Thursday, 23 January 2025

The "Lost" Castle of Annagh

Right on the border with Tipperary there was a large castle in the townland of Annagh in Co. Limerick. It was in the Barony of Owneybeg or part of Owney O'Mulryan - aka Ryan Country. 

The castle was the residence of William O'Mulryan who was one of the last chiefs of the O'Mulryan clan. 

On the Down Survey maps below we can clearly see an impressive building. 


And here.


In the Civil Survey for Limerick, the townland of Annagh is owned by a John Ryan Esqr (this may be William's Son) and the following is described there. 

"Annagh three qarters of land wth a Castle two Orchards and a mill seate". 

So somewhere between the 1650s and the 1840s it is completely destroyed without a trace. 

According to Tierney in "The Parish of Murroe & Boher", the lands were confiscated in the 1650s, firstly coming into the possession of Col. Richard Lawrence until 1666 when the lands were granted to Roger, Earl of Orrery. He was an absentee landlord.

Next a Sir Thomas Hackett leased the lands in 1673. Hackett was eventually declared bankrupt in 1700. George Evans later bought the lands and leased them to John Waltho and then Joseph Barrington. 
Finally in 1840 Sir Matthew Barrington bought the lands and they were held by that family until the 1920s. 

Sir Thomas Hackett's papers are available to view at Glenstal Abbey by appointment. 


It may be possible that there are some maps or references to the castle in those or in the Barrington papers which Tierney also references. 

It is not mentioned in the OS Name Books or Letters and is not marked on the 1840s OS maps.



 
When you look at the present day aerial photos for the area, normally even if a castle is destroyed above ground, you should be able to see some kind of crop-mark. Unfortunately it isn't apparent in pretty much any aerial views I have seen. 

Also there is the question of where did all the stone from the castle go? Was it reused somewhere and if so where? 

There is one aerial view that is from the dry spell in 2020 that maybe is a clue. 




It is however less clear when you zoom in. 



And on other aerial views. 



So is this the location of this Ryan castle and what happened for it to be completely demolished? 

Local historian Pakie Ryan, in a personal communication, also informed me that a field directly across from the medieval church in Annagh was known locally as "The Castle Field". 
However this field doesn't seem to be in the correct location in relation to the Down Survey maps (which were fairly accurate). However it is the local knowledge so can't be discounted.  



Sunday, 19 January 2025

Ryans - "To Hell or to Connacht"

'Confiscation cannot take away a right'

(The O'Donoghue to Sir Marmaduke Travers in Charles Lever's Novel The O'Donoghue, 1845) via Marnane's From Landed Estates to Family Farms. Land Ownership in Tipperary

See this wikipedia link for more about the Act for the Settlement of Ireland 

Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 - Wikipedia

I have been working on trying to figure out the original townland names for as many of the Ryans that feature in Simington's Transplantation to Connacht and tieing in where they were scheduled to be transplanted to. 

That has expanded out a little to include those mentioned in O'Mahoneys paper in the North Munster Antiquarian Journal - "Cromwellian Transplantation from Limerick"

This is the spreadsheet tracking the work below. Those coloured red I have been able to identify placename wise and have written about. 

Link here

If anyone can identify any of the placenames I haven't been able to find, let me know. It would be a great help. 

The links below are to the individual placenames / individuals. 

Turraheen 

Ballyoughter

Mongfune

Clonalough

Tullow

Attybrick

Allengort

Ballyhourigan

Drumbane

Glenculloo / Bauraglanna 

Cooldotia

Ballycahane

Oakhampton

Cragg

Mogland

Finnahy

Glengar

Sadlierswell

Sunday, 12 January 2025

Civil Survey Notes - Allengort

 

In the Civil Survey we have the following owners for Aghluggart.

Richard Laffan of Newtown Esqr.

Donogh Ryan of Aghluggart

Donogh Ryan of Allengort is listed in Simington’s Transplantation to Connacht to be transplanted to Feacle (Upper) in Co. Clare.

There are Ryans recorded in the Griffiths Valuation for Feacle Parish in Clare but no one that stands out as a potential descendant of a displaced Ryan (ie with a larger than normal holding).

We don’t have a Hearth Money Roll for the townland so we can’t compare that to see if Donogh Ryan is still in Allengort in 1665/66/67.

In the Tithe Applotments there are no Ryans recorded.

https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?county=Tipperary&parish=Moyaliff&townland=Allengort&search=Search



In the Griffiths Valuation for Allengort there is only one Ryan with a small holding.  

