Byrne from Ballyvaughn

http://www.irelandxo.com/users/conor-fahy

http://www.irelandxo.com/users/conor-fahy

http://www.irelandxo.com/users/conor-fahy

Hi Reg,

there are many family of Burnes (also spelt Byrnes in the past)  living in Ballyvaughan today and some are not sure how they are related to each other as they clearly go back at least 6 Generations.

Below is a spreadsheet with records the Burnes/Byrnes that lived in Ballyvaughan and the surrounding parishes. The records to 1855 is only the tenant farmers who had the means to rent a significant amount oif land.

We have a Patrick Burnes as a landowner in the Caher Valley which is in Fanore from 1817 to 1855, he may not necessarily the same Patrick on all 3 records. This is clearly not your forefather but likely to be a cousin or an uncle. I did not find an Edward but Michael could be his brother..

If he is certainly reared in Ballyvaughan from 1817 to say 1840 these Burnes/Byrnes were related to him and Edward may have been junior brother to one of the landowning members of the family, he may have worked for that family member or another more prosperous landowner.. So accepting that Edward himself may not have had sufficient land to feature in these records and this may explain the greater need for young Patrick to immigrate even before the famine.  I wonder if it is the case that that Edward himself had immigrated to England with his family while Patrick was young.

Eitherway the main Byrnes/Burnes base in 1817 to 1830 was up the hill behind what is to-day the Cahir Bridge Garden, Fanore. There are several ruins there today and the hamlet as it was can be inspected on the Clare Library 1842 map, I can advise you further with this if you wish.  I have included all 7 families that were at this address in 1829..

So if we spread out our search, we find Edmd Byrnes at Lurraga in the Parish of Doolin, jsut south of Ballinalacken Castle. Edmd could be Edmond or Edward where the handwriting could not differenciate between the m or w. If this is our Edward and the family had done well at Letter-Connor maybe they were able to help set him up by 1829 at Doolin. The landlord family of McNamara is the same at both location. However by 1855 we another record of Edmond as landowner and in all probability the same man having moved his tenant holding a mile or two more north which was very normal across the famine. It any case it is certain that your record would have been stated ther birthplace as Doolin and/or Ennistymon rather than Ballyvaughan if they were there in 1817. LetterConnor and Fanore and definately in the Ballyvaughan Union

If on the other hand Edward was a skilled crafts man and had the means to support himself and his family you might think he may not need land and thus not feature as a landowner. This is unlikely,  if he was able to support himself then he would have been able to get the means together to rent his own house and garden and would have been recorded as paying tithes c1829. If he was a business owner he would also have been subjected to this tithe tax.

If we follow the Doolin line of inquiry (Edmond and James)  there is also Byrnes at Derreen near Poulnagun which may have been the follow on Family and there is also a family nearby at Kilmoon and more at Doolin.

To take this further we would need to put Edward to a specific address and then match him to his wife. The Delany name is not a rare Irish name but very rare in Clare.. There is no Delaney or and similar spelling that I find on the 1829 Tithes list. By 1901 when we get the first complete census ther is only one Delaney family (10 members)  in Clare and they are in Sixmilebridge in the south of the county. There are 7 Delanys; a family of 4 in Mountshannon in the east of the county, 2 in Kilrush (SouthWest) and 1 in Ennis (Mid).

However if we consider the adjoining county of Galway ther were 31 Delanys in Galway county listed and 4 Delaneys in the titehs list c1829. It is most likely that Edwards wife may have come from there. That is whole other story

