INDEX

Carlow County - Ireland Genealogical Projects (IGP TM)


Ballon
Co. Carlow


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RANDOM NOTES

THESE notes were collected over a period of many years, and though they lack order are recorded here for the information they contain. Wherever possible the name of the person from whom the notes were taken is given, together with the date. The notes are reproduced as they were written down at the time, and in the idiom of the various people who supplied them.

Tobins And Carthys

Ballon Parish. Frank Tobin, Boggan, 23 October '54. G. Rouse Keogh, father of Col. Keogh. Baileys lived at Arthur Websters, Sherwood Park. Mrs. Power, John Power. Laneway from the head of the Pottle to Jim Fitzpatrick's, Kilbride and Harry Nolan's. The lane goes through James Fitzpatrick's land, leads to Henry Nolan's, formerly Charles Rickey's. Long Tom was the father of.........., 23 stone weight. A brother of old Mrs. Griffin. Long Tom told that he was bringing an ass and trap to Kilbride forge, Tom Murphy's, or was at the forge. Col, Keogh enquired who owned the trap. He went home and raised the rent on Fitzpatricks.

John's house was in the parish of Barragh one time. Also Carthys, Boggan. The boundary came through Tobins' yard.

Bishop Brownrigg

Whelans were here before Tobins. Old Mrs. Whelan was an aunt of Bishop Brownrigg. She reared him here and sent him to school. His father was a Protestant who married a second time. The bishop belonged to the first wife, nee Roche. Frank never heard of the children of the second wife. Mrs. Whelan was Brigid Brownrigg who became a Catholic when she married. Tom Whelan had a mill. He went to Ballon school on an ass. He went to Tullow from Maurice Neill’s, Ballymogue. His stepmother was nee Conroy from there.

Tom Whelan bought this place in bad times for £400. He limed it. He was from Kilmish; related to the big Frank Whelans there. Andy Whelan, butcher, Clonegal, a distant relative.

Col. Keogh evicted Johnny Tobin once when Ned was three days old. The mother was carried out and left outside. Mick Byrne, Ballour, uncle of the present writer, broke in the door and got in Mrs. Tobin. Fr. Kehoe, P.P., Ballon, got back the house and land. The rent had been £75. Fr. Kehoe got it down to £50. While Fr. Kehoe was ill in bed, Col. Keogh had raised it. Frank's father, Mick, went to Fr. Kehoe who went to the Colonel Fr. Kehoe told Mick Tobin that Col. Keogh would never raise the rent again. Col. Keogh died soon after.

Fr. Joe Griffin, P.P., states: Col. Keogh came to Fitz-patricks and heard from them that he had given them a long lease. He was so enraged that he lay down in the yard and frothed....is a nephew of Frank Tobin, 7 January 1955. The Powers who lived where Kavanaghs were on Boggan Hill were proud and would not let in the priest on Station morning. They shut the door. Clonegal parish came to there. This was about 100 years ago. Clonegal parish came to the butt of Boggan Hill. Tobins' house was in Barragh parish and the shed in Ballon parish. The Powers who lived there before Kavanaghs were a bad luck set. The priest hit the door with the whip. Baileys had a pack of hounds; they bit every cow in the place.

The Powers were distantly related to the Powers of Carrig. Walls are between Fitzpatricks and the river under the house. Ask Mrs. Jordan, Ballinvalley or Jim Coleman, Ballon. Pat Blanche, 13 June, 1948. Pat was at Fr. Kehoe P.P.'s funeral. He waited for it at Byrne's gate, Ballinadrum. Pat began 54 years in Ballykealy, 5 June, 1888. He received 16/- for three months. He went to Pat Doolin’ Cross. Fail Nolan owned the place before Pat [recte Tim] Doolin.

Tom Fetherson, tailor, went there in the seventies; no land. Will McDonald, an uncle of Pat Blanche, lived there after Tom Fetherson. Pat never heard he had a son a priest. McDonalds went to Dublin. Pat or Pat's father did three years previous to that riding horses and working at drains. Women got plenty of work and grub, plenty of milk. Better times than now when the youth of the county have so much money and can put it in their pockets. Pat was at the present writer's grandfather's and grandmother's wake.

