Civil Parish record details , used pre 20th century …later DED divisions are used in census records
Explanation of administrative divisions such as D.E.D.s , Civil Parishs and Baronies , also some information on land measurement …
Cong Civil Parish
Click on map for a detailed townland index map . . . .
Tithe Applotments (1823-38) Exact Locations unknown but in this parish.
Islands associated with this parish. |
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Cow Island | Easter Island |
Easter Rock Island | Flower Island |
Rabbit Island | Saints Island |
Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary 1837.
The Cong entry in Lewis Topographical Dictionary of 1837
CONG
A post-town and parish, partly in the barony of Ross, county of GALWAY,
but chiefly in that of KILMAINE, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT,
19 miles (S.) from Castlebar, and 121 (w.) from Dublin; containing 8378
inhabitants. This place, though now only an inconsiderable village, was
formerly a town of some importance, and the ancient residence of the kings
of Connaught. A monastery, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded
here by St. Fechan, who died in 664 though by some writers its foundation
is ascribed to Donald, son of Æd, nephew of Amirach, King of Ireland,
who is said to have made St. Fechan .its first abbot.
Little further is recorded of its history till 1134, when a great part
of the town was burnt and the abbey plundered by the people of Munster.
Roderic O’Connor, the last native king of all Ireland, spent the last 15
years of his life in seclusion within this monastery, where he died on the
29th of November, 1198, in the 82nd year of his age; he was interred at
Clonmacnois. In 1201 the town and monastery were plundered by William de
Burgo, who repeated his ravages in 1204 ; and in 1310, the town was plundered
by Hugh Breifneach.
The family of De Burgo afterwards became munificent benefactors to the
abbey, to which they nave ample endowments in land, and it continued to
flourish till the dissolution. Queen Elizabeth granted part of its possessions
to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin; and Jas. I. granted
a lease of the abbey to Sir John King, Knt., ancestor of the present Earl
of Kingston.
The town is situated on an island formed by the several openings of a
subterraneous river that flows from Lough Mask into Lough Corrib ; the principal
of these openings rises in a great body from a depth of 73 feet, forming
a powerful eddy which turns two large mills, and the approaches are over
three bridge. It consists of two streets of small houses, of which the greater
number are thatched, and has a sub-post-office to Ballinrobe. There are
two large mills, the property Mr. John Thompson, erected about 40 years
since, and each grinding on an average 300 tons of wheat annually.
Fairs are held at Funshinough in May and September; and petty sessions
are held every Saturday alternately for Mayo and Galway.
The parish comprises 17,622 acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of
which about 240 are woodland, 480 mountain and bog, and, with the exception
of about one-fifth, which is waste, the remainder is good arable and pasture
land, chiefly under tillage, and producing excellent crops; that which is
in pasture, lying upon a substratum Of limestone, feeds a large number of
sheep and goats.
Limestone is everywhere found, rising in many places above the surface
; and there are quarries of the finest description of building stone,
which is sent to most parts of the adjacent counties, for which Lough
Corrib, navigable for 20 miles to Galway for boats of 10 tons’ burden,
affords a facility of conveyance.
The gentlemen’s seats are
- Strand Hill, the residence of T. Elwood, Esq.;
- Garracloone, of R. Blake, Esq.;
- Ballymagibbon, of J. Fynn, Esq.;
- Blake Hill, of Mrs. Blake;
- Ashford, of Lord Oranmore ;
- Royal Rock, of the Rev. M. Waldron ;
- Houndswood, of Martin D’Arcy, Esq.;
- the glebe-house, of the Rev. E. L. bloore.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and in the
patronage of the Archbishop : the rectory is partly impropriate in Sir R.
A. O’Donel, Bart., as representative of the abbot of Cong, and partly appropriate
to the prebend of Killabegs in the cathedral of Tuam. The tithes amount
to £489. 4. 7 1/2 , of which £18. 9. 2 3/4. is payable to the
prebendary, and the remainder to the incumbent : the impropriate tithes
are not under composition. The glebehouse was built by aid of a gift or
£400 and a loan of £380 from the same Board, in 1817 , the glebe
comprises 25 1/2 acres. The church. a neat edifice with a small square tower,
and in good repair, was erected by aid of a loan of £640 from the
late Board of First Fruits, in 1811.
