Ballaghaderreen TOWN PLAN

Kilcolman (Roscommon) Kilcolman Costello (Mayo) County Roscommon County Mayo Castlemore (Roscommon) Castlemore (Mayo) Kilbeagh (Mayo)

Bealach a' Doirin (the way of the little wood or derry) also appeared on records as Ballaghadirreen / Ballaghadireen in the early 19th century  and as Balladerrin in the 18th century (before spelling was standardized).

 

POST TOWN

Ballaghderreen was the nearest market town (aka post town) for a range of rural addresses on the borders of Co. Mayo and Co. Roscommon and Co. Sligo. This can cause some confusion in research, as you may need to look beyond the limits of the town itself and into adjoining counties.

An emigrant would always say they were from the nearest large town or village near their townland, so "Ballaghaderreen" as a given address could mean "in or about" or "near". 

 

COUNTY

Ballaghaderreen was officially part of county Mayo up until 1898. (This changed under the Local Government Act of 1898 when county borders were amended and the town was transferred from Mayo to Roscommon).

Players from the Ballaghaderreen GAA teams play for Mayo and not Roscommon for instance.

CIVIL PARISH

Parts of Ballaghaderreen town are linked to 2 civil parishes (note: both in the barony of COSTELLO):

• Castlemore (west and south Ballaghaderreen)
• Kilcolman Costello (north and east Ballaghaderreen).
• Parts of Kilbeagh civil parish may also have connections to Ballaghaderreen. 

 

CHURCH PARISH

Old parish registers for the RC parish of Ballaghaderreen can be found under Castlemore & Kilcolman (aka Kilcolman aka Ballaghaderreen).

In the 1830s there was an RC chapel in the town of Ballaghaderreen itself, and another at Cragaduff (see Creggan Village). For a list of other Catholic parishes located nearby, click HERE. These chapels were united to Kilmovee.

At that time the Catholic churches were referred to and mapped as chapels and "church" referred to the "Established Church" (i.e. the Anglican Church of Ireland).

See Ballaghadereen RC parish map. Also the Leitrim-Roscommon Map Collection. 

BALLAGHADERREEN IN 1837

For a snapshot of the town and surrounding districts as recorded by Lewis see Your Roscommon Parish in 1837 and Your MAYO Parish in 1837. Namely,

• Ballaghadirreen in the 1830s
• Castlemore in the1830s
• Kilcoleman Costello in the 1830s

At that time, the town consisted of (see town map link)

• three principal streets,
• about 200 houses.
• an RIC constabulary police barracks
• a coast-guard station,
• and a Roman Catholic chapel.

Ballaghaderreen was also a Mail Coach (public transport) stop on the new coach road between Ballina and Longford.

Ballaghaderreen Military Barracks (built circa 1830) is now St Nathy’s College. 

UNION of CASTLEREA 1839 ~/ WORKHOUSE 1842~

Ballaghaderreen fell under the Poor Law Union of Castlerea, and those in need were referred to Castlereagh Workhouse (demolished in 1974). Castlerea is in Kilkeevin civil parish, Co Roscommon. 

 

GRIFFITH'S VALUATION

The Primary Valuation of Ballaghderreen took place in April 1857. For Ballaghaderreen See Kilcolman (Part of)  and Castlemore 

 

BALLAGHADERREEN in the 1860s

According to the census of 1861, Ballaghaderreen had "222 inhabited houses, with a population of 1,589, of whom 1,567 are Roman Catholics, 21 belong to the Established Church, and only 1 Presbyterian. Coastguard and police stations are established here, and petty sessions are held once a week in the town. The market day is Tuesday. Fairs are held on the 25th and 26th of March, the 1st of May, the 25th of June, the 1st of August, the 8th of September, the 1st of November, and the 22nd of December." (The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868).

CIVIL RECORDS (Birth, Marriage, Death) from 1864~

For Ballaghaderreen the General Register District (GRO) was Castlerea and began for everyone in 1864 (for non-Catholics from 1845).

See irishgenealogy.ie

FACEBOOK GROUP

facebook.com/BallaghaderreenPastandPresent

OLD SCHOOL HOUSES

endaoflaherty.com/tag/ballaghaderreen/

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