Fail Nolans

Tomlinsons lived at Sraugh. Fail Nolans had an acre of a commons on Ballon Hill, opposite Billy Corrigan's. Conways built where Morris's are. Mahon was the landlord of Ballon, Fr. McDonald was son of an R.I.C. man. Pat met him at a Feis in Muinebheag about forty years ago. He was with Mrs. Whyte. He was a friend of Joe Whyte, Mill Lane, Carlow. Alex was another brother. He was ordained in Rome. He was related also to Pat Smith who was a first cousin of Pat. Fr. Cecil........used to come to Smith's, Ballinadrum. Would this be the priest my uncle Jimmy refers to as son of Will McDonald? The Fr. McDonald Jimmy refers to is much older. Will McDonald had only one son, Eddie. A younger son was scalded at Craanpursheen.

Old Mr. Burke, the teacher, was from Rathvilly. Miss Kate Hoey belonged to the Hoeys of Leighlinbridge and Carlow. They are in Leighlin still.

When the bell was hung in Myshall, it was rung by Fr. Cummins. This annoyed the bigots. Major Brady came down furious and ordered Fr. Cummins not to ring the bell. Fr. Cummins refused to obey and said there would be a bell ringing there that would be heard for miles around when there would not be the name of Brady. This from Miss Kate Kennedy, farmers, who lived over Myshall under Bradys. She had it from her father.

Fails had only one acre. They got into Sraugh. There was no free sale, no ownership in property, no fair rent or fixity of tenure. They were always honourable.

Johnny Neill

Johnny Neill, 13 March, 1949. Malones, Ardristan, lived at the bridge, Rathmore, now Burgess'. Baileys may have lived at Malones'. Were those Mahers of Ardristan from Kellistown? Two or three Fitzpatricks also lived where P. Nolan, the carpenter, lives, the thatched house. One of these was executed.

Neills, now Nolans, lived in Tullow parish,   18 acres. Bounds ditch, waste bank of ground marked........Mat Neill knew this family ........ hanged in Carlow.

Coughlans,  Rathrush, lived where Dwyers are......A Mrs. Coughlan, Rathrush, was buried in Kellistown, aged 109. Farms changed hands very quickly, especially moderately-sized farms. The sale day came after the harvest. Tenants took off the crop and helped by the neighbours brought it off in the night and threshed it, that is if they had not the rent handy. There is a Kilmurry near Gilbertstown. There was an old chapel there.

Harveys from Co. Wicklow lived here. They had a priest in the family who used to visit here; he never lived here. A man who came with them worked afterwards with Ned Nolan, Ballon, Lar's father. Mrs. Paddy Nolan knew him. He was called Jack Harney but that was not his real name. Donnellys lived in a thatched house near Pat Whelans........The father was Jim Donnelly. They were succeeded by Martin who was probably from Conaberry. Jer Nowlan's grandfather was Garret and Martin was Garret's uncle. Martin married; his wife died and his family left him. Lieut. Anderson, V.C. in 1914 war was a descendant of some of Martin's family; two or three went out to England. Dan Brien of Knockballestein, a nephew of Maurice Neill, Ardristan, told this. He is good at family history. Dan's wife is a sister of Mrs. Tom Brophy, Kellistown.

Jerry Nowlan is a second cousin of Johnny Neill. Johnny's grandmother was Margaret Nowlan, Conaberry and grand-aunt of Jerry from where Jerry lives now. Uncle Mat's mother was Margaret Nolan and his wife was Margaret Nolan. A Nolan family lived in Killane, formerly P. J. Kealy's place. P. J. sold it to Dan Jordan of Coolasneachta, father of Dan who lives at widow Nolan's, Killane. This .... Nolan married Miss .... Doolin, Closh, sister of Tom and Miss Liz Doolin, Closh. ... Nolan was a relative of Fr. P. F. Nolan, P.P., Ballon. There were Doolins in the Land League field, Murtagh Doolin and his son James. Their names are on an old lease. First possessor of lands across the road was Murtagh Doolin and his son James. The lands passed from them to Tom Kelly. [Uncle Jimmy Swain used to speak of Nancy Doolin, a woman who used to go round to the houses]. They used to come down the lane from the old house. There were several houses down there.

