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Archiver > DONEGALEIRE > 2000-10 > 0970439432


From: "Lindel" <>
Subject: Re: [DONEGAL] Definitions of those pesky land divisions
Date: Mon, 2 Oct 2000 11:30:32 +1300


Hi Maureen...........had a look at the maps etc.........in 1857, Clonclayah
is a townland of 255 acres in size and the Gallagers there were John with a
house and outbuildings and Micahel with a house, with both of them sharing
80 acres between them.......Cloghan at that time, well, according to the
Griffiths, was split into Cloghan Beg and Cloghan more and they are within 2
miles east of Clonclayah. The modern map I have shows Cloghan (with a Post
Office) in between Cloghan Beg and Cloghan More now.
All the best from a very windy Kaikoura!
Lindel
Kaikoura, NZ
VENI, VIDI, VELCRO.....I came, I saw, I stuck around
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maureen Gallagher" <>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 3:24 AM
Subject: Re: [DONEGAL] Definitions of those pesky land divisions


> By field names you mean the parcel of land each person owned? My
> grandfather's townland was Cloghan Donegal but the parcel of land he lived
> on was Clonclayagh.
>
> Maureen
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <>
> To: <>
> Sent: Sunday, October 01, 2000 9:10 AM
> Subject: Re: [DONEGAL] Definitions of those pesky land divisions
>
>
> Thanks Lindel for an informative post. Seeing all the definitions in
> one place is very helpful.
>
> In talking with my older cousin in Donegal a few years back he told
> me this. "Some people say the townland is the smallest division of
> land in Donegal, but it is not." "It is the field and each field has its
> own name." He then went on to name the fields in the area we
> were. The names were very strange and gaelic sounding. He
> knew each of the fields and how good the soil and productivity was
> in them. I found it fascinating that he would have this intimate
> knowledge of each and every field. When I asked him the origins of
> the names he had not idea where they came from, as that was just
> what they have always been called.
>
> Now these field names, of course, are not legal divisions, such as
> are Baronies and Townlands, but I am sure if he still knows these
> names today, they were probably much used in times gone by
> when people were more reliant of the land for food. I have often
> wondered when researchers have a location name that has been
> passed down through aural or even written family legend and they
> are unable to locate that name anywhere, if indeed, that name
> might be one of these field names.
>
> Terry
>
>
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