Australian Genealogy Journeys: Those Places Thursday - Aghadavoyle, County Armagh, Ireland

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Those Places Thursday - Aghadavoyle, County Armagh, Ireland - O'Brien/Breen

Back in Ireland, my O'Brien's were known as Breen.

Michael O'Brien (c1833-1925) and his wife Eliza (nee Carew)
(c1846-1924) - My Great Great Grandparents.

From Australian records (which include surviving copies of letters sent from Ireland) we know that the parents of my Great Great Grandfather, Michael O'Brien (c1833-1925), were Owen and Bridget (nee Finegan). Two of Michael's siblings (Hugh and Mary) remained in Ireland. Church records (and recent contact online with descendants of Mary) has shown that they were known as Breen rather than O'Brien. Michael and his two brothers (Thomas and John Joseph) and one sister (Margaret Bridget) who came to Australia were all known as O'Brien. Letters from Ireland gave the family's address as Drumintee or Dernaroy.

County Armagh, Ireland

Aghadavoyle (also known as Dernaroy) is a Townland in the Civil Parish of Killevy, the Poor Law Union of Newry, the Barony of Orrior Upper, the County of Armagh and the Province of Ulster. This means that since1922 this area has been part of Northern Ireland. This area is close to the village of Drumintee/Dromintee.

The Griffith's Valuation of Ireland is available to search at the Ask About Ireland web site. A search of this database shows that there are 37 Breens in the (primary) Griffith's Valuation of County Armagh. Two of these were located in the Civil Parish of Killevy: Owen Breen and Patrick Breen. Both Owen Breen and Patrick Breen leased their land from John Foxall. Ask About Ireland provides copies of the printed valuations for 1864. According to this printed valuation Owen Breen's land is no. 88 on the reference map (provided on the Ask About Ireland web site), while Patrick's is no. 92. These properties are located on what is now known as Dernaroy Road.

Below: Google Maps, a rough sketch of Owen Breen's 1864 allotment in the civil parish of Killevy, townland of Aghadavoyle.

View O'Brien/Breen in a larger map

Owen Breen had a house and office on land of 5 acres, 3 roods and 20 perches. His land had a rateable annual valuation of 3 pound 10 shillings. His buildings had a rateable annual valuation of 15 shillings. This made a total rateable annual valuation of 4 pound 5 shillings.

Patrick Breen had a house on land of 2 acres, 2 roods and 10 perches. His land had a rateable annual valuation of 2 pounds, while his buildings had a rateable annual valuation of 5 shillings, making a total rateable annual valuation of 2 pounds 5 shillings.

The names of the nearest neighbours of Owen and Patrick Breen included (with reference map number): Bernard Ryan (89), Owen Tole (90), Bryan Meehan (91), James Rock Snr. (93)

Other surnames listed in the 1864 valuation for the civil parish of Killevy are indexed here on the Fáilte Romhat web site. They include other surnames which are (or may be) relevant to my family research: Finegan, McAlister, Kenny, Quinn, Mooney, Carr, Collins, Fearon and Larkin. According to Google maps Dernaroy Road if followed south meets Finegan's Road.

Below: Google Streetview, looking North-East from Dernroy Road. My 3rd great grandfather's (Owen Breen's) land.

View O'Brien/Breen in a larger map

Here are a selection of links relevant to genealogy research in County Armagh: