Author Topic: Placename help  (Read 20316 times)

Offline Scollagh

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #18 on: Thursday 11 April 13 10:18 BST (UK) »
Lough na Saggart helps - here's a Google map link

The small lake surrounded by scrub - Priest's Lake would be the meaning. Maybe mass was said near here in Penal times - just a guess. This is on the border of Meath & Westmeath and near Collinstown/ Fore etc. There was a corn mill on the river flowing from this, below Brogan's Bridge, though as gradient is not great, can't have been much a flow. You can see it on the www.osi.ie mapviewer - look at the 25inch or 6inch historic mapping. It appears to be gone now though you might find ruins of the building or remains of the mill race if you looked on the ground.

Whilst one couldn't be certain, it's pretty likely this was the Strillstown Mill referred to as the catchment area of this drainage is small enough. It seems to be in the townland of Glenidan bordering Brownstown. My guess is that Strillstown is/ was a local townland names - a part of Glenidan. It's quite common to find these 'sub townland' names in Ireland and they are often still known locally if you find people who have grown up in that district. Indeed, they are often still considered townlands but not recognised or known officially - the OS often ignored smaller divisions back in the 1840s when townlands were formalised. If I were you, I'd go there and ask about Strillstown and people who lived there. You could well be pleasantly surprised.

  Map 2

The site of the mill - might be something in the trees here, ruin of kiln maybe

Moderator Note : Links 'shrunk'

Offline Sinann

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #19 on: Thursday 11 April 13 15:18 BST (UK) »
Well done for finding Lough na Saggart, the fact they spelt it Lough Nasagaart on the maps didn't help any. I was looking at that mill last night, thought it was a good candidate but missed the lough completely.

I think you are right about people still using Strillstown long after it was no longer 'official', it's the only thing that makes sense, I have asked a local woman about it, hopefully I'll hear back from her soon, either way I think I can consider this solved.
Thank you Scollagh for finding that vital Lough and everyone that tried to solve the mystery of the missing townland.

If the lady I asked has anything to say on the subject I'll post it.

Now to find the Dargle wood..........

Almost forgot Michael the famer/miller lives in Glenidan in 1901 I'll go check out Griffiths now and hopefully find their farm.

Offline shanew147

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #20 on: Thursday 11 April 13 15:34 BST (UK) »
here's a link to that Mill on the 1st Ed.OSI maps
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Offline Scollagh

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #21 on: Thursday 11 April 13 16:01 BST (UK) »
When you look at placenames in Ireland, you've got to get used to looking through them and seeing variations in spelling. Computers hate it but your average local postman can readily figure out where letters should go. It's part of the culture here and a pity to lose it, which is why I wouldn't be in favour of postcodes at all.
I work with placenames a bit and it's striking how many local townland names there are, that never made the official lists but are still recognised locally. They'd usually only be known to the people of those districts and the local postie.

Dargle Wood? First Dargle that comes to mind is the river rising above Powerscourt and entering sea at Bray, Co.Wicklow? Where is your general area of search?


Offline Sinann

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #22 on: Thursday 11 April 13 16:34 BST (UK) »
Dargle first. I don't really need it to be fully honest more a bit of fun, it again is in the area of Collinstown, I did read an ad in the Westmeath Examiner for a timber auction at Dargle wood. It's just The Dargle was my great grand father's nick name.

Back to the McDs, as I said I had found the fathers name, it was Thomas McDonnell and I have just found Thomas McDaniel in Griffith's in Glenidan with a corn mill and kiln on plot 26, perfect. Thomas's general neighbours in Griffith's have much the same surnames as Michael has in 1901.
I'm happy I've got the home farm.

Offline Scollagh

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #23 on: Thursday 11 April 13 16:59 BST (UK) »
That's good :) Dargle though is an unusual name, I see checking that originally it's thought to have been a glen or valley near Bray in Wicklow, which name transferred to the river and perhaps to derive from the Irish word 'dearg'. Thought in this case to relate to reddish coloured rock.

So maybe your g grandfather was a red head or maybe it wasn't Dargle but Gargle, if he was fond of a drop  ;)

Offline Sinann

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #24 on: Thursday 11 April 13 17:40 BST (UK) »

So maybe your g grandfather was a red head or maybe it wasn't Dargle but Gargle, if he was fond of a drop  ;)

Lovely thought, I'd like to think he did take a drink now and again for his childrens sake.
I know that sounds a bit odd but by all accounts he was a bad tempered man and if his grand son was anything like him, and I think he was the odd drink would have put him in a good mood for a while.

The Dargle was because he was a carpenter as was his second cousin who had the same name so they both needed a nick name to tell them apart.

Offline Sinann

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #25 on: Friday 12 April 13 17:11 BST (UK) »
Good news the lady I asked was able to comfirm everything, her father had rented the land from the Miller McDonnell and a local historian confirmed the name of the mill as Stirllstown.

Offline pmcdonnell61

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Re: Placename help
« Reply #26 on: Friday 21 March 14 23:31 GMT (UK) »
Hello
My Name is Patrick Mc Donnell
And I live in Westmeath and I think we may have some Ancestry links along the line.
I've read some of your posts and think some how there could be a connection

I also have been Researching my Genealogy over the years Especially my Mc Donnell/Mc Donald Line as ive found the family used both Name variants over the years.

(My Great Grandmother Mary Lyons was a district Maternity Nurse who married My Great Grandfather James Mc Donnell in 1899 In Castletown Geoghan and she told my Mother That the Mc Donnell family Were Originally from Scotland and when they married he is listed as Mc Donald.
 
And my Great Great Grandfather James Mc Donnell address Drumhurlin
(Which I Could Never Find) but I know its north Westmeath near the Barbavilla Estate Married an Anne Mc Keone  Collinstown in 1864
And He Gives His Father As Being Thomas Mc Donnell Farmer.
Now I've never been able to pin this Thomas down as I Have found a few over the years which I couldn't make any break through with

But I Have Found out Via The Westmeath Examiner which lead to my researching the Irish Newspapers  Archive that Both James Mc Donnell Address Drumhurlin and Patrick Mc Donnell address Drumhurlin were Fined For Poaching Fish in 1888.

And in 1873 In Glenidan in The Not to distant area we are both searching I found A death
For Thomas Mc Donald  Miller  aged 53 Present Was his Son Patrick.

My Uncle Who is in his Seventys remembers being brought out to relatives who lived in an old mill out in that area.

Im Sure There May Be A Connection.

Patrick