It was the same down in the Commons. Wilsons, now Donohoes, was made up of a lot of small farms made into one. Probably the same was true of the Land League. That land and James Corrigan's, Ballinvalley, belonged to the estate of Susan M. Lee. Johnny Neill saw a map showing the boundary of these two farms, red-lined. John Kealy left Ballinvalley at the Plan of Campaign and never got back. He came in as an evicted tenant into Brewsters, formerly Clowrys, Ballintrane.

Just below Ned Doolin's garden, an ancestor of P. J. Kealy lived in one of two thatched houses there and worked in Ballykealy. He became very confidential with Lecky. Lecky's agent lived where Tommy Byrne lives. Kealy worked into Lecky'b good graces and got into that house. Kealy might have been Lecky's agent's name. Kelly came from Tullaroan and married Miss Kealy, aunt of grand-aunt of P. J. Kealy. Johnny can't say where John Kealy was born or how Pat Kealy acquired Ballinvalley. He had not it long. The Land League was in possession at the time of the ploughing match.

Mick Power's, Johnny Neill's and Andy Kearney's are the estate of More O'Farrell. The three houses are built in the same position, the same distance from the road and the same type of avenue. The landlord or someone for him must have built all three. Miss Hennessy was the mother of the four Fail Nolans. Tornlinsons lived in Ballymogue before Conroys. There is a Miss Tomlinson still in Mill Park. If the three houses were built, at the same time, they are built long over 100 years. There was an older house in Kilmurry here.

Terence Fenelon's wife is a niece of Miss Maggie Brophy. ......Kehoe, probably John, father of Miss Fenelon, died suddenly at Carlow Railway Station on a fair day. Conroys were originally where Mrs. Harry Nolan died in Conaberry, half a mile from the road. Though there is a William Conroy on the tombstone in.....Mrs. Nolan could not make out who he was. She could not go back farther than John Conroy who had a son John who was married twice, first to Miss O'Leary from Grange, and second to Miss Redmond from Gorey. He acquired Quirkes' place and where Johnny was born; all the one farm 90 or 100 acres. There were Conroys of Drisogue and another family where Johnny Carroll lives. Tomlinsons owned Quirkes' land and Johnny's before Conroys. Conroys are buried a few yards above the old church.

Connors, Ballinrush, are buried near them. Are they the same Connors who were shot in 1798? Wilsons was a collection of small farms. Ned Murphy's people, Clonross, on the Croppy Road to Ballinrush were evicted from The Commons. A good many of those who were evicted were from Carrigslaney Commons, went towards Myshall. Connor may have been another.

Right behind the old church are remains of an old church and three flat tombs over the graves of three clergymen. One is Father Brett; another a priest named Murphy, probably belonging to the parish and died away.

Frank Kinsella's father, Pat, came from a house 200 or 300 yards at this side of the Closh, Carlow. He held the lands there. They are the same as Kinsellas of the Barn. Condells were there after and then Leech. Bernard Gorman is there now, married to Kate Dooley, Carrig, sister of Mick Dooley who was deaf. Bernard is building the factory ... Edward Conroy, Drisogue's father lived where Tom Kavanagh is now. He owned the land above the old cemetery, now owned by Jim Corrigan. The property passed from Conroys to Nolans, old Ned and Larry, his son, and Ally, his daughter. Edward used to say: Nolans took it from us. Old Ned was rent-warner. Richard Conroy was Edward's father.

Miss Lecky, Ballykealy, a Quaker, was very good to the poor in 1847. She paid Conroy and he supplied the poor with yellow meal stirabout. He used to carry it out in tubs. There was a Market House somewhere above the Post Office, and the people used to sit in the Market House and eat the stirabout. There are two long stones at Johnny Neill's, Ballymogue, which used to hold up the Market House. His father drew them down to Ballydrisogue.

Ned Nolan was a brother of Peter Nolan of the New Road, father of John and James whom the present writer knew. Ned Nolan owned the field opposite the school Fr. Kehoe wanted it for a cow but was refused. Fr. Kehoe left Ballon and built the parochial house in Rathoe. Mrs. Nolan, Kilnock, was Ned's daughter. All this should be investigated.

Ellen Connors, Sraugh, related to Denny Walsh's wife, nee Nolan born in Ardristan or Aghade, rather where P. Nolan, her nephew, is now. He was a grandson of Miss Connors. Mrs. Denny Walsh's mother, a Miss Connors, Kilnock, married a Moore of Grange, Johnny thinks, an only daughter. After a year or two of marriage the husband died. They had one child and she had to leave Grange and come back to Kilnock and then she married Pat Cummins of Killane, brother of old Terence. He died and then she married William Nolan of Rosslea. After a year or two she died and he married Miss Nolan, Ballon.

Tom Treacy's mother was Maria Cummins, daughter of Pat Cummins. Moores are there still, probably the same as Sheppards. One of the Moores asked someone to show him Tom Treacy, his first cousin. They had the same grandmother, Miss Connors. Tom and young Cummins are second cousins. The old home of Cummins in Killane possibly where Peter Brophy is living. There were Cummins of Turtane and Cummins of Moanmore, all sprung from the piece of land 30 or 40 acres that Miss Carthy had before she died near Crowe's Cross and the late Ned Canavan's cottage. Miss Carthy was a niece of.......Cummins. Crowe's Cross is at the Fenagh side of Burren bridge on the way from Ballon to Fenagh. Cornie Kennedy was from around there. He had a daughter Winnie in Dublin at the time he died. His wife was Miss Fetherson, Carrig.

Bishop Kinsella of Ossory

Johnny Nolan's wife of Killane was ..... Madge Doolin, aunt of Pat and. Liz, and sister of Tom on land now owned by Dan Jordan just beyond Peter Brophy's. There is no sign of a residence that he knows. Fr. Nolan's people were called the Badger Nolans. There were Nolans in Sandbrook, Jimmy and Harry, called the Ballybricks, related to the Badgers. They lived one time where Mrs. Kinsella lives. Jimmy was the father of Henry in Conaberry and Johnny in Carrigslaney.

Henry Nolan, Sandbrook, married twice, married last to Miss ... Kavanagh, Craaninore. Harry died and Pat came from near Carlow and married the widow, Mrs. Nolan. Mrs. Kinsella, nee Kavanagh, was mother of Prank Kinsella and aunt of Mrs. Mat Neill, Kilmurry. Both their mothers were Kavanaghs. John Kinsella, Rathrush's father was Pat, but Johnny Neill never heard of any relation between them. Kinsellas, Carlow, were evicted from where McDermots or Nolans are. The place Pat Kinsella came from was afterwards called Condells of the Barn; there was a nice barn there. Doyles of Ballinacarrig, now Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan, nee Doyle, was formerly O'Briens from Carlow. Browne-Clayton made the match between Pat Kinsella and Mrs. or Miss Nolan, nee Kavanagh. Browne-Clayton lived in Sandbrook, landlord of Carlow and Sandbrook. Very friendly with the Kinsellas, cousins of Frank Kinsella. Dr. William Kinsella, Bishop of Ossory belonged to Frank Kinsella's family.

Andy Doyle, Fr. Peter's father, was first cousin of Maurice and Pat O'Neill, Ardristan. Their mother was .... Hickey from Grange where Tom Dwyer lives. Jack Shiel, recte Fitzpatrick whose mother's name was Shiel, married into Patrick Kellys. Patrick worked all his life at Colliers, Boggan. Jack came probably from Sraugh where Ellen, his sister, lived opposite James Doyle's. Art Murphy was splendid at family history. His father and all his people were all old residents of the parish.

