Hi Morag
Welcome to the IrelandXO Roscommon group. Have you joined the civil parish of Ardcarne parish group yet?
Were you able to pinpoint the location of Derreenahinch near Ballyfermoyle? It is a small 84-acre townland on the south-east shore of Lough Skean. This Catholic parish map is handy for determining proximity to other parishes. (Brackloon in Tumna was nowhere near, but if they met overseas, it's still a possibility).
LOGAN ANCESTRAL HOME
I believe your ancestral home was located in the centre of Farm #1 Derrynahinch which was held by Owen Gray in 1857 [Griffith's Map].
> Look to the 2 houses in the centre of plot 1 that are not denoted by any letter.
> Mapped in 1837 these two were 'down' (unhabitable) by 1857.
> The remains of the larger dwelling may still be visible on the left-hand side of the boreen road leading up to the lakeshore. The smaller cottage is no longer extant, the site now covered in woodland.
The house near the shore, marked with the letter "a" was the home of Owen (aka Eugene) Grey who shared land in common with Stephen Logan in 1834 (meaning they were related). Owen's grandson, Martin Grey Jr. occupied this house in 1911. A farm is still extant on this lakeshore site today, but I don't know if it is occupied by Grey descendants or not. (You may get lucky).
Stephen Logan is recorded in "Derrinahinch" in 1834, sharing land in common with Owen & John Grey and Thomas Leydon / Leadon. Meaning: they were all related through marriage; the Leydon family and the other Grey family living in Derrenahinch are also distant relatives of yours. They were all native Irish-speakers. They Leydons spoke no English, even in 1901!
By 1857, the Logan's were gone, but Owen Grey [farm 1] was still there. Thomas Leydon Sr. [farm 2] and John Grey [farm 3] were deceased, but the next generation remained: see Thomas Leydon b.1822 (who married Anne Lenahan) and Thomas Grey b.1821 (who married Brigid Leydon).
Their landlord was Thomas Tennison (subsequently Edward King-Tenison) so be sure to stop by Kilronan Castle to see how the other half lived! You may find a record for what happened in Derrenahinch during the famine if you have time to visit the National Library of Ireland in Dublin ( e-mail in advance re the Tennison estate papers, to see if your townland is covered in their collection).
As Roger mentioned... Church records for Ardcarn/Cootehall don't begin until 1843. So there is no true way to work out this Grey-Leydon-Logan kinship exactly. In 1845, Catherine Logan married Thomas Casey (witnessed by Edward and Brigid Leydon). They baptised a son, Patrick, in 1847, then disappeared. My guess is, this is around the time your Logans had to emigrate.
It is certain they were very poor and therefore doubtful you will find any family graves. However, the Ardcarne Parish Graveyard Committee may be a good starting point of contact to track down any local historians (in advance of your trip). In general, visitors to North Roscommon (Barony of Boyle) may benefit from making advance contact with the following groups (to see if they have a member historian in their specific district):
Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Society [Homepage] Carrick-on-Shannon Heritage Society [Facebook]
Co. Roscommon Historical & Archaeological Society [Facebook]
www.roscommonroots.com [Homepage]
Failing that... the next best option would be to seek out the "local historian" by way of making enquiries through Ballyfermoyle's:
- local historical society
- GAA club
- Tidy Towns Committee
- National School
-
ask the local press / parish newsletter to post a family search query. This can work very well especially among the older generation who take a great interest in "tracing". e.g. BOYLE TODAY or ROSCOMMON PEOPLE and/or the local parish priest*.
PLACES
Hands down, a visit to Co. Roscommon should take in the Strokestown Famine Museum.
I have posted a range of other general places of interest to the Ardcarne Local Guide. And don't forget Kilronan Castle (just east of Derreenahinch).
Hope this helps!
Kind regards
Rua
