Family History Report (pages 3 & 4)

Now to your own direct line:-

The first task in doing the search was to try and locate a record of marriage between your great-grandfather’s parents Patrick O’Loughlin and Mary Murphy i.e. your great-great-grandparents. This search involved a full and detailed study of all available Marriage Registers at our disposal. After an extensive search through same I am pleased to report that we uncovered the relevant entry, the details being:-

Your great-great-grandparents Patrick O'Loughlin and Mary Murphy were married on the 27th of February, 1864 in Mary O'Loughlin's native Parish of Doolin, which at one time comprised the old Civil Parish of Killilagh. The marriage took place in the Roman Catholic Church at Touclea (Doolin). The Civil Record of the marriage gives Patrick O'Loughlin's age as 22. His occupation was given as a farmer. Birchfield was given as his address. His father was listed as Patrick O'Loughlin, a farmer. Mary Murphy was shown to have been the daughter of John Murphy, a farmer of Lough South, Doolin. She gave her age as 19. The witnesses at the marriage were Laurence O'Loughlin and Honor Murphy. Fr. P. Power, who was Parish Priest in Doolin at the time married the couple. From the enclosed copy of the said Marriage entry you will note that while your great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin signed the register your great-great-grandmother Mary Murphy signed her name with an ‘X'.

After their marriage in 1876 your great-great-grandparents Patrick O'Loughlin and Mary Murphy resided on the O'Loughlin farm at Birchfield. Birchfield is not a townland in its own right but is rather a sub-division of the bigger townland of Beaghy. Beaghy is a townland (a townland being the smallest rural division of a parish) of approximately 150 acres situated in the old Civil Parish of Kilmacreehy, which today along with the old Civil Parish of Killaspuglonane forms what is known as the ecclesiastical Parish of Liscannor. From the enclosed copy of the old ordnance survey map you will note that Beaghy is sited just over one mile north-west of the village of Liscannor.

When translated from Gaelic Beaghy reads ‘birch producing land'.

The Church Registers ( Baptismal) for the Parish of Liscannor record the following children to your great-great-grandparents Patrick O'Loughlin and Mary Murphy all of whom were born on the O'Loughlin farm at Beaghy, Liscannor:-

The dates given above are baptismal dates. However, in those days, because of the very high level of infant mortality, children were baptised within a few days of birth. So while your great-grandfather Thomas O'Loughlin was baptised in the 25^th of October, 1869 it would be reasonable to assume that he was born sometime between the 20^th and 25^th of that month.

Family History Report (pages 5 to 7)

The earliest available Land - Property Records which we have for the area in which the family lived were the Tithe Applotment Books of the mid 1820's. Tithe was a tax on all agricultural land (originally a tenth of the produce) and it was paid by people of all religious denominations towards the upkeep of the Established Church of that day (Church of Ireland). The tax aroused much resentment on religious grounds as the country was four-fifths Roman Catholic and the distress that followed the Napoleonic Wars forced the replaced payment in kind by payment in cash by local landlords. The information differs from parish to parish, but in most part gives the name of the tithe payer, the acreage of his farm subject to tithe, and the amount of tithe paid. Taken together the Tithe Applotment Books virtually form a census of landholders around the year 1830, a few years before the massive emigration resulting from the “Great Famine.” These records do not include a list of the householders in rural or urban areas, they contain only the names of those who occupied titheable land.

The Tithe Applotment Land Records for the old Civil Parish of Kilmacrehy (Liscannor) are dated 1826. They list your great-great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin leasing a small holding at Beaghy at this time consisting of 2 acres of 1^st quality land, 5 acres of 3^rd quality land and 7 acres of 4^th quality land which brought his total land holding in Beaghy in 1826 to 14 acres.
We are enclosing with this report the relevant extract from the said Land Records.

The next available Land - Property Records were the Griffith Valuation Books of 1855. The Griffith Valuation of 1855 was undertaken to determine the amount of tax each tenant should pay towards the support of the poor within his Poor Law Union. In addition to giving the name of the occupier or tenant it provides the name of the immediate lessor, the name of the townland or city location, the area and value of holding and the value of the house. These records contain the names of every householder and every occupier of land during this period.

