Thursday, April 14th, 2022

Today, we are going to feature information that Danny Dowling recorded in a notebook that he drafted in 1960/1961. This was an important time as it began a decade of great change nationally and internationally. It commenced in January 1961 with John F. Kennedy being inauguated as the first Catholic President of the United States. For our international readers the Kennedy ancestoral home is located across the River Barrow from Glenmore. The year ended with the launch of Telefís Éireann on 31 December. The first broadcast featured President de Valera.

Danny in his notebook recorded the residents of the parish per the townlands where they lived. Birth dates or birth years of some of the older residents are listed or were gleaned from available public records.  Today, we are going to feature the 12 families recorded in Ballycroney. For some time after drafting the notebook Danny recorded dates of death or simply noted that a resident had died.

The recorded information reveals that 43 people resided in Ballycroney with the population almost equally divided between males and females. The largest family recorded was the Boland family, and there were three households comprised of one person living on their own. The majority of households were supported by agriculture with only 5 persons were recorded as being employed in non-agricultural work (1 male and 4 females).

Recorded Residents
Males=22
Females=21
Total = 43
Eldest Recorded Resident = Luke Fitzgerald (b. 1883) [Aged 78/79 in 1961]

Recorded Work
Farmers =5 (4 Males & 1 Female)
Farm/Agricultural Workers= 12 (All males)
Punch Machine Operator= 1 (Female)  
Clerk Typist = 1 (Female)
Waitress = 1 (Female)   
Housemaid = 1 (Female)

BALLYCRONEY RESIDENTS

[1] FITZGERALD
Fitzgerald, Luke (b. 28 Feb. 1883)  Farmer
Fitzgerald, James, son, farm

[2] HENNESSY
Hennessey, Bridget (b. 15 Aug. 1887) Farmer (died, but date of death not recorded)
Hennessey, Richard (b. 1915)  son, farm
Hennessey, Ellen,  daughter-in-law
Hennessey, Martin,  son 
Hennessey, Martin,   grandson

[3] BOLAND
Boland, William (b. 1915) Agricultural Labourer
Boland, Mary (b. 1916)  Wife [usually called Minnie]
Boland, John, son, Agricultural Labourer
Boland, William,  son, Agricultural Labourer
Boland, Anne,  daughter
Boland, Nellie, daughter
Boland, Margaret, daughter
Boland, Thomas, son
Boland, Bridget, daughter

[4] HAGAN
Hagan, Patrick (b. 17 Mar. 1904) Head, Farm Labourer

[5] CODY [known locally as the Odie Cody’s]
Cody, Richard (b. 1921) Farmer
Cody, John (b. 1922) brother, farm
Cody, Walter (b. 1928) brother, farm
Cody, Michael (b. 1925) brother, farm

[6] MACKEY
Mackey, John (b. 17 July 1902) Farmer
Mackey, Brigid (b. 1907) wife
Mackey, John, son, farm
Mackey, Catherine, daughter, punch machine operator
Mackey, Johanna, daughter

[Editor’s note–Munster Express, Fri. 3 Feb. 1961, p. 14–“Examination success—Amongst the successful candidates in the Civil Service Commissioners examination for appointment to the position of Telephonist held in December last, was C. Mackey, Ballycroney, Glenmore.”

[7] GAULE
Gaule, Patrick (b. 20 Jan. 1908) Lorry Driver
Gaule, John Joseph, son
Gaule, Mary Angela, daughter
Gaule, Elizabeth, daughter
Gaule, Brigid, daughter

[8] HARTE
Harte, Mary (b. 10 Feb. 1910)
Harte, Ellen, daughter, shorthand typist
Harte, Bridget, daughter

[9] COTTERELL
Cotterell, John (b. 23 May 1909)  Farmer
Cotterell, Thomas (b. 16 Nov. 1912) brother, farm

[10] BUTLER
Butler, Anastatia (b. 17 May 1888)

[11] BUTLER
Butler, Mary (b.1924) housemaid

[12] POWER
Power, John, old age pensioner
Power, Bridget (b. 1904)
Power, Thomas Richard, son, farm labourer
Power, Margaret, daughter, waitress (hotel)

We hope that you have enjoyed or found this snapshot of Ballycroney interesting and over the coming weeks we will feature the residents of other townlands from this notebook.

Please send any corrections, additional information, or queries to glenmore.history@gmail.com.

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh