Thursday, August 11th, 2022

Today, we are going to feature information that Danny Dowling recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Ballyveria around 1961. The most common spelling of this townland locally, as reflected on head stones, is Ballyveria. However, the older records reflect a number of spellings including Ballywairy. The Irish for this townland, according to Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny (1969, p. 109) is Ballyvaire, Baile Mhaire, or Maire’s homestead. This townland is comprised of 483 acres. Interestingly this is one of the shortest entries by Kelly, and the information above is the total information provided by Kelly concerning this townland.

In the 1830 Griffith’s Valuation Applotment Records the townland was referred to as Ballyveraea and had 3 listed landlords (George Caulfield, Esq.; Mary Anne Tighe, widow; and Hariet (sic) Cuffe) and 12 tenants: Michael Ribby (24 acres); Sylvester Shelley (17 acres); Robert Ryan (30 acres); William Donovan (31 acres); Martin Malone (32 acres); Laurence Carroll and Walter Power (63 acres); John Donovan (34 acres); Richard Grace (34 acres); John Deneefe (30 acres); John Walsh (9 acres); and Daniel Byrne (4 acres). In July 2021 we posted three articles concernings a murder that took place in 1841 involving residents of Ballyveria: (1) The Murder of Michael Ribby (Rigby) of Ballyveria; (2) Murder trial of Patrick Donovan of Ballyveria and
(3) The Sentencing and Execution of Patrick Donovan.

Danny Dowling in 1961 recorded 8 families or households in Ballyveria. Birthdates or birth years are provided for some of the older residents gleaned from available public records. For some time after drafting his notebook, Danny recorded the dates of death or simply recorded that a resident had died or left the townland. The recorded information reveals that in 1961, 36 people resided in Ballyveria with the population comprised of 17 males and 19 females. The Long family was the largest family with eight members in the household. There was one household recorded of a single person living alone (Michael Boyle).

Recorded Residents

Males= 17
Females= 19
Eldest Recorded Resident= Mary Phelan (1883-1963) née Hennessy. According to Mary’s obituary she was for many years a teacher in the Ballyfacey School. A copy of her obituary has been added to the family pages and may be accessed by clicking here.

Recorded Work

Farmers = 4 (4 males)
Farm Labourer/Worker = 3 (3 males)
Council Worker = 1 (male)
Housemaid = 1 (female)
Creamery Butter Maker = 1 (male)
Motor Mechanic =1 (male)
Road Worker = 1 (male)

BALLYNERIA RESIDENTS

[1] RIGBY
Rigby, Daniel (25 Dec. 1885) Farmer
Rigby, Catherine (1 April 1910) wife
Rigby, Michael, son, farm worker
Rigby, Anastatia (9 March 1893) sister  

[2] MURPHY
Murphy, Patrick (22 Nov. 1897) Farmer
Murphy, Ellen, wife
Murphy, Thomas, son
Murphy, Matthew, son
Murphy, Patrick Michael, son
Murphy, Anastatia (1918) sister

[3] LONG
Long, James (13 Feb. 1912) Council Worker
Long, Margaret (12 Aug. 1913) wife
Long, Walter, son, road worker
Long, William, son, farm labourer
Long, Kathleen, daughter, housemaid
Long, Margaret, daughter
Long, Breda, daughter
Long, Theresa, daughter

[4] BOYLE
Boyle, Michael (10 Sept. 1886) Farmer

[5] PHELAN
Phelan, John (15 Sept. 1920) Farmer
Phelan, Mary (4 March 1883) mother

[6] YOUNG
Young, Richard (26 Sept.  1906) Farm Worker
Young, Johanna, wife
Young, Johanna, daughter
Young, Richard, son
Young, Seamus?, son
Young, Margaret, daughter
Young, Patricia, daughter

[7] O’CONNOR
O’Connor, Luke (1918) Creamery Butter Maker
O’Connor, Ellen, wife
O’Connor, Brigid, daughter
O’Connor, Mary, daughter
O’Connor, Kathleen, daughter
O’Connor, George?, son

[8] DWYER
Dwyer, Margaret (4 July 1909)
Dwyer, Michael (9 April 1940) son, motor mechanic(Moved to England)

The featured photo above is Captain W.A. Ringrose winning the International Jumping Competition (Pembroke Stakes) at the Dublin Horse Show in August 1961 riding Lochan Easpaig. [According to my resident expert, this horse was bred in Mullinavat.]

[Updated 19 Aug. 2022: Munster Express, Fri. 7 May 1965, p. 16

Famed Jumper—The outstanding jumper, Loch Ann Easpaig, bred in Mullinavat, and later sold to the Irish Army, added to his already high reputation as prize winner at various international contests when he won the Grand Prix de la Ville at Nice, Southern France, on Thursday of last week, with a faultless round, and followed this up by winning the Nice International Horse Show event on Sunday last. The rider on both occasions was Commdt. Wm. A. Ringrose, and in the latter competition, Loch An Easpaig was the only entrant with two clear rounds over fourteen fences.]

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

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh