Ballinphuill

Ballinphuill (Leagan Gaeilge – Baile an Phoill):

The townland of Ballinphuill is situated 7.5 kilometres west of Glenamaddy Town in north-east County Galway. The Irish version of the townland name translates as ‘the town of the hole”baile meaning town and poll meaning hole. There are at least four other townlands in County Galway alone bearing the same name. Other forms of the townland name which appear in archival records are Ballinpholl, Ballinpull, Ballinpoul and Ballinpull. 

Distinctive Features:

  • The 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map identifies two distinct clusters of houses in close proximity and each fitting the definition of a clachan located in the south west portion of the townland. The village to the south containing nine houses was called Ballinpull Village, Baile an Phoill meaning the town of the hole. The village located a short distance to the north containing eleven houses was called Ballymagig, Baile Mháigig meaning Maigg’s town, or possibly Maggie’s town.
  • The 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map also shows a small lake called Lough Nabrackloon in the north west of the townland close to the boundary with Castle

1656-58 Down Survey: 

There is no information available on the townland of Ballinphuill in the Down Survey.

1823 – 1838 Tithe Applotment Books: 

Surviving documentation of the Tithe Applotment Books is in poor condition making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to trace townlands and decipher the names of landholders. In so far as it can be ascertained the only Catholic landholder in the townland of “Ballinpoul” who paid the tithe (tax) levied to support the Established Church (Church of Ireland) was Luke Mannion. Protestant occupiers of agricultural holdings were exempt from this tax.

1838 O’Donovan’s Field Name Books: 

O’Donovan describes the townland as follows – “The 3/4 of this townland is bog chiefly situated in the N. E. portion. There is a small [Unable to read.] about 3 chains S. of the West boundary. There are two villages, each of which is called after the townland, situated near the W. boundary, the other called Ballymagig is about 11 chains East of the former village. The remainder of the townland is tillage and pasture.” O’Donovan recorded 9 houses in Ballinphuill village and 11 houses in Ballymagig village on the occasion of his visit.

1856 Griffith’s Valuation: 

The townland covers an area of 285 acres 0 roods 39 perches and the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £42 7s 0d.  In the Griffith Valuation Ordnance Survey map of the townland there are two distinct clusters of dwellings, one called Ballinphuill and the other Ballymagig. A small lough called Lough Nabrackloon is mapped in the north west portion of the townland. The occupiers of Ballinphuill are given as – Cunningham (5), Mannion (3), Brennan, (2), Joyce, McDonnell, Comer, Mulrooney, and Corneely. At the time of Griffith’s Valuation the landlord in Ballinphuill was Martin McDonnell.

Adjoining Townlands: 

The following townlands share a border with Ballinphuill – Boyounagh Beg, Castle (Parish of Dunmore), Cloonmaghaura (Parish of Templetogher) and Gortaganny

Census Records: 

Population and Household data for the townland of Ballinphuill:

Glenamaddy and the Irish Folklore Collections:

The article posted on this website under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab provides an overview of the folklore material submitted by Glenamaddy parishioners to the National Folklore Commission, now known as the Irish Folklore Collections. It also explains the background to the 1937 Schools’ Collection (Bailiúchán na Scol) project which has good representation from a parish perspective.

The Irish Folklore Collections housed in the Folklore Department of University College Dublin contain a treasure trove of folklore material, some of which is accessible online. Both the Main Manuscript Collection and the Schools’ Collection contain a considerable number of submissions from collectors and informants who resided in the parish of Glenamaddy. The quick reference directories featured in the ‘Parish > Townlands’ section of this website complement the user-friendly search features of the dúcas.ie website and are helpful in tracking Schools’ Collection submissions associated with townlands. Submissions are categorised under – School, Teacher, Language, Volume Number, Page Number, Collector, Collector’s Townland, Informant and Informant’s Townland. Where applicable, Schools’ Collection directories showing online townland-related submissions appear at the end of the following townland posts on this website – BallinapeakaBallinastackBarnaBoyounagh_More (Middletown),_BushtownCashelClassaghroeCloonacross,  Clooncon_EastClooncon_WestCloonkeenCultiafadda,  Eskeromullacaun (Esker), FelimsparkGlenamaddyGortaganny, Gortnagier,  KiltullaghKnockauns,  Lisheenaheltia,  LoughparkMeelick, Scotland, Shannagh_More, Stonetown and Woodfield.

Parish folklore submissions contained in the Schools’ Collection are also accessible online via the following links:-

Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613680

Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613681 

Glenamaddy Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613677

Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613678

Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613679 

Gort na Léime National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569061   

Gort na Léime National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569062 

Lisheenaheltia Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613675 

Lisheenaheltia Boys’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613676    

Glenamaddy submissions which form part of the Main Manuscript Collection are not posted online but may be examined in the reading room of the Folklore Department in U.C.D., Belfield, Dublin 4. Typed versions of some of the parish contributions contained in the Main Manuscript Collection are published under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab on this website. 

Quick Reference Directory of Glenamaddy folklore submissions in the Main Manuscript Collection:-

Author: Pat Keaveny

Sources:

Townlands in County Galway

1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map

Place Name Books of Galway

The Down Survey of Ireland

The Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1837

Griffith Valuation – Ask About Ireland

Central Statistics Office

National Archives: Census Reports 1901/1911

Essex University: Historic Population Census Reports