There is however still a Ryan in the 1901 census for the townland.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Gortkelly/Allengort/1703792/

And still in 1911

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Gortkelly/Allengort/1703792/

So we don’t really know what became of this Donogh Ryan in Allengort. Whatever happened to him it is likely that his descendants didn’t prosper but they may at least have survived.

Friday, 10 January 2025

Civil Survey Notes - Cooldotia

 

This is a very interesting one.

In the Civil Survey –

John Ryan of Lissnaselly Gent is the owner of Cooldotia townland. Simington in the Transplantation to Connacht records a John Ryan of Cooledoty to be transplanted to Kilseily (Lr.) in Tulla Barony in Co. Clare.

In the Griffiths Valuation for Kilseily there are a number of Ryans recorded in the Parish.

Next we see if any Ryans remained in Cooldotia in Tipperary.

There is one Ryan in the Tithe Applotments for Cooldotia here

https://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/search/tab/results.jsp?county=Tipperary&parish=Ballycahill&townland=Cooldotia&search=Search

There are no Ryans in the Griffiths Valuation in Cooldotia.

Could this suggest John Ryan went to Clare?

What is really interesting is that a much more in depth review has been done on this John Ryan in Richard Fitzpatricks thesis

THE RYANS OF INCH AND THEIR WORLD: A CATHOLIC GENTRY FAMILY FROM DISPOSSESSION TO INTEGRATION, C.1650–1831

https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/13793/

Callinan seems to suggest in the Four Tipperary Septs that John Ryan of Lisnasella is a son of Teige McShane Glas O’Mulryan who in turn was a son of Shane Glass Mulryan, “Captain” of his Country and that subsequently the Ryans of Inch descend from him.

However Fitzpatrick disagrees with this. He states (pg 21-22)

“The Ryans’ exact relationship to this individual and his successors is unclear. The Tipperary antiquarian, Dr Martin Callanan, has stated that the Ryans were descended from Shane Glasse’s younger son Teige of Lisnasella. This conclusion is based on the fact the Ryans were in possession of Lisnasella by 1641. Conversely, a family pedigree completed in 1708 makes no reference to Teige of Lisnasella or Shane Glasse. Instead, it records the Ryans’ descent from an individual named Art, son of John. This former individual was a small freeholder in Kilnelongurty in 1611 at the same time Teige McShane Glasse was in possession of the lands of Lisnasella. Despite the uncertainty of their exact lineage, it is clear that the Ryans were not the successors of Shane Glasse. This distinction was held by the latter individual’s grandson, also called Shane Glasse, who was in possession of the clan’s old mensal lands by 1611”

Basically Fitzpatrick says in his thesis that the predecessors of the Ryans of Inch managed to actually gain lands “via the new legal system and socio-economic environment” in the early 1600s and by 1641 John Ryan of Lissnadella & Cooldotia owned 720 acres.

How then did he end up having a transplantation decree written against him? He suggests that he must have been involved in the rebellion in 1641 (Pg 24)

“What evidence that has emerged from the surrounding area, albeit circumstantial (from the 1641 Depositions for example), does point to their involvement: a kinsman from Lisnasella and most of their neighbours are directly incriminated. The family’s connection to Baron Theobald Purcell would also suggest that they were drawn into the conflict at an early stage”

Fitzpatrick says that this John Ryan was likely given a dispensation to remain in Tipperary. He looks at a number of factors that may have influenced this.

He was one of the panel of local men used to confirm the particulars of the Civil Survey.

The inquisition into Kilnelongurty was the last carried out in county Tipperary and by this stage the impetus was beginning to leave the transplantation plan.

Lands also had to be surveyed for confiscation and incredibly two of John Ryan’s sons actually married two daughters of one of the surveyors (Dr Patrick Raggett) who was carrying out the survey of the lands in the area.

(Pg 27) “Given the de-population that had already occurred in county Tipperary due to transplantation, and that John Ryan resided in the area Raggett was reviewing, there is reason to suspect that Ryan may have received a second or extended dispensation in order to accompany Raggett during his surveying work. Indeed, it was reported that the territory of Kilnelongurty had been de-populated to such an extent that ‘Four native Irish recently removed to Connacht were ordered to return to assist in the surveying of the barony’”

Later Fitzpatrick says (Pg 30)

“Even so, the gears of the administrative apparatus in Ireland ground on, and in May 1656 Ryan was allotted 239 plantation acres of land in Coolagh in the parish of Kilseily, barony of Tullough, Co. Clare. It appears that Ryan resided on his new estate for less than a year, because in March 1657 he provided an individual named Richard Bentley with a power of attorney to oversee his lands in the parish of Kilseily. John Ryan is not recoded in the ‘1659 Census’ of Co. Clare, but it is unclear whether or not he had returned to county Tipperary before 1660. However, what is known is that Ryan’s second and youngest son, Daniel, did not transplant and remained in the Thurles area.”

