Although within the parish of Quin, Coolshamroge is part of the Doora Electoral District. Straddling the two parishes, its inhabitants could claim allegiance to either!
The first record of this townland name was the Inquisitions in 1586 and has always been recorded under some variation of the English spelling since. The original translation may refer to either the corner/remote part or the creek where shamrock is found.
The Tithe Applotment Books in 1825 records four property owners and the Census of 1841 shows four households. There appears to have been a sharp drop around the time of the famine, as the census records below will show.
The predominate character of the townland is undeveloped, rural and agricultural in character, with some ribbon residential dwellings situated along the Ballyhannan South-Doora back road (L7196).
48.21 hectares / 0.4821 km²
0.19 square miles
119.13 acres
Coolshamroge is approximately 7km southeast of Ennis, 4.2km east of Clarecastle and 1.5km west of Quin
1825 Tithe Applotment Books for Coolshamroge:
Denis Hallinan
Patt Hallinan
John Neylon
JD Sumfield
The Tithe Applotment books provide a record of the titheable land in each Church of Ireland parish and were compiled in accordance with the Irish Tithe Composition Acts passed between 1823 and 1838. They are useful as a census substitute as they contain a listing of rural taxpayers in the 1820s and 1830s. Tithes were the tax paid to Established Church (Church of Ireland), calculated as one-tenth of the rateable value of one’s agricultural produce. Although an excellent genealogical source, it was only concerned with tithe payers, thus excluding other classes such as cottiers, landless labourers and those living in urban settlements. It cannot be considered a comprehensive record.
1855 Griffiths list of occupiers in Coolshamroge:
John Hallinan
George Windham (Colonel)
Griffith’s Valuation, was undertaken in order to establish the value of land and buildings in Ireland as a basis for levying a local system of fair taxation under the Irish Poor Law Act of 1838. It was carried out by Richard Griffith and published between 1848 and 1864.
1841 Census: 4 Houses, Population 21 (16 fm, 5male)
1851 Census: ? Houses, Population ?
1861 Census: 1 House, Population 8
1871 Census: 1 House, Population 12
1881 Census: 1 House, Population 13
1891 Census: 1 House, Population 8
1901 Census: 1 House, Population 4
1911 Census: 1 House, Population 8
This 6” OS map published in 1842 shows three buildings only (not neccessarily dwellings) in Coolshamroge.
1901 Census details:
Ellen Hallinan, son Donal, farm servants Michael Killanghery, Patrick Hanohan.
1911 Census details:
Thomas & Kate O’Connor, sons Thomas, John, Michael, Patrick, daughters Bridget, Mary, Nora.
|
Date |
Child’s name |
Father’s F/name |
Mother’s name |
Sponsors |
||
|
04.11.1818 |
(?) |
G(?) |
Richard |
Corbett |
Peggy |
(?). Catherine Moylan |
|
14.04.1844 |
Mary |
Hallinan |
Darby |
Kennedy |
Ellen |
John and Mary Kennedy |
|
11.10.1844 |
Martin |
Hayes |
John |
O’Brien |
Mary |
Tom Leahy, Margaret Maly |
|
27.03.1845 |
Mary |
Morony |
Michael |
Sexton |
Bridget |
John McNamara, Hannah Lee |
|
16.06.1844 |
Mary |
Murphy |
John |
Neylan |
Bridget |
Kitty Cain |
|
27.02.1844 |
Bridget |
Neylan |
Michael |
Garvey |
Margaret |
Thomas, Ellen Garvery |
|
06.02.1841 |
Margaret |
Neylan |
Patt |
Garvey |
Mary |
John Cain, Betty Lynch |
|
06.01.1860 |
Patt |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Michael Hennesy, Margaret Hallinan |
|
21.01.1864 |
John |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
John Hewit, Bridget Moylan |
|
22.08.1865 |
Margaret |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Timothy Dolertny, Jane Hennessy |
|
30.03.1867 |
Timothy |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Patt Murphy, Bridget Murphy |
|
04.07.1868 |
Dennis |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Patt Murphy, Jane Hennesy |
|
28.04.1870 |
Michael |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Pat Moylan, Mary Hogan |
|
05.01.1872 |
Edmund |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Michael Hennessy, Bridget Hallinan |
|
19.02.1874 |
Ellen |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Pat Hallinan, Bridget Kinnane |
|
22.11.1876 |
Denis |
Hallinan |
John |
Murnane |
Ellen |
Patrick Hallinan, Margaret McMahon |
Closing comment
Planning permission was granted in 2023 for the Coolshamrock Solar Farm, which includes a 110kV substation to support the national grid. This will likely alter the purely agricultural nature of this part of Quin. It may also ensure that the population density remains low in the future.
Due to its low population to start with and de-population around the time of the Famine, records for this townland do not provide much material for exploration. Some of the surnames found in the records above are still to be found in the parish, while others have disappeared completely.