Anderson, a Protestant clergyman, lived at Wilsons, The Commons. Then two men named Byrne, John and Alexander, cousins from Co. Wicklow, came after each other. Neither stopped long. Wilson's people were the landlords all the time. Wilsons were from Grangecon. All his people were converts except Henry P., who died here. He married Miss Patterson. There was a Mrs. O'Neill of Athy, a sister of Henry P. Wilson. Mrs. O'Neill's husband was a doctor, a son of a doctor if not two, and probably a grandson a doctor.

Johnny, Tom, Patrick, Elica, Mat O'Neill, born in Ardristan, all except Maurice who was born here. Tom remained in Ardristan and became the father of Maurice, Patrick and the four Misses O'Neill. Bill Donohoe, the cow-doctor's people, carne from Ballynunnery.

Johnny Neill, Kilmurry, 28 March, 1949. Nolan of Ballylean was Mrs. Gitten's father. He carried on a smithy. He possibly was connected with '98. There was a forge at the back of Larry Nolan's, Ballon, adjoining Tommy Neill’s field, the one opposite the Land League gate. The owner was a brother of the Ballylean man in '98 time. He made pikes in Ballon forge i.e. the present John Nolan's. The track of the house is there still. Johnny can't say if the Ballylean man ever made pikes. Five hundred men went from Ballon through Kellistown to Carlow. They assembled at Kellistown. Some were from Myshall.

Willie Kinsella who lived on Ballon Hill when we were going to school had been in the U.S.A. Army or Navy and had a pension from U.S.A. The same as the big Kehoes of Muinebheag. Fail Nolan, brother of Jimmy and Tom, was a shop assistant there. Johnny Swain, the present writer's father, was clerk at the small Kehoes. There were Kehoes in Ballon who had a shop where Doyles are. Pr. John Kehoe lived with Fr. John Kinsella, P.P., in Rathrush where John Kinsella lived. Born there, he thinks. That seems to be John Kinsella. Fr. Kinsella, Jim, a brother of Pat Kinsella and uncle of John. Fr. Hume was C.C. in Ballon. He became P.P. Myshall. He was well liked. He got weak in the head in Myshall. Fr. Kehoe built Rathoe Parochial House. Quilter was the engineer. He lived where Martin Nolan lives now. During the 1914 war he used walk down the hill to meet Mr. Carthy, R.I.C. pensioner, and discuss the war with him from the daily paper. They used to say: "We advanced or retreated," meaning the Allies.

Johnny O'Neill is a far-out relative of the Roscatt Dargana. His mother and old Ned Dargan were second cousins. Ned was father of Tom Dargan of Beaumont.

John Coughian

John Coughlan is a first cousin of Paddy J. Kelly of Butler's Grange. Their mothers were sisters. Miss Nolan, Ballon, was born at Josie Nolan's, Grassyard. P. J. Nolan married Hovenden, a rich farmer in Aries parish. They are the parents-in-law of James Kelly. Fr. Fleming who was C.C. in Ballon for a couple of years was from around Ballickmoyler. He was related to Mrs. Harry Nolan, Conaberry, nee Neill, whose mother was Brigid Conroy and whose mother's mother was Fleming of Farnans, Ballickmoyler, related to Fr. Fleming.

Professor Arthur Conway, later President, U.C.D., is descended from Harris who lived in Ballymogue on land now owned by John Carroll. There is a slight mark of the house there still. One of these Harrises married a man named Walsh and went down Co. Wexford. A daughter of theirs married an 0 Loghlen, so spelt. Ireland's Own, Wexford People and Wicklow People fell from Walshes to 0 Loghlen. Mrs. 0 Loghlen at the end of her life used to send Ireland's Own and Wexford People to Johnny's uncle, Mat Neill, Kilmurry. Professor Conway was connected with Walshes or 0 Loughlens. A Harris married into Walshes, Co. Wexford, who owned the papers at the time. She — that is they — had a family, at least one daughter. That was about thirteen years ago.

