Royal Irish Constabulary 1816-1922

[Jack2227]

Alan Bell
Born; 8/8/1857; Banagher Kings County
BA Dublin University
3rd District Inspector; 10/9/1879
Resident Magistrate 3rd class; 10/11/1898
2nd class; 1/8/1903
1st class; 11/1/1915
Shot dead 26/3/1920, Merrion, Dublin (Buried, Deansgrange)
======================
William Holmes Batt
Born; 1806; Banagher, Kings County
(ftr; Samuel;mtr; Jane Holmes)
3rd Sub Inspector; 1/7/1831
Severely reprimanded on 1/2/1839
Died; 1852 Dublin.
=====================
Thomas LeBan Kennedy
Born; Kings County
3rd Sub Inspector; 26/3/1858
Received a favourable record on 30/6/1869 for prompt and judicious measures leading to the capture of sheep-stealers, by Head Constable  Thomas Welby.
Pensioned; 15/2/1883
==================

[taramcdsmall]

Hi Sean,

I'm wondering can you help me ?

Do you have any kind of RIC records for men who would have been stationed in Offaly in the mid to late 1860's.

I am trying to trace a James O'Connor who I know was stationed in and around various parts of Westmeath and Offaly. I know one of his son's was baptised in Lemanaghan in 1868 so I am presuimg that there must have been some sort of RIC station near to there.

Any help you can give would be much appreciated.

Thanks

Tara

[shanew147]

I think you would probably need to check the R.I.C. services records for any details on your James. The records include dates and places of posting etc and are available in the National Archives and Dublin City library in Pearse St. Copies of R.I.C. records can also be ordered for a fee from the P.S.N.I. museum.

From a c1890 list, these are the stations listed in the immediate area : Ferbane, Ballycumber, Banagher, Cloghan, Clonfanlough, Doone, Frankford, Shannonbridge and Shannon harbour all in Ferbane RIC district, and also stations at Clara and Rahan in neighbouring Tullamore district.

Closest to Lemanaghan would have been the one in Ferbane.

My gtgtgt-grandparents James Cathcart & Susan Wilson married in Lemanaghan in 1847. The bride's family lived nearby at Leabeg. James worked at Bellair estate near to Clara.

One of my onging projects includes transcribing lists of R.I.C. stations, and also scanning county maps from about 1890. I'll posts sample links to both later on...


Shane

[shanew147]

links to the details I mentioned ....

 R.I.C. Stations in King’s County c1890
 
 Map showing stations close to Lemanaghan

looks like Clonfanlough, and Doon would also be quite close.


S.

[taramcdsmall]

Hi Shane,

Thanks so much for your help.

It's a relation that I am helping.......we know for a fact that James O'Connor was in the RIC but we / the RIC Museum are having trouble locating his records.

I would well imagine that he was stationed in Ferbane as he used this district to register his children's births.

We are trying to go back a generation and this is where we are stuck...............James obit in California, USA says that he was from Limerick, but no family member ever heard this and there are no RIC records for a James O'Connor from Limerick.

So, on all the Irish records that we HAVE found for him he states he was a policeman residing in Ballinahown and also gives Westmeath, we have always presumed this to be his 'away from home' station, due to most RIC men not being stationed near home.

So, we asked the RIC Museum to look up James O'Connor's stationed or emmigrating from Westmeath................but again no matches.

So, with further research by myself I think Ballinahown might be the MOOT name...............on vaious records it states that it is in Westmeath....others state Offaly..................so we have gotten back onto the RIC today asking them to check for a James O'Connor stationed and / or emmigrating from Offaly to see if we get any matches.

Also, googling Ballinahown there is one in Limerick too.........................so I'm wondering MIGHT James, when he emmigrated always spoken of Ballinahown, and when he died his family looked up where Ballinahown was, and MAYBE were told the Limerick one as opposed to the Westmeath / Offaly one..............

HUM a long shot I know, and especially with such a common surname..................but you never know................we could be getting somewhere.

Lemanaghan - don't suppose you have any pics of the church do you, when googling it just brings up pics of an ancient wreck

Thanks Again

Tara

[shanew147]

are these O'Connors RC or CofI ?

I'm not sure where the CofI church for the parish of Lemanaghan was - it looks like the old one at Lemanaghan townland was already in ruins by the 1830s.

p.s. the Lewis entry for Lemanaghan civil parish mentions the following which might be a clue.... '...In the R. C. divisions the parish is in the diocese of Ardagh, and forms part of the union or district of Ballinahone. The ...'


S.

[taramcdsmall]

Hiya Shane

Well, we found 3 records in total for the family....James' marriage and the baptisms' of 2 of his children on irishgenealogy and they all say Lemanaghan RC

Sorry, I'm probably being thick here, but I don't get the PS that you sent 

Also, Thanks a million for the map,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,it's brill !

Tara



T

[shanew147]

Ballinahone or Ballinahown is the name for the RC parish which covered the civil parishes of Clonmacnoise and Lemanaghan in Co. Offaly and also Kilcleagh in Co. Westmeath.

The parish name probably derives from the village of Ballynahown Co. Westmeath which are part of the parish and where the parish church was probably located - see :

  RC Chapel - Ballynahown

p.p.s. Samuel Lewis Topographic directory of 1837 - Civil parish of Lemanaghan
pretty sure that's the Ballinahown referred to by James


S.

[shanew147]

here's the present RC church at Ballynahown on google street view - link

not certain it's the same building as on the 1830s map, but I think it, or it's predecessor was probably the parish church for the RC union of those three civil parishes.