Let me know what you think and I hope it helps

Conor Fahy

         No Burns in the Ballyvaughan or surrounding parrishes Closest Byrnes Tenants are as follows in 1817 40s is 40shilling valuation and would not be a significant valuation    Place of Abode     Forename of FreeholderSurname of FreeholderSituation of FreeholdForename of LandlordSurname of LandlordDate of RegistryValuation MichaelByrnsLetter-ConnorsFrancisMcNamaraSept. 11, 181740s PatrickByrnsLetter-ConnorsFrancisMcNamaraSept. 11, 181740s                         1829 the Byrnes are again at Letterconnor as per the tithe tax of the time       SurnameForenameTownland/StreetParishCountyYearModern Parish ByrnsMichlLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore ByrnsParkLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore FitzpatrickJamesLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore FitzpatrickJohnLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore TierneyJohnLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore DarcyJohnLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore TierneyPatLetterconnerKillonaghanClare1829Fanore         BurnsJamesBallyconnorKilleanyClare1831  BurnsMichlBallyconnorKilleanyClare1831  BurnsEdmdLurragaKillelaghClare Doolin BurnsJamesBallysallaghKillelaghClare Doolin         Letter Connor is where the Caher Bridge Garden is today Ballyconnor should read BallconnooBallyconnoo is midway between BallyV and Lisdoonvarna                            1855-- Griffith Valuation       All Burns in Ballyvaughan and the Surrounding parishes who owned or rented land                 Townland ParishModern    postal address of land  Parish   John BurnsFermoyle West KillonoghanFanore   Patrick BurnsFermoyle West KillonoghanFanore   James BurnsDerreeen West KillonoghanFanore           EdmondByrnePoulnagunKillilaghDoolin   JamesByrneBallysallaghKillilaghDoolin                          1901       Census                Ballyconry House 8       SurnameForenameAgeSexRelation to headReligion  BurnsMartin40MaleHead of FamilyRoman Catholic  BurnsKate30FemaleWifeRoman Catholic  BurnsJames10MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsMary8FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsKate6FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsNorah4FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsAgnes2FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic                  Ballyconry House 2       SurnameForenameAgeSexRelation to headReligion  BurnsPatrick40MaleHead of FamilyRoman Catholic  BurnsBridget40FemaleWifeRoman Catholic  BurnsThos17MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsPatk15MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsJames10MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsMary7FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsJohn6MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsMichl4MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsSusan2FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic          Gleninagh North House 2       SurnameForenameAgeSexRelation to headReligion  BurnsJames55MaleHead of FamilyRoman Catholic  BurnsMary42FemaleWifeRoman Catholic  BurnsPatrick25MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsMary23FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsBridget20FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsMartin18MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsMichael15MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsThomas11MaleSonRoman Catholic          Gleninagh North House 5       BurnsThomas35MaleHead of FamilyRoman Catholic  BurnsMichael15MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsAgnes13FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsJohn11MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsSusan9FemaleDaughterRoman Catholic  BurnsThomas7MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsStephen5MaleSonRoman Catholic  DalyJames25MaleStep SonRoman Catholic  DalyPatrick18MaleStep SonRoman Catholic  DalyAnnie16FemaleStep DaughterRoman Catholic          Murrough House 4       SurnameForenameAgeSexRelation to headReligion  LinnaneMichael65MaleHead of FamilyCatholic  LinnaneBridget34FemaleDaughterCatholic  LinnaneJames30MaleSonCatholic  ByrnesThomas10MaleGrand SonCatholic          Murroughkelly House 9       SurnameForenameAgeSexRelation to headReligion  BurnsMargaret48FemaleHead of FamilyRoman Catholic  BurnsJohn14MaleSonRoman Catholic  BurnsPatrick18MaleSonRoman Catholic                                                  Ballyvelehan, in NewQuay - Cregg       BurnsSarah R29FemaleWifeChurch of Ireland  BurnsJoseph11MaleSonChurch of Ireland  BurnsJames9MaleSonChurch of Ireland  BurnsEthel7FemaleDaughterChurch of Ireland  BurnsHarriet5FemaleDaughterChurch of Ireland  BurnsRobert2MaleSonChurch of Ireland                 

Hello Conor

Thank you so much for the information on the Byrnes around Ballyvaughan.  As in my earlier message. I have confirmed that Patrick Byrne, my great great grandfathers parents were Edward Byrne and Winifred Delany. Patrick Byrne married Catherine Hieysoph or Hycope 1843 Manchester England. Their marriage certificate shows that his father Edward was a farmer, I suppose that could mean that he was either a farmer in his own right or perhaps a farm labourer?  His wifes father Charles was also shown as a Farmer.  The marriage record shows that his wife Catherine was from County Longford. The witnesses of the marriage were James Freenan and Rosannah Preston.  Neither of their parents were shown on the marriage certificate. 

Now in reference to the surname Hieysoph or Hycope. That name may have been spelt as it sounded rather than it s correct spelling. Do those surnames exist in County Clare or County Longford?

You mentioned variations to the spelling of Byrne. In every record I have of the family the name has always been spelt Byrne. I found a few documents from the 65th Yorkshire regiment referring to Patrick Byrne and all these spell his name BYRNE.  Patrick Byrne enlisted in the 65th Yorkshire Regiment  14 March 1840 Reg No 1559.

Do you know if there was a British army recruitment office in Clare during that time?

It could well be that the Rosannah Preston and James Freenan were related to their families or perhaps just friends. The only other possible clue is that of the tradition to name children after other members of the family. Patrick and Catherine's children were: Edward, Winifred Sarah, Francis Mary, John William, Catherine Elizabeth, Julia Antoinietta.  Their son John William named his sons: Patrick Myles, Edward John, Feach Hugh William who was my grandfather, Charles Walter.  So it seems that the names Edward and Patrick passed down through several generations. The name Feach is a very unusual name in New Zealand so I presume it came from some connection with the family in Ireland?

You mentioned that the Byrne families were in an area above Cahir Bridge Garden, Fanore.  In the period 1817 - 1840 was their a village or church in  that area? I do know that Patrick Byrne and his wife were Catholic though for some reason Catherine, when she died in New Zealand was buried in the same cemetery as her husband though he was buried in a Catholic area and she in a protestant area. All of their children followed the Catholic faith.

Once again thank you for all the information you have provided. I truly appreciate it.

Kind regards

Reg Dilloway

Michael O'Beirne is my name, my ancestors Byrnes/Burns came from this area of North Clare.I am currently seeking a Thomas Byrne, said to have joined British army, posted to Manchester, UK, about the same time as Patrick. His father was said to be called Thomas.

Can there be a link here? I would very much like  to contact Reg, and share notes.