Kearneys, Sraugh

Uncle Jimmy Swain, Craanpursheen, 30 May, 1948. Vid. also dowry cards. Fr. McDonald who built Killeshin Holy Cross Church, he thinks was born at Kearneys, Sraugh. Fr. Laurence Cummins, P.P., Myshall, was born in Ullard. Friends of his owned Kearneys, Sraugh. Uncle Jimmy knew brothers of Fr. Cummins. One used to ride a fine tall horse to Tullow, a very fine man like a priest. Ter Cummins of Killane was connected with the big Cummins of Uliard. Ullard was willed to him. Little Doyle paid £2000 for it. A fine type of man who began poor. He had a daughter a nun.He never smoked or drank.

Tom, Ter, Alicia, Elica Kearney lived where Simon lives now. They willed the place to Peter and then Denny got it. Cummins, Sraugh died out. Simon Kearney bought the place. Simon had no family. Andy was a nephew and came into land and got the farm. Old John Kearney was married to a sister of Ter Cummins. Pat Cummins, a young man, fell dead, aged 33. Fr. McDonald was bora at Kearneys. They built that house, a very fine house ........ He thinks Fr. McDonald lived and worked in the diocese of Kildare and Leighlin. Mike Power, Sraugh, says today that McDonalds were stone-cutters and came from Co. Wicklow, Shillelagh side. Uncle Jimmy thinks they may be the same as McDonnells in Ballybrornhill where probably Broughans are now. Fr. McDonald built Killeshin Holy Cross Church.

Tomlinsons lived at Mike Powers, Fail Nolans. Protestants. They made the hall door, a very fine door. Cummins were connected with the Kearneys here beyond. Uncle Jimmy remembers McDonald of Ballybromhill. Fr. Kehoe, P.P., was with him at a ploughing match at a Land League meeting in the field of that name in Ballon. Fr. Kehoe said he had a very high opinion of McDonald. Broughan of Tullow married a sister of McDonald into Ballybromhill.

Peerie Byrne where Mahers live now was unpopular. Hall of Hall's Turn worked at Fail Nolans. Andy Kearney's grandfather, Butler, built Ballydarton. He also extended Shiels, Muinebheag. Fr. Kehoe saw Roche, the perjurer. Fr. Kehoe always denounced perjury and drink. Mrs. Kitty Toole told the yeomen to take Fr. John Murphy's horses. John Swain, father of present writer, told one of the Tooles to find out what Kitty Toole said to the yeomen. If he failed, he, John, would tell him. Seventy Nolans left Conaberry for Carlow in '98. So says Nan Nolan, Laragh, quoting young Nolan of the Fields.

Brophys, Rices, Kennedys

Uncle Jimmy Swain continues: Johnny Brophy, Miltown; James Rice, Sherwood, and James Kennedy, Myshall, were first cousins. Their mothers were three Misses Walsh of the Harrow. At Peter Kennedy's there are two boys and two girls now. Nicholas Walsh, Lisgarvan, a Protestant, was from Co. Wexford. He sold out the place to Corrigan, Ballinvailey. Kep-pels had it first; they were about three years there.

Fr. Maher of Ballyloughan or Bailybar was related to Kellys, Milltown. Uncle Jimmy went to school with two brothers of his. There were five or six Kellys of Miltown. All died out only Tom. There was one where Jer Toole is, another at Jordans. Tom married Miss Fitzgerald of Ullard. Hinches lived in Bal-lour. One married . . . Hughes. Fr. James Delany, C.C., Ballon, married them, Hinch was an emergency man; he had a shop in Hacketstown. He died poor in Carlow. Tom Nolan, Kilconnor, bought the place. Was Fr. Delany, C.C. from Leighlin? Uncle Jimmy as a chap remembered him. He was e great Land Leaguer and was well-liked. Kinsellas of Rathrush. Their relatives were in Ballykeenan. They were turned out. Fr. John Kehoe, P.P., was the same as the Leighlin Kehoes. Fr. James Delany later P.P. Rosenallis was from Carlow town.

Eamonn Doyle, T.D.

