Bogtown & others, Clara, Kings County

[Trappa]

I have a copy of a letter written in 1861 by Charles Molloy to his nephew William Whittaker in America with a return address given as Bogtown, Clara, Kings County.  Several areas in Kings County have been referred to in this letter although I have never been able to locate them.  Hence I believe they were written phonetically - Hillclear could be Kilclere and Coolream could be Coleraine as both of these areas are reasonably close to Clara.  Reference was also made to the 'White Forge' which is also in the same vicinity.  The only Bagtown I located was too far from Clara to enable easy collection of mail.  I did find one single reference to Bog Town, Clara where the Planning Section of the Offaly County Council 19/12/2005 tabled a suggestion to "Improve the footpath to the Bog Town turn".  Can anyone familiar with this area tell me where Bogtown (Bog Town), Clara is or was and are there other areas close to Clara which sound like Hillclear or Coolream that I should consider?

Thanking you
Trappa

[btc]

I tried without success twice yesterday to reply on this - Bogtown.  It may have been the att from Google maps so I will leave that out this time and send later

Clara is connected to Tober/Moate  by the N80 which exits the town as Church Street in a NW direction.  After about 400m. from the end of that street.speed limit/end of development the N 80 meets a road from the left - the Curragh Road.  This junction is the Bogtown bend referred to by the Council.  The road changes direction and is oriented Northwards from that bend towards Tober.

Bogtown itself, a local name as distinct from a townland, commences at that bend on the left hand side of the N 80 and extends to the next junction, another 400m. Northward  i.e. to the junction of N80 & Church Street.  In my experience it was taken as being on the lhs but I see no reason that it would not be on both sides of the road. The ground/soil conditions are very poor and in my opinion this is the derivation of the place name. It is about 1200-1500m distant from the present P.O.

I hope this is of some use.  My mother was born and reared about 800m. from there but that is not the source of my information.  I hope this is useful.  Pehaps some day I might be looking for directions in Oz!
B.

[Trappa]

Thank you for your response to my queries re Bogtown & The White Forge.  I appreciate the time you must have spent providing such specific directions.  I can now start to pinpoint where my family were resident in County Offaly. 

It seems you are familiar with these areas so perhaps you may be able to help me one more time - can you confirm whether or not Hillclear could be Kilclere and Coolream could be Coleraine.  Both of these towns? were mentioned in the original letter yet the spelling would probably have been phonetic and the lettering could have been misinterpreted.  You may even have a better translation now that you have ascertained where Bogtown and The White Forge are located?

I would certainly be pleased to provide any assistance to you in Oz when or if required.  Do you have any specific interest in Australia?

Sincere thanks again - P

[aghadowey]

There's a townland called Coleraine in Durrow civil parish (Tullamore Poor Law Union) King's Co.

See www.thecore.com/seanruad to find townlands in Ireland.

[btc]

I will look at the Townland map and index later today to see what makes sense in the context of Clara and Durrow and I have local information source who may be able to help with Molloys in Bogtown - will phone him this morning.
I have an interest in Mollloys - on the maternal side - but from Tullamore.
(Might  PM you later about my Aus interest if thats ok - its not  pressing thing just a possibility!)

[btc]

Had a look at the GV and maps referenced in same.  Index to GV showed no Charles Molloy for Clara (Bogtown being contained therein) but there was a Charles Molloy in adjoining Durrow ?Barony with land leased by him in two lots including a house at Coolnahely aka Coolnahiley.  That house is I think still standing and is now on land being used as a car sales yard - a short drive from here next few days will tell if it is still there. The townland adjoining Coolnahely is Coleraine, possibly the reference in your letter of 'Coolream'. All of the land in Coleraine at that time was owned by a single individual but there are no names on the index either of owner or lessors that 'spark' anything for me.
Back at Clara there were two plots of land leased by a Margaret Molloy - sister/mother of Charles?- and looking at the maps they are definintely in Bogtown.

Kilclare for 'Hillclear'? - the only thing that comes to mind is Kilclare townland in Ferbane which is 12- 13 miles away.  Perhaps a search of GV for there will throw up something, either Molloy or Whittaker
Best Wishes, B.

[btc]

Further to recent post re Molloy of Clara and Durrow:
J Molloy had two plots of land rented in Durrow, one at Ballybought Townland and the other at Coniker Td., the latter contained a house etc. That plot is almost opposite the 'back entrance' to the Durrow Estate/Durrow Demesne/ Norbury's Estate.  The house could still be standing or at least I remember seeing it.  Coniker and Ballybought townlands adjoin one another at or about White Forge Cross.  Kilclare Td is just north of White Forge and is separated from the previously named two tds. by a single td. I think it was in single ownership and there could be a link to some of the names in the other land ownerships. The land rented at Ballybought is just east of Durrow (not Durrow Cross Roads), adjacent to and on the opposite side of the road from Durrow Church on a road commonly called 'the High Road' and should be easily identified.
All of this gleaned from Griffiths Valuation Kings County pp 88-92.
The families don't seem to appear in 1901 or 1911 censuses or at least I couldn't find them!
BC