These 1855 Land Records list your great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin leasing a house, office (shed) and land at Beaghy. The land area amounted to 14 acres 2 roods 5 perches. It was valued at £7. His house had a valuation of 10 shillings. This brought his total land holding to £7 10 shillings. From the enclosed copy of said Land Records you will note that he was leasing the property from Cornelius O'Brien.

From a study of the Land Transfer Records we established that the above holding transferred to your great-grandfather Thomas O'Loughlin in 1877. In 1903 the property transferred to your grandfather's brother Peter O'Loughlin. In 1923 the property was acquired by a Richard Murphy.

I am enclosing with this report a map of the townland of Beaghy published in the 1840 to 1850 period highlighting the location of the O'Loughlin family holding as well as a current satellite image of same.

Family History Report (page 15)

The oldest official Census in Ireland dates back to April 1901. It lists the following residing at the O'Loughlin family home in Beaghy, Liscannor:

Johanna (Murray) O'Loughlin, head of the family. She could neither read nor write but could speak both Irish and English. Her marital status was given as widow. Her age was given as 57. Her occupation was given as a farmer. Living with her were her children, Michael aged 29, James aged 25, and Patrick aged 23 all of whom could read and write and speak both Irish and English.

The Census of 1901 describes the family home as having stone walls, a thatched roof, two windows to the front and two rooms.

From the enclosed copy of said Census Return from which you will witness your great-grandmother's signature.

Family History (pages 25 to 27)

Church Registers during the 19^th century did not record Deaths. Deaths were not recorded until the commencement of Civil Registration in 1864. Here at the Clare Heritage and Genealogy Centre we have indexed the Civil Death Registers for Co. Clare from their commencement in 1864 onwards. Consequently I am now in a position to provide you with information on all recorded in the O'Loughlin family at Beaghy:-

1. On the 12^th April, 1864 your great-great-great-great-grandmother Honor (Kelly) O'Loughlin died at Beaghy. Her age was given as 95 i.e. born c. 1769. She was described as the wife of a farmer. ‘Visitation by God' was given as the cause of death. Her son Patrick O'Loughlin i.e. your great-great-great-grandfather registered the death. From the enclosed copy of the said death entry you will witness his signature.
2. On the 22^nd February, 1867 your great-great-grandfather's brother John O'Loughlin died at Birchfield. His age was given as 32. He was described as the son of a farmer. His marital status was given as single. Typhus Fever, which he had for 3 weeks, was recorded as the cause of death. His brother Patrick O'Loughlin have registered the death.
3. On the 2^nd October, 1874 your great-grandfather's sisters Mary O'Loughlin and Eliza O'Loughlin died at Beaghy. Mary's age was given as 8 months. She was described as a child of a farmer. Morbellia which she has for 8 days was recorded as the cause of death. Eliza's age was given as 2 years and 9 months. Morbellia which she had for 9 days was also recorded as the cause of death. Their father Patrick O'Loughlin registered the death. From the enclosed copy of said death entry you will witness his signature.
4. On the 2^nd March, 1876 your great-great-grandmother Mary (Murphy) O'Loughlin died at Beaghy. She was described as a farmer's wife. Her age was given as 29. Puerperal Fever which she had for 13 days was recorded as the cause of death. Her husband i.e. your great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin registered the death.
5. On the 7^th February, 1892 your great-great-grandfather Patrick O'Loughlin died at Beaghy at the age of 47. His marital status was given as widower. His occupation was given as farmer. Phthisis which he had for 2 years was recorded as the cause of death. His son Patrick O'Loughlin registered the death.

I am enclosing with this report copies of the above mentioned death entries giving details re same.

The O'Loughlin family are buried in the old Cemetery in Liscannor. The following is the Inscription that appears on their headstone:-

I am enclosing with this report a map of the old Cemetery in Liscannor highlighting the location of the family plot.