Eamonn Doyle, T.D., Ballon Cross, 16 October, 1962. Ter Cummins's father was Pierce. Probably Pierce's father whom Tom Nolan attempted to kill. ... Fr. James Byrne is buried right up against Fail Nolan's (Sraugh) plot. Byrne, the borough engineer, was a great Irishman. He was at the sinking of the Douglas river about 90 years ago. He was nearly related to Billy Byrne of Ballymanus. He used to say to Ned's father: "You know, Pat, we are nearly related to Fr. Byrne, who is buried in Ballon". Eamonn'e grandmother, Paddy Doyle's mother, was ... Byrne of Ballour Lane, same as old Jim Byrne, Nan's father, who came from there.

Five hundred people marched from Ballon to the battle of Carlow. There were more people on Ballon Hill and in Conaberry then than there are in the town of Tullow to-day. Garret Nolan's tomb, the first name was erected on the requisition of Fr. P. C. Nolan, P.P., Rathvilly; "this tomb is erected in memory of his great grandfather's great grand­father's father." This is not verbatim. The nearest relative of Garret Nolan is Nolans, Conaberry. Dan Murphy who was very shrewd told him this.

There was a six days' fair held on Town Hill where Cummins are now in Kilnock, nearly opposite Billy Keppel's gate. Dr. Comerford refers to the royal fair of Carmen as having been held on the N.W. side of Mount Leinster in the parish of Ballon. The six days' fair should be that. His father, Paddy, heard about the six days fair from the old people.

Leckys were drummers in Cromwell's army. Richard Nolan lived in Ballinadrum. He built the house there. It became the first police barracks in Ballon under Peel. The coat of arms was over the door. Nolan, the chief of the clan, lived in Laragh. Nolans came from Tipperary. A long avenue went down across Curry's Loch, across Eamon Doyle's garden, down by the cemetery and out on the lane.

The old church down there was never called anything but the old church. There is a remarkable stone there; hollow in the centre and streams going from it. There were stones under it like legs under a stool. Young Jimmy Doyle, Eamon's son, remembers looking under it. Fr. Kehoe, P.P., got the present chapel raised and a new roof put on it. The yeomen burned Ballon chapel, possibly the one in the churchyard.

Ned Hickey was in the Tithe War. He was in the Battle of Newtownbarry. He was in with a cow. The person in charge of the yeomen gave the command to fire ... There was no sale for the cow. He got on the cow's back and galloped to Ballon Hill. Between Newtownbarry and Kildavin he was intercepted by two yeomen. After a long struggle Net got away to his native place. This is in Fr. Kavanagh's History. There is a garden there still called Hickey's garden. Dick Barry has it now. Pursued by 25 yeomen, he gathered the neighbours and killed all except two who escaped to Kilkenny. Ned Hickey is buried in Ballon.

Kilkeen Nolans

Richard Nolan built Ballinadrum. The old O'Briens are buried in the chapel floor, more at the vestry side. Richard Conroy built Doyles, Ballon. Two other big houses, Morris's and Nolan's. A Dr. Keogh, a quack doctor, lived in the dispensary about 150 years ago. Miss Keogh of Kilkeens owned Ter Byrnes, Killane, where Simon Maher is. The Byrnes were evicted out of Acawn where the Cromlech is, in Tobinstown, below Tullow; the Kilkeens Bog where the priest's drain is. Pr. ... Byrne who is buried in the graveyard, must be connected with the Kilkeens. In answer to other questions, he said: "Ned is bet." Byrne, the engineer, said Fr. Byrne was one of his. All the Byrnes came from Ballymanus, Byrne gave the drain the title Priest's Drain on the map of the Douglas Drainage and he got it sunk. Fr. Peter Nolan who is buried outside the chapel window is one of the Kilkeens. Biddy and Tom Nolan of the Kilkeens were big people. They were evicted by the Byrnes and were left only with the garden, Kilkeens garden. Tom went over to Kilkeen Byrne and gave him a bash. He thought he had killed Byrne, and he then cut his own throat. Dr. Fryer was passing and sewed him up. He was put into the mental hospital and died there.

