparently it has an area of 0.94 sq miles. see link https://www.townlands.ie/galway/kiltartan/kilbeacanty/kilbeacanty/derre…

I seem to have a lot of relatives who were born and lived there in the 1850s, 1860s etc. 0.94 sq mi is very small. It doesn't seem that there was a town there. The whole area looks like fields nowadays. How would people have been living in that area in the 1860s? Would they have had farms that extended beyond the boundaries of Derrine? 

Does anyone know anything about that area today?

Many thanks in advance for any help you can provide?

Jennifer Monopolis

jlmonopolis@aol.com

5 replies

Jennifer,

Here’s Derreen in the 1901 census.  It was a townland, a standard Irish administrative land unit. There were 17 households and a total population of 104 people. 597 acres. All obtained their living by farming and agriculture:

http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Kilbecanty/Derreen/

You can see the land on the maps on Griffiths Valuation site. And you can use the site to view the land today. (The better land is still farmland, and the poorer looks to have been planted with trees.).

https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Judging by Griffiths, in the mid 1800s, those tenants farmed that land in common.

Elwyn, IrelandXO Volunteer ☘IrelandXO Volunteer

Hello Elwyn

Thank you very very much. This is so helpful. I see from the census there were many Reillys still in Derrine in 1901. My family came to New Zealand in the 1860s and 1870s but they were big families in those days and these people in the 1901 census must be descendants of those individuals who didn't emigrate. I am going to enjoy trying to figure out where they fit into the family tree!

 

Many thanks and best wishes, Jennifer

jlmonopolis@aol.com
Hi Jennifer, I just came across your post just now. I am a volunteer for Kilbeacanty and not sure how I missed your post. A very good friend of mine is John Reilly who told me some years ago that he had relatives in New Zealand and had intended to do some research. I usually contact John in the New Year and I would be delighted to advise him of your email. Would it be possible for you to share your research /Family tree with John to see if you are related? Anne.
Anne McCarthy MurphyIrelandXO Volunteer
Hello Anne All I can say is, wow! It's amazing how this message board works! I would love to talk to John. My great great grandparents were John Reilly born about 1831 Galway and Mary Hourigan born 1838 in County Clare. They sailed to New Zealand in 1874 arriving 2 May in Napier. I know John's parents were Patrick Reily and Bridget Connelly. Once in New Zealand, the name started to change. My great grandfather was born John Reily but he became John O'Reilly and my grandmother was Teresa Catherine O'Reilly. How is it best to get in touch? I'm happy to provide my email address but I'm not sure i want to include it in this open forum. Thank you for contacting me. I'm usually the one sending messages to distant cousins with mixed response. It's great to be contacted myself. Jennifer
jlmonopolis@aol.com
Hi Jennifer, If you email me at mccarthymanne@gmail.com I will forward John Reilly's email to you. He is happy to make contact. He says there are a few Reilly families in Derreen that are not related! I have a good feeling that John is your line. Happy digging, Anne.
Anne McCarthy MurphyIrelandXO Volunteer

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