March, 2023

Today, we are going to feature information Danny Dowling (1927-2021) recorded regarding the residents of the townland of Haggard, Glenmore, around 1961.

Background

The Irish for this townland, according to O’Kelly’s, The Place Names of the County of Kilkenny Ireland (1969, p. 116) is An Iothla, the haggard. This is one of the shortest entries in O’Kelly’s book.  According to Danny, the word derived from a Norse word for the area near the dwelling house where crops were brought in for storage. The area of the townland is 543 acres.

The following is the oldest newspaper account located regarding Haggard from 220 years ago.

On Wednesday night last, a most melancholy and deplorable accident occurred at Higgart (sic) near Glenmore, in the county of Kilkenny, about six miles from Waterford:–The cabin of a poor labouring man, one Patrick Keefe, unfortunately took fire, when, dreadful to relate, the unhappy man and his wife, both of whom had been at Waterford on that day, and who, it is supposed, slept too soundly from fatigue, together with their five children (their entire family) were burned to ashes. As there was a quantity of straw and turf in the cabbin (sic) it is probably that a spark from the fire place occasioned the distressing event (Belfast Newsletter, Fri. 14 Oct. 1803, p. 2).

Tithe Appotment Books 1833

The Applotment Books record the townland as Higgert, in the Civil Parish of Kilmacanoge (sic). These lands held from the Earl of Bessborough by lease. There are 8 tenants listed in Higgert (sic) and 6 are listed in Higgert Mountain. Listed tenants include: (1) Walter Grant, 65 acres; (2) Robert Grant, 33 acres; (3) James Grant, 33 acres; (4) Richard Grant, 22 acres; (5) William Grant, 3 acres; (6) John Roache, 21 acres; (7) Michael Walsh, 21 acres; (8) Martin Walsh, 21 acres; (9) Walter & (10) Richard Grant, Higgert Mountain, 89 acres; (11) John Kenedy (sic) Higgert Mountain,  2 acres; (12) Richard Dunne, Higgart Mountain, 4 acres; (13) ___ Mangin,* Higgard Mountain, 1 acre; and (14) ____Whyte, Haggard Mountain, 1 acre.

*Update: For further information concerning the Manning Family of Haggard see our family M surname page. Special thanks to David A. McTamaney for sharing his Glenmore family research.

1961 Haggard, Glenmore

In 1961, Danny recorded 10 families or households in the townland of Haggard. 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, 35 people resided in the townland of Haggard with the population comprised of 19 males and 16 females. The largest family was the Byrne family with 6 in the household. There was 1 household recorded with a single person living alone. All information under residents of Haggard not in Danny’s original list has been placed in square brackets[ ].

Given the number of Grants present in 1833, it is somewhat surprising that by 1961 the surname had disappeared from the townland.

Recorded Residents

Males= 19
Females= 16

Eldest Recorded Resident

The eldest resident recorded by Danny in 1961 in Haggard was Hannah McDonald (16 Sept. 1885-before 1976). Johanna McDonald née Reddy was born baptized on 6 Sept. 1885 the daughter of Michael Reddy and his wife Mary Hoynes of Rahard, Mullinavat. Johanna or Hannah as she was generally known, married William McDonald and the couple farmed at Haggard. Unfortunately very little information could be recorded regarding Hannah McDonald.

Recorded Work

Farmer= 5 (4 males; 1 female)
Farm Labourer= 7 (7 males)
Lorry driver=1 (1 Male)
Block Layer=1 (1 Male)
Mill Worker=1 (1 male)
Clover Meats=1 (1 male)
Retired= 2 (2 Males)

HAGGARD RESIDENTS 1961

[1] HOGAN

Hogan, Patrick (16 July 1894) Farmer    [died at the age of 83 in April 1980 per obit]
Hogan, Bartley (11 Oct. 1902) brother, assisting brother

[2] McDONALD

McDonald, Hannah (16 Sept. 1885)
McDonald, William, son, farm labourer
McDonald, Michael, son, lorry driver      “got married” [Moved to Robinstown]
McDonald, John, grandson, block layer

[3] DWYER

Dwyer, Mary Anastasia (6 Jan. 1903) Farmer
Grennan, James (27 May 1950) nephew, child

[4] ROCHE

Roche, John (8 Oct. 1908) Farmer
Roche, Laurence (25 Oct. 1909) brother, assisting relative
Roche, Patrick (1911) brother, assisting relative
Roche, Matthew, brother, assisting relative

[5] ROCHE/FITZGERALD

Roche, Mary (20 Nov. 1886)
Fitzgerald, Johanna, daughter
Fitzgerald, Eileen, granddaughter, at school
Fitzgerald, Mary, granddaughter, child
Walsh, William (23 Aug. 1892) brother, retired disabled  “Residing in Slieverue.”

[6]  ROCHE

Roche, James (c. 1921) Mill Worker
Roche, Mary (c. 1918) wife
Roche, Mary, daughter, child
Roche, Ann, daughter, child
Roche, Kathleen, daughter, child

[7] O’SHEA

O’Shea, Michael, Farmer  “Left on marriage”
O’Shea, John, brother, assisting relative

[8] BYRNE

Byrne, John (20 Jan. 1895) Farmer
Byrne, Mary (22 May 1899) wife
Byrne, Mary, daughter
Byrne, Laurence, son, assisting relative
Byrne, Alice, daughter
Byrne, Elizabeth, niece, child

[9] POWER

Power, Michael (27 Feb. 1900) Retired
Power, Ellie (17 July 1912) wife
Power, Michael, son, Clover Meats
Power, Eileen, daughter, at school

[10] ROCHE

Roche, Martin (12 April 1911) Farmer

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

Dr. Kathleen Moore Walsh