Mrs. Elizabeth Brophy

Mrs. Elizabeth Brophy, Rathrush, formerly Conaberry, 21 December, 1965. Cummins of Killane related to the Nolans, Cranaha, the Neddies as they were called. Neddie, Larry and Tom who was at Halligans, Tullow for years. Miss Maria was their sister. Nolans, Ballintrane, Alice, Esther and Mary Margaret, first cousins of Lockie who died there. There were two brothers, Edward and Patrick. Their mother was Miss Dwyer, Kilcoole, sister of Lockie's mother. Mrs. Brophy's father, Jim Murphy, was related to Dwyer, two sisters, one of whom married a Murphy.

Killane Nolans

Nolans, Killane, came from Myshall. Hugh Nolan, the Plucker'a grandmother, was Miss Brophy, Shankill, the mother of Father Nolan, who is buried in Myshall; he was off the mission. Two Frs. Nolan, Fr. Tom, Abbeyleix, and Fr. John, P.P., Kildare, were evicted from Lisgarvan and went to Ballinrush. Ter Cummin's people came from Kellistown. They were called Cummins, Cummin's related to Nolans, Burrin Side, Mrs. Nolan, Muinebheag. The Nolans related to Cummins were most likely of Cranaha, a big place, but a long way down the fields. The gate is at the Fenagh side of Morrisseys, and at Morrissey's side of the road. A very old family. They left the place to a niece who married a Ryan. They sold it out. There" was a Miss Lalor there. These Nolans were also related to the Kilkeen Nolans. The Kilkeen gardens are there still, at the back of Ballon Hill. They were evicted from McConnacks where Simon Maher has the land. Ter Byrne, uncle of Ter Cummins, came from Acann and got into the place. The Kilkeens owned a good deal of Leckys and were evicted. Fr. Peter Nolan, who is buried at the back of the sacristy in Ballon, is of this family.

Where did Fr. Murt Doyle, who is buried in Kellistown die? He was born possibly at the steward's house in Ballykealy. The real Doyles lived in Ballykealy House and had a farm at the back of it. Possibly Fr. Murt was born there. One of them married a Murphy. Murtagh Murphy was Mrs. Brophy's grandfather. Richard Nolan lived at Ballinadrum and built that house. He was .... and his sister married a sergeant in Ballon. Probably the Leckys got the present barracks built. Paddy Nolan, Nan's father, came from Ballykealy Gate, beside Costigans. Related to Dr. Edward Nolan, Bishop, John Murphy, the schoolteacher, was first cousin of Mrs. Brophy. Bishop Brownrigg went to school to Pat Murphy. Mrs. Brophy saw the roll-books. Keppels of Rathrush also went to school there. Pat's son was in the same class as the future Bishop. Fr. Kinsella, P.P., sacked Pat Murphy and closed the school,

Brownrigg lived in Ballylean. There was a brick oven in the kitchen there. They went from there to Ballypierce. Fr. Larry Brophy, S.T.L., always said Bishop Kinsella came from Kinsellas of the Barn, the house to the right as you go to Carlow. John Brophy always said Fr. Bernard Kinsella, P.P., Paulstown, came from Grangeford. Kinsellas of the Bam, Grangeford and Sandbrook, are all the same.

Following notes from somebody else.

Another book, Miss Lalor, Burren Side, Ballon parish. Rogers, Burren Side, formerly Nolans, 40 acres. Parkers .... Four Nolans there now. Lalors formerly Parkers. Some of the Tinnedash Nolans. Kellys of Butler's Grange related. Where Parkers are now was Nolans. Davy Nolan, the rest of Mrs. Gittens and Peter Doyle of the New Road. Judith Nolan on a headstone in Tinneclash. Rogers, Parkers, Nolans formerly .... Nolans, Kilnock, Two priests in Tinneclash.

Edward Kearney, Kilmaglush, Fenagh. Games were played in front of the house in Carthy's field, ten Irish acres. Turtawn, the big bush. John Nolan, Bendenstown, in. May. Bill, Larry, Sean, Liain, Michael were children. Two priests from there. Sheet 17,1 gives Cranaha, Kilconnor, Raheen. Sheet xiii. 13 gives north of 17.

 
 
Source: Ballon and Rathoe Vol. 1 Peadar Mac Suibhne 1980

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