This seems to be at Fortena and he is listed in the Hearth Money Rolls 1665/66/67 here – 



And in Penders Census 1659 here – 



(Pg 33)

“The Ryans, therefore, might have remained barbaric papists in the eyes of their English counterparts, but they were also willing to lease land and pay rents under less than ideal circumstances. In essence, practical economic necessity had trumped uncompromising ideology. The authorities for their part called an effective halt to the transplantation initiative in June 1657, frustrated by the sheer scale and confusion. generated by the task at hand, and in a face-saving move proclaimed it a success. Catholics were given a final deadline of between three and six months to take up their new estates across the River Shannon or forfeit their claims and face banishment overseas. Whether every transplantee rigidly adhered to the terms of the 1657 act and remained in Connacht is doubtful.”

These Ryans Fitzpatrick suggests also were friends with the Purcells of Loughmore and this may have helped in them remaining and prospering following this period.

John Ryan hoped that following the restoration of King Charles II, that he would be reinstated in his former lands. This didn’t happen but they did eventually end up purchasing and leasing more lands.

John Ryan did take possession of the lands in Clare and Fitzpatrick records the following (pg 55) (Teige is John’s son).

“Teige Ryan mortgaged his estate in Connacht to Edmond Ryan of Cashel in 1677. The original allotment of 239 acres had been reduced to 101 acres. The reduction was probably due to the claims of Henry Bridgman, who was in dispute with John Ryan over the lands in 1656.”

We even have some details from this John’s will. (p60)

His will, of 25 May 1666, was written ‘at myne owne house at Rossmult’ within touching distance of his old estate, and confirms the idea that many dispossessed landowners died on or near their old lands as much reduced tenants. However, the document was produced in a context that offered a father in failing health a glimmer of hope for the posterity of his line. Rosmult was the small portion of land Capt. Mathew sold to Daniel Ryan, and since Mathew had had this land confirmed to him the day before John Ryan wrote his will, this would strongly suggest that the sale of Rosmult was a contemporaneous and celebrated event. It can be supposed, therefore, that Ryan wrote his will with some satisfaction on his family’s new estate. Added to this, he would have known other matters pertaining to land were afoot, as Daniel Ryan was positioning himself to buy Inch at this time. He petitioned the Court of Claims shortly after his father’s death on behalf of Anne Ball to have her landholdings at Inch confirmed and was duly granted in March 1668. Thus, John Ryan passed away surrounded by his wife and their young daughter, in his own house on the family’s new estate; circumstances that must have gone some way towards softening the successive disappointments he experienced over the previous decade and a half.”

So from this we can see how much more detail can behind my simple analysis and we see that John Ryan of Cooldotia did go to Connacht for a time but ended up dying near his old confiscated lands in Tipperary.   

Wednesday, 8 January 2025

Civil Survey Notes - Glengar

 


There was a location called Glandar in Simington’s Transplantation to Connacht that I couldn’t figure out for a while. However an old map that my friend Margaret O’Sullivan sent me from some time in the 1600s I’d say, shows a townland called Glangar, when I researched exactly where it was, it is the current townland of Glengar in the Civil Parish of Doon. This seems to me to be a likely candidate for it.

In the Civil Survey for the townland (Glanegare) the following are recorded.

Wm. oge Ryan of Solloghood in the Barony of Clan Wm. Esqr

Wrn. Ryan of Glangare Gent.

Teige Ryan of Glangare

Derby Ryan of Gortnaskehy.

 

So in Simington we have a William Fitz Connor Ryan of Glandar who is scheduled for transplantation to Kilcummin in Galway. Could this be the Wm. Ryan of Glangare mentioned above in the Civil Survey? It would also suggest that his fathers name is Conor Ryan.

In the Griffiths Valuation for Kilcummin in Galway  there are no Ryans at all recorded.

So does mean he never went? Unfortunately we don’t have Hearth Money Roll records for Glengar to see if he may have stayed around. The next record is the Tithe Applotments.  

