Person:John O'Brien (40)

John O'Brien was listed in the Tithe Applotment Book of Kilmurry-Ibrickane Parish on 4 June 1826. At this time he was living in the Townland of Killernan with 4 acres and 1 Rod of land. John paid 1 shilling and 3 1/4 pence a year for the tithes of that part of the parish to the Established Protestant Church regardless of his religion. This land was rated at one half the tithe because of the poor quality of the land and was payable to the Right Honorable the Earl of Egremont or to William Casey, Esquire as his lessee. His immediate neighbors were his sons: Patrick O'Brien, 3 acres and 3 rods; John O'Brien, 2 acres; Michael O'Brien, 10 acres, James O'Brien, 10 acres; and Daniel O'Brien 6 acres and 3. rods. These properties were consolidated into two farms by 1855 when they were listed in Sir Richard Griffith's Primary Valuation of Tenements. This was undertaken in County Clare in 1855. This was to determine the amount of tax each tenant should pay towards the support of the poor and destitute within his Poor Law Union. This Valuation forms the basis of the present-day rating system in Ireland today. John's sons, Michael O'Brien and James O'Brien were the heads of farms after the consolidation. What ever happened to their brothers and their families is not known at this time. Ireland was ravaged by the famine from 1845 through 1851. Death from starvation and emigration out of Ireland numbered in the millions during this time period. There are not any civil vital statistic records for this time period and the church records only account for a few baptism records to support our research. His wife's name is not known.

Barony of Ibrickane A barony on the coast of co. Clare, Munster. It is bounded, on the north, by Corcomroe; on the east, by Inchiquin, Islands, and Clonderalaw; on the south, by Moyarta; and on the west, by the Atlantic. Its greatest length south-south-westward is 15 miles; its greatest breadth, in the opposite direction, is 8; and its area is 57,028 acres, 8 perches, of which 598 acres, 1 rood, 9 perches are water. The southern part is almost all bog; and the northern part is a mixture of very deteriorated argillaceous arable land with pastoral uplands and very improvable moorish hills. On the north-east boundary is Mount Callan; and off the coast are Mutton and Enniskerry Islands. The chief marine indentation is Doonbeg bay; and while nearly all the coast is bold and iron-bound, some portions of it exhibit highly-imposing scenery. This barony contains part of the parish of Kilmacduane, and the whole of the parishes of Kilfarboy, Killard, and Kilmurry, the town of Miltown-Malbay, and the villages of Doonbeg, Kilmurry, and Mullagh. Pop., in 1831, 20,451; in 1841, 25,186. Houses 3,912. Families employed chiefly in agriculture, 3,411; in manufactures and trade, 668; in other pursuits, 243. Males at and above 5 years of age who could read and write, 3,267; who could read but not write, 864; who could neither read nor write, 6,810. Females at and above 5 years of age who could read and write, 1,092; who could read but not write, 885; who could neither read nor write, 8,888. Ibrickane is partly in the Poor-law union of Ennistymon, and partly in that of Kilrush. The total number of tenements valued is 2,697; and of these, 1,397 were valued under £5, - 801, under £10( The O'Brien Farms were rated at 6£ and 7£), - 265, under £15, - 94, under £20, - 60, under £25, - 21, under £30, - 25, under £40, - 12, under £50, - and 22, at and above, £50. The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1845 Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project

