An 19ú hAois
Tá beagán níos mó eolais le fáil faoi Loch Con Aortha sa 19ú haois. Ceann de na chéad tuairiscí atá againn agus a thugann beagán eolais faoin mbaile ná an ‘Tithe Valuation and Applotment of the Parish of Moyros in the Diocese of Tuam’ a bailíodh idir 1823-1837. Bailíodh an t-eolas chun a dhéanamh amach cén cáin a bhí ar thionóntaí a íoc le hEaglais na hÉireann
http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie/pagestab/Galway/
Rinne siad ‘Valuation’ eile in 1842 (thíos) a thugann léargas níos cruinne dúinn faoin mbaile. Ag an am a raibh siad ag déanamh na ‘Valuations’ seo, ní raibh na tionóntaí ainmnithe mura raibh luach a dtithe os cionn £3 roimh 1836 agus £5 ina dhiaidh sin. Is uimhreacha a d’úsáid siad in áit ainmneacha, agus de réir an cháipéis seo bhí 11 teach ar an mbaile in 1842.
Cliceáil ar an leathanach seo chun níos mo leathanaigh a fheiceáil
Sa bhliain chéanna, 1842, d’eisigh Suirbhéireacht Ordanáis Éireann, Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI), mapa 6” d’Éirinn. Is iad seo na chéad mhapaí dhá leithéide ina raibh gach orlach den tír clúdaithe agus tá siad ar chuid de na mapaí is fearr a déanadh riamh. Léiríonn na mapaí go raibh dhá lonnaíocht ar an mbaile. Ceann ar an taobh thoir, agus a dtugar anois Barr an Bhaile air, agus an ceann eile taobh thiar, agus a dtugann muid Ruisín air.
Tá sé suntasach nach bhfuil aon bhóthar tríd an mbaile, agus is le báid agus siúl na gcos a bhíodh an taisteal ar fad.
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,486570,736356,10,7
Ba saol crua, ocrach a bhí ann ag an am, agus bhí na daoine sásta a saol a chur i mbaol le haghaidh greim beatha a fháil dá gclann.
FATAL AFFRAY IN CONNEMARA.
Accounts have reached town of a fatal affray in one of the islands off the coast of Connemara, early this week. We learn that a great number of men went in boats for the purpose of taking away oysters from the beds belonging to Mr. Martin, M. P., and being warned off, they persevered and flung stones at the keeper in charge when he was obliged to fire upon the party, the consequence of which was, that one man was killed and another severely wounded. We are also informed that Mr. Martin’s men were severely hurt, and some of their limbs fractured.
Cork Examiner March 31, 1847.
LOSS OF THE BARQUE "GEORGE" OF BELFAST
From the Galway Vindicator we copy a fuller account of the loss of this vessel than the notice in our last:-- "The George, of Belfast, Patton, laden with cotton, from New Orleans, and bound to Liverpool, was struck by a heavy sea, on Sunday night se'ennight, between the hours of eleven and twelve o'clock, and driven, by a strong Southerly gale, on Life Island, about two miles eastward of Lettermullin, on the West coast of Galway, where she has become a total wreck.
Master and crew saved, with the exception of a little boy (Charles Forrest, of Liverpool), who, in endeavouring to escape, was washed away and seen no more. Ten or twelve bales of the cottons are, at present, deposited in the Custom-house here; and we are told that the entire bay is dotted with it. Her Majesty's cruiser Dolphin, Commander Lieutenant Goslin, proceeded this morning, the 31st Jan., having on board one or two custom-board officers, to the wreck, but was obliged to return, from the high winds. The master, from whom we learned the above, has also informed us that the inhabitants of and about Life Island committed on the vessel the greatest plunder, and that even a knife was presented to the throat of the second mate, whilst striving to resist being deprived of his clothing."