There are Ryans in the townland in the Tithe Applotments.

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



There are still Ryans in the townland in the Griffiths Valuation.

And in the 1901 census

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Glengar/Glengar/

And 1911 census.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Glengar/Glengar/

So based on these records we don’t really know if William Fitz Conor Ryan went to Connacht or stayed in Tipperary. We can’t be 100% sure that Glandar is actually Glengar but I think it fits.

Tuesday, 7 January 2025

Civil Survey Notes - Attybricke

 


Attybricke is mentioned a number of times in the Civil Survey but doesn’t get its own entry. I think it may be included as part of Ballysynod which is a large area of almost 1000 acres.

In it is recorded a

Teig Ryan of Attybricke

He is said to own

“The sd Teige Ryan of Attybrick pprietor. of one colpe acre & two thirds of a colpe acre by descent from his Ancestors.”

In Simington’s Transplantation to Connaught a Teige O’Mullrean of Athybricke is scheduled to be transplanted to Killokennedy (Lr.) Kilmurry.

In Penders 1659 census there is a Teige Ryane gent recorded in Killogenedy – Hillegy.

In the Griffiths Valuation for Killokennedy there are a number of Ryans.

Including two in Killeagy –

One a Benjamin Ryan renting 122 acres from a John Sampson. So it would be interesting to hear from his descendants.




By the time of 1901 census there are still Ryans in Tilleagy .

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Clare/Killodennedy/Tilleagy_Goonan/

 

Including two Benjamin Ryans.

And the same in the 1911 census.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Clare/Killokennedy/Killeagy__Goonan_/

 

Attybricke in the Tithe Applotments

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

There are no Ryans.

In the Griffiths Valuation for Attybricke there is one Ryan. 



In the 1901 Census there are still Ryans

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Tipperary/Kilpatrick/Attybrick/

And in 1911 also.

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Tipperary/Kilpatrick/Attybrick/

So there were still Ryans in Attybrick into the 1911 census.

We can’t know for sure if Teige O’Mullrean was transplanted to Clare, however it is interesting to find Benjamin Ryan in the locality where he may have been transplanted to. 

So any descendants of the various Benjamins that continued down into the 1911 census would definitely be worth a DNA test to see where they originated from.

Thursday, 2 January 2025

Civil Survey Notes - Mogland

 

In Simmington's Transplantation to Connacht a John Ryan with a location Glanishynavy alias Mocklane is listed for transplantation to two locations in Galway – Kilcummin & Killannin.

Figuring this placename out took a bit of work. Help from the Irish Placenames Research group suggested that Mocklane was Mogland today.

When I went to look for this area in the Civil Survey there was only one mention of a Moghlan but not record under that name.

Luckily in the same section there is a Glyssinivie and its locational description is pretty much where Mogland is shown on the Down Survey maps.

Glyyssinive would have a similar pronunciation to Glanishynavy.

In the Civil Survey in Glyssinive we have the following

John Ryan of Glissinniuie

Teige Ryan

Daniell Ryan of ye same

 

So we have found the John Ryan listed in the transplantation decrees.

Did he go to Connacht?

In the Griffiths Valuation for Kilcummin in Galway  there are no Ryans at all recorded.

However in Fahy in Killannin there is just one, a John Ryan recorded in the 1840s owning his land “in fee”. From looking at lots of Ryan records in the Griffiths valuation, this is fairly rare.

 


There are Ryans still in Fahy down to the 1901 / 1911 census.

 

Could this be a direct descendant of John Ryan from Mogland?

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Galway/Wormhole/Fahy/

https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Galway/Wormhole/Fahy/

 

Back in Tipperary in the Hearth Money Rolls the following are returned for Mogland (Moglane)

1665

Keadagh Ryan

Daniel Roe Ryan

1666/1667

Melaghlin Rian

Darby Rian

John Rian

Donnell McKye

Edmund Rian

Keadah Rian

Connor Trassy

Thomas Commin

two wast howses

Darby Reagh

 

So there are still lots of Ryans there and also a John Rian. So did he stay or did he go? There is probably only one way to know for sure.

It would be very interesting to make contact with any Ryans living in Fahy / their descendants in Galway. If they took a Y-DNA test we would be able to confirm if indeed they are descendants of John Ryan of Mogland.

It may just be a coincidence but I think the trail is fairly strong.

1766 Census for Abington

1766 Census for Abington, Co. Limerick.xlsx