Killeshandra, Main Street & Castle Street (Gilronan / Duignan Family)

[samalexander]

Wondering if anyone has any old photos of Killeshandra's Main Street and/or Castle Street?

I'm particularly interested for the area around where the two streets meet. It is my understanding that my family (Gilronan) once worked in a Blacksmith forge located on Castle Street and also had a boarding house nearby on the Main Street.

My ancestor was Margaret Gilronan (1877-1961) wife of Patrick McManus. She grew up in Killeshandra with her parents James Gilronan (1852-1918, husband of Mary Anne Duignan) who worked as a Blacksmith there. She had a large family, sisters who became the proprietresses of a boarding house and brothers who followed in their father's footsteps and became Blacksmiths.

[Kiltaglassan]

From the National Library of Ireland.
Main Street, Killeshandra, (with shops, cars, figures in distance).
https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000541163

It is my understanding that my family (Gilronan) once worked in a Blacksmith forge located on Castle Street...

Castle Street was Castle Lane in the 1897-1913 OSi 25-inch map.

[hanes teulu]

Snipped from an old map (Geohive) which shows a "Smithy" in Church St which leads into Castle Lane.

[Kiltaglassan]

She had a large family, sisters who became the proprietresses of a boarding house and brothers who followed in their father's footsteps and became Blacksmiths.

1901 census as Gillronan
House 62 in Main Street (Killeshandra, Cavan).
https://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Cavan/Killeshandra/Main_Street/1064284/

James and his sons, Charles, Patrick and James are all blacksmiths.

[hanes teulu]

Snipped from "Slater's Royal National Commercial Directory of Ireland 1881 - Location Cavan"

[hanes teulu]

Snipped from Slater's 1894 edition

[samalexander]

Thank you for the directories. I have no idea how to check or find these so I really appreciate it.

I do have a query relating to the birthplaces of James' children. All of James Gilronan's children were born at Newtowngore between 1872 and 1887. His only child born at Killeshandra was a daughter, Catherine born there in 1870. Therefore it seems like the family moved to Newtowngore around 1871 and back to Killeshandra between the birth of their youngest daughter Elizabeth in 1887 and the Census of Ireland in 1901.

Does anyone know if there are any directories for Newtowngore? and if so, could you check this? He worked as a Blacksmith on all of the birth records. Variations of the surname exist, I see sometimes it appears as Gilronan, Gillronan and Kilronan.

[hanes teulu]

The Directories are on FindMyPast - a subscription site. Have snipped the following from 1846, 1870 and 1894. The 1894 has Hugh at Arvagh - a further 4 to follow.

[hanes teulu]

Further 4 snips from 1881 (I think you already have one?)