.The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church
; the chapel is a handsome edifice, in the later English style, with a square
tower surmounted with a cross. The parochial school is under the Tuam Diocesan
Societv, aided by an annual donation from the incumbent; a school at Ballymabibbon
is supported by John Fynn, Esq. ; one at Funshinough is aided by Martin
D’Arcy, Esq. : and there is a national school at Carrokeel. Aboat 430 children
are instructed in these schools ; and there are also four pay schools, in
which are about 150 children; and a dispensary
. There is an ancient cross in the centre of the town, and the ruins
of several churches are still to be seen here. Spars of various colours
are found, and the neighbourhood abounds with natural curiosities. Lough
Mask, which is on much higher ground than Lough Corrib, discharges its superfluous
waters into the latter by subterraneous channels, which, from the openings
in the limestone, may in several places be seen flowing at a great depth
below the surface. The most remarkable of these openings is the. Pigeon
Hole, which is of great depth : a descent to it is formed by 63 steps, and
at the bottom the water rushes with great violence and noise till it is
again lost in the dark recesses of the cavern, which extends to a considerable
distance ; in the middle of the stream is a small eel weir. There are several
other caverns in the limestone range, of which Kelly’s Cave and the Lady’s
Buttery have their roofs fantastically encrusted. In Lough Corrib is the
island of Innisduras, containing c1,9 acres and about 20 inhabitants. Near
the glebe-house are the ruins of four druidical circles.
Field Name books from 1840’s
The shrule.com placename database covers the Poor Law Unions of Ballinrobe and Tuam roughly a 15 kilometer radius centered on Shrule , the townland database covers most of Connaught in lesser detail .
When searching for a placename type some or all of the word and click search. If you are unsure of the spelling try a part of the word . For example the placename Mocharra sounds like Moharra so if you search for arra you should find it. For example a placename record ( eg Rostaff ) gives the townland ( eg Moyne ) and the civil parish ( eg Shrule ) .
Civil Parish details available :: 40
Abbeyknockmoy , Annaghdown , Athenry , Belclare , Ballinchalla , Ballinrobe , Cargin , Clonbern , Claregalway , Cong (Galway) , Cummer , Dunmore , Donaghpatrick , Kilbennon , Kilconla , Kilmoylan , Kilcoona , Killeany , Killursa , Kilkilvery , Killower , Lackagh , Moylough , Monivea , Killererin , Tuam , Ballinchalla , Ballyovey , Ballinrobe , Ballintober , Cong , Kilcommon , Kilmolara , Kilmainebeg , Kilmainemore , Moorgagagh , Mayo , Robeen , Shrule , Unknown , more to come . . . .Barony details available
Clare , Kilmaine , more to come . . . .Poor Law Unions details available
Tuam , Ballinrobe , more to come . . . .Land divisions and Administration
Go to the Map Resources page for descriptions and explanations of the land divisions used in genealogy plus explanations of terms etc…
Civil Parish Maps
There are two general index maps of the Civil Parishes , one for South Mayo and the other for North Galway . These correspond roughly to the Baronies of Kilmaine (Co Mayo ) and Clare (Co Galway) and show the civil parish boundaries and parish locations in relation to each other.
Townland Index maps .
Official O.S. townland names in Shrule parish
Unknown , Ballisnahyny , Ballycurrin Demesne , Ballynalty , Brackloon , Brodullagh North , Brodullagh South , Bunnafollistran , Cahernabrock , Cloghmoyne , Cloonbanaun , Commons , Cullagh , Dalgan Demesne , Glasvally , Gortatober , Gortbrack , Kinlough , Mocollagan , Mocorha , Mounthenry , Moyne , Ramolin , Rooaunalaghta , Shrule , Shrule Town , Toorard , Cornehan , if the place you seek is not here it’s not an official townland name , search or select the parish link to see all placenames in that parish.
There are townland index maps for Shrule and the surrounding civil parishes available below . They show the townland boundaries and main features of the Civil Parish . They can be useful in locating adjacent townlands or parishes to the one you may be researching.