Cloonleedin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #14

Photos from Cloonaleedin, the townland in Co. Mayo, where our Walsh family originated.  Pictured below are two views of the flagstone floor which has been preserved at the Walsh ancestral home.  A new home has been built next to the original structure.  Pictured in the first photo is the crane which was taken from the old fireplace hearth.  The photos were taken ca 2015 by a great grandson of John Walsh and Bridget Garvin with the permission of the current resident. 



The crane, black metal structure on the right, is a horizontally swinging arm by a fireplace used for
suspending pots over the fire.  Look close to see the arm.  The trees in the background make it a bit
difficult to see.  Note kettles hanging from arm.

Griffith's Valuation

The following is from the web site - Ask About Ireland, www.askabout ireland.ie.

"Ordnance Survey Name Books & Letters published between 1824 & 1842 as part of the first complete mapping survey of Ireland.  This  project is “under construction” according

The Ordnance Survey Office was established in 1824 to undertake a townland survey of Ireland and map the entire country.  The surveyors who understood this task were also charged with the task of examining individual place-names details and variants to determine a suitable spelling for each name which did not already have a standardized English form and with recording this information in a series of volumes known as Name Books.

Other details were also recorded, such as local monuments, building of note, archaeological objects etc. making them a very interesting and useful addition to local information,

Volumes of Letters comprising the correspondence between the field researchers and the Ordnance Survey office were also published and provide further details of interest concerning the history of places countrywide."

Tne description of Cloonaleedin, from the Names Books, has been scanned and posted on the site -

This Townland belongs to a Mr. W. Handy, who resides in Birr, Kings CO., Agent Mr P McLaughlin, Crossmolina.  It is held by tenants at will at £1. p.(per) acre.  Soil a gravelly clay, the genrl. produce oats, flax & potatoes.  There are but 3 farmers living here apparently comfortable.  Houses stone.  Nothing remarkable to be noticed.  Contains 56 a.(acres) 2 r.(rood) 28 p.(perch) including about 25 a.(acres) of bog.

Years passed between the Names Books survey, the mapping, and publication of Griffith's Valuattion.  At the time of publication Cloonaleedin's owner was John Orme and the occupiers were Martin WALSH, Mary NEARY, and Martin TWOHILL

 Ask About Ireland - www.askaboutireland.ie

Townlands adjacent to Cloonaleedin are Cloonconway-north, Cloonskirtaun-north, Kilogunra-east, Knockaunderry-east, Lecarrowanteean-west, Rathoma-south

RECENT FINDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #13

1.  BRIDGET WALSH #1

 My first post on Our Mayo Families was Three Bridget Walsh's from Ireland to Ellis Island, New York.  The second post concerned who they were and location of the three Bridget's after their arrival in New York.   At that time I did not know anything concerning Bridget #1.

I am confident that I now know the parents of  Bridget #1.

Bridget Walsh, age 19, arrived at Ellis Island in 1897 with Anne DONNELLY in 1897.  Anne and family lived in the townland of Ballygowen, County Mayo.  In the 1901 and 1911 Irish census the next door neighbor of the Donnelly family was Anthony WALSH, a blacksmith, and his wife Bridget.  On the 21 of April 1877 daughter Bridget WALSH was born to Anthony WALSH, a blacksmith, and Bridget FLAHERTY WALSH of Ballygowen.

I still do not know what happened to Bridget the daughter of Anthony after arriving at Ellis Island.

Bridget #3 who immigrated in 1909 with Bridget Walsh McHale (Bridget #2) is still unknown after the 1920 census where she was enumerated as a kitchen maid/cook to a family in New York City.

My grandparents home was completely destroyed by fire in 1950.  Many of the answers to these and other Irish genealogical questions went up in flames early in the morning hours of that June day.

2.  MICHAEL WALSH, son of John WALSH & Bridget GARVIN

John WALSH and Bridget GARVIN of Cloonaleedin, Kilfian were the parents of 10 children born between 1868 and 1887.  Five of the children I have been able to document with birth, marriage, death, and census records.  Until recently the other five I only found birth dates and some census records.  The number documented is now six.

Michael WALSH, the 6th child, was born 18 August 1877 in Cloonaleedin, Parish of Kilfian.  The 1901 & 1911 census found Michael at Cloonaleedin with his parents.  By 1911 he was the only child who remained at the homestead.  Mary Ellen HARRISON from Clooneenmore, Easkey, Co Sligo became the wife of Michael 10 December 1916 in Easkey.  The only record discovered of this marriage are photos of the pages in the parish book.  Michael and Mary Ellen resided in Cooga, Easkey, Sligo.  They are buried at Roslea Cemetery, Easkey.  Michael died 22 Jan 1951 and Mary Ellen eleven years later 30 May 1962.  Michael's birth and death civil records can be founds at: https://www.irishgenealogy.ie/en/
                                 
At this time I only know of one child of this marriage.  Michael Joseph “Josie” WALSH was born 7 September 1919 in Cooga, Easkey, Silgo. Michael emigrated to the US in 18 April 1948 with his new bride Celia “Sheila” WALL aboard the SS Washington from Cobh.  Michael died 14 April 2004 and is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their daughter Eileen WALSH (1952-2013) married Francis DOYLE in Pennsylvania.

Michael’s great grandson Congressman Brendan Francis BOYLE has been a member of the US House of Representatives, representing a district near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since January 2015.  Brendan’s brother Kevin BOYLE is also in politics as he is a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

In August 2017 Brendan F. BOYLE, his father, and brother visited County Sligo and Cloonaleedin, Kilfian, Co Mayo.  John WALSH, the current resident, of the home in Cloonaleedin presented Brenden BOYLE  sods of turf.  The floor/flagstones of the Walsh home of John and Bridget remains next to John’s home.

                                      left to right: Kevin Boyle, John Walsh, Francis Boyle, Brendan Boyle
                                                       The IrishEcho, published  8 September 2017

Still need to locate the following children of John WALSH and Bridget GARVIN:
   Child #3      Martin WALSH born 18 April 1871
   Child #4      Ellen WALSH born 14 November 1873
   Child #8    John WALSH born 10 July 1884
   Child #9    Patrick WALSH born 10 July 1887
There are stories of each of the above but no documentation other than their births.

3.   ANOTHER WALSH/GARVIN FAMILY

There was second John WALSH and Bridget GARVIN family in County Mayo during the time period as “our” WALSH/GARVIN family.  This family was from Glendagh, Ballycastle.  Currently the only information I have on this family is son Thomas WALSH born ca 1860 and a daughter Eleanor WALSH born 2 April 1868.  Thomas WALSH of Glenedagh age 25 married Bridget WINTERS of Ballycastle in 1885 at the Chapel of Ballycastle.  Thomas/1860 and family immigrated in the late 1890s to Michigan, US  Their family, at that time, consisted of six children born between 1888-1895 Ballycastle, County Mayo.