Hearth Money Rolls - Monroe

 

In the Hearth Money Rolls 1665
The following names were recorded in Monroe townland (Monroe).

Onnor	Walsh
Wm	Bondfield
Connor	McHugh
Wm	O'Commane
Laughlen	Tuohy
Donnogh	Hicky
Danniell	McConsidine
Thomas	McGrath
Harry	Cahane
Connor	O'Garry

 

Generally the first name in a townland seems to be the most important landowner. At least that is my impression. This seems to be a very Gaelic / Gaelicised townland.

Onnor Walsh is noted as a Widdow. It is likely that she is the Widow of Lewis Walsh who was recorded as owning land in the townland in the Civil Survey of 1654-56. She was also a daughter of Mortough Mac-I-brien. So this explains her surname among the more Gaelic names in the townland. She may be the mother of Edmund Walsh recorded in Carrigatoher.

William Bonfield is likely to have been an Gaelicised Anglo-Norman. See here https://www.libraryireland.com/names/d/de-buinbhiol.php

Connor McHugh may be a descendent of a Hugh in the townland or nearby?

William O’Commane is likely to be the surname today Commane and its variants. Interestingly it suggests it could also be translated / morphed into the surname Hurley https://www.libraryireland.com/names/oc/o-comain.php

We have a Tuohy which is one of the more populous surnames in the area with around ten people with that surname in the half-barony. There is also Hickey, Considine, McGrath & Cathalan. I’m not sure what the surname O’Garry is exactly but it may originate from the same surname as O’Gara.

https://www.libraryireland.com/names/og/o-gadhra.php

 

Edit: Michael De Roiste convincingly argues that it is actually Gohery - "O Gohery is from a small NorthTipperary/ Offaly sect of Ó Gothraidhe derived from the Norse first name Godefride."

The next available "Census" for the area is the Tithe Appointment Books 1824 - there have been big changes with none of the above names surviving in the townland.

 
https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?surname=&firstname=&county=Tipperary&townland=Monroe&parish=Youghalarra&search=Search&sort=&pageSize=&pager.offset=0

 

In the later Griffiths valuation – we find the Pierce Power Esq is the large landholder in the townland. So how did it go from the Walshs and O’Briens to the Powers?

Edit
Very interestingly John Gohery has a small holding in the Griffiths Valuation & Tithe Appointment Books. Could be he a descendant of Connor O'Garry that was recorded in the Hearth Money Rolls?

By 1901 it seems that Massy-Power is the continuation of this line. https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Youghalarra/Monroe/

In 1911 Massy-Power is no longer recorded in the townland.  
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Youghalarra/Monroe/

My own analysis of the rolls highlighting the Arra records.
https://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-hearth-money-rolls-in-half-barony.html?