Hello Niteowl,
A man named Martin Conry was recorded in an Irish property tax record called Griffiths Valuation in the townland of Creevyquin, Civil parish of Kilteevan. The valuation for Creevyquin was completed by the year 1857.
Martin may be an ancestor of your grandmother Mary Conry.
See the Griffiths Valuation attachment from the Ask About Ireland website.
Martin Conry’s position on the Griffiths Valuation page is indicated by a green arrow. To the left of his name you’ll see the number/letter combination 5a. The 5a refers to the location of Martin’s house and land in Creevyquin on a Griffiths Valuation Map.
What Griffiths Valuation shows is that Martin Conry leased a house, offices, and over 18 acres of land from an Immediate Lessor named Capt. Charles Stafford. The value of the land that Martin leased was 14 Pounds. The value of the house and offices he leased was 1 Pound. The total valuation for Martin’s lease for tax purposes was 15 Pounds. He would have paid a percentage of this amount toward the tax.
An “Office” in a Griffiths Valuation record refers to any type of outbuilding, such as a barn, stable, blacksmith shop, piggery, etc.
Also attached to this reply is the aforementioned Griffiths Valuation Map for Creevyquin, showing the location of Martin’s property (Green double arrow) at Map Reference 5a. He farmed a section of the Creevyquin which borders the townland called Acres. West of Acres is Roscommon Town, not shown on the map.
Martin Conry’s house and outbuildings were located where you see the arrow pointing north to the lower-case letter a.
In comparing the Griffiths Valuation Map with a modern Google Map and Google Street View, I found what may be the gravel road that leads towards what had been Martin Conry’s leasehold. The gravel road is off the L1811 Creevyquin Road. See the Google Map and Street View at: https://tinyurl.com/yyp53nbb
It’s hard to gage where Martin’s house was along this gravel road, but it would have been perhaps a quarter mile down the gravel road on the left. To the right of the gravel road is the townland of Acres.
A Google Satellite View attached to this reply, shows the land that Martin Conry had farmed in Creevyquin, indicated by the white double arrow.
It’s possible that your grandmother Mary, or perhaps her ancestors, were born in the house where Martin Conry and his family had lived in 1854, although I suspect your grandmother was born sometime in the 20th century.
Ireland Reaching Out Volunteer Roger McDonell had recommended that you submit a Meet and Greet form to see if a local volunteer guide is available who knows the Creevyquin area. If a guide is available they may be familiar with the area where Martin Conry had farmed in Creevyquin, and may also know who owns the land once occupied by Martin Conry in 1854.
If you do connect with a guide, email the person attachments of the Griffiths Valuation entry for Martin Conry, as well as the Griffiths Valuation Map of Creevyquin, the Google Map and Street View, and the satellite image of Creevyquin where Martin’s leasehold was situated. Send these attachments before you go to Ireland to give the guide a chance to look them over.
If a volunteer guide is not available, you’ll have the maps noted above to guide you to the gravel road off the L1811 Creevyquin Road. Do you plan on renting a car when you go to Ireland?
Was Patrick Conry your grandmother Mary’s father? If so I found information about Patrick, his parents, as well as his stepfather, Michael McCormack, and other information about the Conry family. I can send you this information in a follow-up reply if you request it.
Creevyquin is the English spelling for the town. In Irish it is spelled “Craobh Uí Chuinn,” which means “O’Quinn’s Branch.”
Best Wishes,
Dave Boylan
SOURCES
Ask About Ireland: Griffiths Valuation
Ask About Ireland: Griffiths Valuation Map
Google Map
Google Street View
Google Satellite View
Ireland Reaching Out Volunteer Roger McDonell's reply of 9 September 2025