Galway Vindicator 7th February 1843
Bhí tionchar mór ag an ngorta ar an mbaile agus ar an gceantar, agus fuair go leor daoine bás le ocras, agus go leor acu gan teach gan dídean. Chuala muid go mbíodh na cladaí dubh le daoine ag piocadh aon ní a mbeidís in ann a ithe agus níor mhair beatha an chladaigh i bhfad dóibh.
Bhí tionchar an-mhór freisin ag na ‘Wholesale Evictions’ a tharla i dtús na 1850idí ar an gceantar. Níl aon tuairisc againn go díreach faoi Loch Con Aortha, a raibh an Loinseach ina thiarna talún air, ach má tharla sé sna bailte thart timpeall orainn bí cinnte gur tharla sé anseo freisin. Tugann na daonáirimh léargas dúinn go raibh an titim daonra idir 1841 agus 1851 beagnach mar a chéile i ngach baile.
WHOLESALE EVICTIONS
On the 17th September Mr. John ROBERTSON, agent to the mortgagees of the MARTIN estates, accompanied by sixty bailiffs, proceeded to the townland of Derryrush [Galway], and evicted seven families comprising forty-two individuals. The houses were levelled on the instant without the slightest opposition being offered by the evicted. On Nov. 11th, the same party went upon the islands of Dooletter, and evicted two families consisting of ten persons. Nov. 16th, the same party visited the Townlands of Mace and Dooreher, and evicted seventeen families, comprising one hundred persons, and levelled the houses. Nov. 21 same party, proceeded to the town land of Atry and evicted seventeen families, comprising sixty five persons, and unroofed the houses. On the 22nd of November the same party went to the townlands of Cashel, Doonreageran, Rossroe and Glynsk, and evicted sixteen families, comprising eighty-seven human beings, and levelled their houses.
Galway Vindicator, December 4th 1851
Tar éis an Ghorta
Tugann mapa 25” a tógadh i ndeiridh na 1880idí léargas ar bhaile eile ar fad mar go raibh bóthar anois tógtha ag dul tríd an baile. Tugann sé eolas dúinn freisin go raibh an scoil tógtha faoin am seo.
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml
Griffiths Valuation 1855
Tá Griffiths Valuation 1855 ar cheann de na foinsí staire is tábhachtaí atá le fáil in Éirinn théis aimsir an Ghorta. Tugann sé eolas dúinn ar cé a bhí ina gcónaí agus cé a bhí ina dtionóntaí ar an mbaile ag an am sin. Ba leis na Loinsigh an talamh uilig ar an mbaile. Tá an baile straidhpeáilte amach freisin, agus sé an leagan amach mórán céanna atá ar an mbaile ó shin.
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/
In 1869 tá tuairisc againn go raibh an baile agus bailte fearainn eile sa gceantar le díol ag an Tiarna Talún áitiúil Marcus Lynch. Tugann an tuairisc eolas dúinn ar cé a bhí ina chónaí ar an mbaile, cé mhéid talún a bhí ar cíos acu agus freisin, cén cíos a bhíodar ag íoc. Tá roinnt sloinnte nua tagtha isteach agus imithe ón mbaile ó déanadh Griffiths Valuation in 1855, rud a léiríonn go raibh go leor teaghlach ag imeacht ó bhaile go baile, tréimhse corrach ar ndóigh i stair na hÉireann.
Tugann Daonáireamh 1881 léargas ar an titim agus ar an ardú a tháinig ar an daonra idir na blianta 1841 agus 1881.
Tógadh an chéad droichead idir Loch Con Aortha agus Coill Sáile in 1887, agus ainmníodh é i gcuimhne an Sagart Flannery a bhí i gCárna ag an am. Rinne an sagart go leor obair eile ar thograí sa bparóiste, ar nós an droichead isteach go oileán Mhuighinse agus scoil ann freisin, chomh maith leis an scoil i Loch Con Aortha. Cailleadh é in 1891 in aois 38 bliain.
In 1954 tógadh droichead nua le taobh an chéad droichead agus bhí saothrú le fáil ag fir an cheantair agus ba iad an comhlacht SISK na conraitheoirí. Bhídís ag fáil an fíoruisce chun an choincréit a fhliuchadh as abhainn Inbhir, a bhí 5 mhíle soir ón suíomh, agus thugtaí anoir ar charrannaí capaill i mbairillí é.
Droichead aonsúileach a bhí ann, agus ba é an droichead ba fhaide le síneadh amháin san Eoraip é ag an ám.
Tógadh an tríú droichead i mbliain an 2000, agus ba iad SIAC na conraitheoirí. Droichead trí shúil é seo, agus de réir cosúlacht beidh sé seo ann ar feadh blianta fada.
An Imirce
Ba í an imirce an t-aon éalú a bhí ag na daoine ó chruatan an tsaoil agus le deis a bheith acu iad féin a fheabhsú. D’imigh na mílte duine as an gceantar seo tar éis an ghorta agus is go Meiriceá a chuaigh an chuid is mó acu.
Ba athrú mór a bhí ann dóibh, iad óg agus gan mórán Béarla acu, ach rinne siad a mbealach le cúnamh ó na gaolta agus cairde a bhí ann rompu. Tá an imirce ag dul ar aghaidh i gcónaí sa gceantar seo, agus é sin suntasach le feiceáil sna bailte.
“Baile gan óige, baile gan beocht!”
An Poitín
Bhíodh go leor poitín á dhéanamh ar an mbaile san aimsir atá i bhfad caite. Ba scilling shaortha a bhí as déantús an phoitín, leis an méid oibre a bhí ag baint leis, ag déanamh gach rud le dorchadas na hoíche. Bhí cáil ar an mbaile mar gheall ar an gcaighdeán maith poitín a bhíodh á dhéanamh ann, agus mar a chuala muid, ní raibh aon trioblóid acu díol a fháil air i bhfad ná i ngearr.
Gan ceadúnas, bhí sé mídhleathach poitín a dhéanamh ó Lá Nollag 1661. Bhí Rialtas Shasana ag an am ag iarraidh an méid cánach is ab fhéidir leo a thabhairt isteach, agus de bharr cáin a bheith dhá ghearradh ar stiléireacht, séard a tharla ná gur thiomáin siad an stiléara beag faoi thalamh agus bhíodh cuardach go leor á dhéanamh orthu ansin le stop a chur leis.
Connaught Journal
Printed and Published in Lower Cross-street by Barthw. O'FLAHERTY
Galway, Ireland. Thurs., 20 Feb 1840
The CHICHESTER Revenue Cutter, commanded by Captain STEWART, anchored at Kilkerran bay (Cunemara), received some injury from lightning on the 7th
inst., the Captain having narrowly escaped, but some of the crew received very slight injury. The cutter had been there for the purpose of co-operating with the Revenue Police under the command of Lieutenant M'DERMOTT, at Outerard, for the suppression of illicit distillation, and searched that coast and its many Islands, and we are happy to find there existed no symptoms of any such traffic among the peasantry.
Ní raibh na Tiarnaí Talún rómhór in aghaidh dhéantús an phoitín, mar bhí a fhios acu gur saothrú beag do na tionóntaí a bhí ann agus go mbeidís in ann an cíos a íoc dá bharr. Bhíodh fíneáil throm á cur ar dhuine ar bith a ghabhfaí, ach ní mar sin a bhí sé i gcónaí. Idir na blianta 1807 – 1819 ba ar an mbaile fearainn a bhíodh an fhíneáil a íoc. Bhí go leor daoine nach raibh sásta leis sin agus cuireadh stop leis in 1819.
Tá ré an phoitín imithe anois le fada an lá agus níl tada fágtha againn ach na háitheanna, agus marcanna na stillhouses atá le feiceáil ar fud an bhaile.
Stillhouse Pholl na Cloiche Bána
GPS: 53.370879,-9.710012
Stillhouse Johnny Cheatín
GPS: 53.363261,-9.706449