Kilmurry-Ibrickane Map of Kilmurry-Ibrickane Parish showing Townlands A parish in the barony of Ibrickane, 2 miles west by south of Miltown-Malbay, Co. Clare, Munster. It contains the villages of Mullagh and Kilmurry-Ibrickane. Length and breadth, exclusive of islands, respectively 8 miles and 4u; area, 25,857 acres, 3 roods, 28 perches,of which 331 acres, 2 roods, 20 perches are in Lough Doo, 40 acres, 2 roods, 29 perches are in small lakes, and 160 acres, 1 rood, 12 perches are in sea-girt islands. Pop., in 1831, 8,433; in 1841, 10,747. Houses 1,652. Pop. of the rural districts, in 1841, 10,525. Houses 1,614. The parochial surface extends from side to side of the barony, or from the western declivity of Sieve-Callan to the Atlantic ocean; and by far the greater part of it is now a congeries of wild uplands, and now a dreary expanse of bogs, moors, and bleak pasture and arable grounds. Slieve-Callan on the eastern boundary has an altitude of 1,282 feet; Knocknaboley, 2 miles further south, has an altitude of 701 feet; a hill on the south-east corner has an altitude of 700 feet; Lough Doo, 1o mile north of the last hill and all within the parish, has an elevation of 281 feet; and the rivulet Annagh ( The Annagh River is the Northern boundary of the O'Brien Farm separating the townlands of Killernan and Dunsallagh), most northerly of the three streams by which the parish is drained, descends within the parochial limits from an elevation of 509 feet to sea-level. The coast is all rocky and iron-bound; and contains the headlands of Lurga and Caherush. The principal islands are Enniskerry, Carrickaneetwar, Mattle, and Carricknola. Though several villas and mansional houses are sprinkled over the sea-board, scarcely one clump or belt of wood exists. The village of Kilmurry-Ibrickane stands 1 mile from the sea, and on the road from Miltown-Malbay to Doonbeg. Area, 14 acres. Pop., in 1841, 91. Houses 15. Fairs are held on May 17 and Aug. 25. This parish is a wholly impropriate rectory and vicarage in the Diocese. of Killaloe; and the vicars of Killard and Kilfarboy often officiate in it gratuitously. The Roman Catholic chapel has an attendance of 800; and is united to the chapel of Kilfarboy. In 1834, the Protestants amounted to 27, and the Roman Catholics to 9,029; and 7 pay daily schools had on their books 248 boys and 113 girls. The Parliamentary Gazeteer of Ireland, 1845 Courtesy of Clare Local Studies Project

History of Kilmurry-Ibrickane by P. Ryan, P.P. Clare Champion 1969.

GLIMPSES AT OUR SOCIAL LIFE

Portrayal of the social history of an Irish rural parish over a prolonged period into the past is a difficult, if not impossible task owning to the lack of documentary material. Accordingly, the attempt that is being made in this pamphlet makes reference to the seventeenth and eighteenth century to the extent that local information is procurable or in-so-far as Kilmurry-Ibrickane conforms to the Corca Bhaiscin and national pattern.

The language spoken and used by the people of the parish in all their affairs was exclusively Irish on to the end of the eighteenth century. An admixture of English made its appearance in the early nineteenth century. It was the language of the courts, of the ruling classes, of all officialdom. It was the language of the rent receipt and of the schools when they made their appearance. By the middle of the last century English was becoming the language of those living in the parish who considered themselves superior. All our nineteenth century tombstone inscriptions are in English. The language of the Church was bilingual in the early 60's of the last century. A letter written by Father Moran, P.P., to the Bishop of the day just a century ago referred to the need of a Curate capable of preaching to the congregation in Irish. From 1875 to 1900 the parish was bilingual. The bias favoring Irish as a conversational medium in the sixties predominately flavoring English towards the turn of the century. In this matter of the predominance of English the schools played the dominate role. They even went the distance of changing family names. This, if we examine the wider West of Clare canvas in this respect we find a child whose family name was Houneen written Greene in the school roll book; that of Keorish was first corrupted into Brummagen and later into Shannon, the former in the Moyarta barony, the latter in Ibrickane and Corcomroe.

This process of change and corruption applied to a number of Gaelic names. The system obtained in schools under landlord management and such schools were in the early years of the national system rather numerous. There were two such schools under landlord management far into the nineteenth century in the parish. A "souper" school under Lord Leconfield auspices existed for a time in the town of Chairush. A gable of this building still survives. It commemorates the failure of souperism. In such schools the teacher, under landlord or agent direction gave the child an anglicized name form on the roll book. The landlord's agent changed it correspondingly on the rent receipt. A tenant-at-will parent dare complain and so many of the old Gaelic family names were changed or corrupted. Since the beginning of this century English has become, almost without exception, the principal conversational medium of the parish population.

THE HOMES

It may well be presumed that the homes of the people of this parish corresponded with the general pattern of the homes of the same class Catholic population of Ireland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as given by MacLysaght in his social history of that period. To begin with there was only one pre-emancipation "Big House" in the conventional meaning of the expression at the period owned by a Catholic between Ennis and Loophead in the West Clare region. It was owned by the Kenny family at Tiermanagh and it was in their procession in 1715. It was never confiscated property. All others, if I accept the ruin now known ass Johnson's House of Tromoroe, were peasant homes of varying types. The standard peasant residence of the seventeenth and throughout the greater part of the eighteenth century was a one-apartment mud wall cabin with a thatched roof. It had no chimney, no window and one door. During the winter the fire was in the center of the mud floor and the smoke was emitted through the doorway. In the summer time the fire was lighted outdoor where the cooking was done. When the fire was indoor the interior was disagreeable because of the smoky condition which was aggravated by the frequent use of bogwood for fuel. This made blindness frequent among the aged. Furniture was at a minimum. It consisted of a rough table and a form on which the family sat. There was no bed and the family slept on the mud floor, straw or dried rushes having been first laid on. The son's slept at the father's right, the daughters at the mother's left. A chimney thatched almost to the top and one small window. Survivals of this type lasted into the earlier years of the present century. Late in the eighteenth century an improved type of dwelling made its appearance. The walls were of stone masonry. The building had a kitchen and one or two rooms. The gables were half hipped and the roof was of plain thatch. The thatch was well roped and netted. Survivals of this type of house, numerous enough in this peninsula in the beginning of the present century, are now rapidly diminishing in number. In this type of house each apartment had a window, originally a very small one, but enlarged as improvements were made. Early in the nineteenth century an improved house came into vogue. It is the design of the farm house that has lasted to the present day - a full sized residence consisting of a large kitchen, a parlor and two or three bedrooms. In some of those houses the gables pointed, others were half hipped. Most of those buildings were at first rough thatched, banded and netted with strong cord or sometimes with well made straw sugans. Later they were sew-thatched with rye or wheaten reed and bound with bogdeal scallops. The sew-thatched rural homes are among the best found and for appearance and comfort they are difficult to out-class. At present time the homes of our people here are at the best of standards (1969).

ENTERTAINMENT

The principal local entertainment over the centuries and still extant is one of the domestic type. It is going on "cuaird", that is neighbors visiting neighbors in their homes, especially during the long winter nights. At these gatherings the Seanachie reigned supreme as he told tales of bygone heroes, ghost stories, athletic events off a dim past, and there was, of course, the mutual exchange of current gossip at all such gatherings. There was, besides, another form of domestic amusement, the family dance. Neighbors were the guests of a family for the occasion. Irish set and step-dancing was indulged in for a few hours; and the farmer's kitchen discovered the local talent and many a townland had its hero champion dancer of a hornpipe, the gabairin buidhe or any distinctive but exacting form of Irish dance. These domestic dances were Gaelic and as dance forms were above reproach. They gradually yielded place to the subscription dance which in our day has become highly commercialized and has begotten its own menacing problems.

In passing, I shall here refer to our old time weddings. They were the ordinary type of wedding up to thirty years ago and until very recently in numerous instances in this parish. First, the "match" was made. This was followed by a minor festivity between the immediate relatives on both sides called the "Picking of the Gander". It usually occurred a week or more previous to the wedding day. On the wedding day the bridegroom and his party visited the home of the bride at midday or the very early afternoon. Lighter refreshments were partaken of at the bride's home and the horse -driven procession to the church of the bride began in mid afternoon. From forty to one hundred and thirty years back various types of vehicle were employed. In later days the side-car was in frequent use. Earlier, men rode horse and saddle. Husband and wife traveled with horse and common car - dray car; horse and pillion around the mid nineteenth century and earlier. The groom and his "best man" led the procession followed by the guests on their vehicles or on horseback and the bride to-be brought up the rear of the procession. Horses were specially groomed for expected weddings at Shrovetide and a testy pace was set on the journey to and from the church. The marriage ceremony over, the groom and bride at one side of the jaunting car, the "best man" and bridesmaid at the other, led the wedding procession to the bride's future home for the festivities which lasted into the evening and throughout the night. First, there was dinner in relays, the bridal party and their immediate entourage getting priority. All others followed in turn. As some of the party dined, others danced in the kitchen and in a barn specially improvised, to the music of violin, concertina or flute. A century and more ago the dinner consisted of potatoes, bacon and cabbage in abundance. At a later period, that is, from forty to ninety more years ago, bread and tea, cold goose, mutton and ham replace the potatoes and cabbage. Dinner over, the youthful element danced. The elders and select friends sat around the dinner table in the "parlor". There drinks were partaken of - poteen a century ago - songs were sung and altogether the group in the parlor rose to heights of respectable social éclat that seemed altogether beyond their ordinary work-day life of drudgery. Groups of uninvited but friendly and welcomed guests, drolly dressed and well disguised would "invade" the festivities at intervals during the night. They "took the floor" danced and then left. They were locally called "Bachachs". They were a distinct and, to most of those present a welcome addition the night's festivities. The Bachachs in their unique attire were jealous of their anonymity and the invited guests were on all occasions at pains to unmask them. The Bachachs still survive in our parish life and they adapt their visits to the changed circumstances of modern wedding and after-wedding celebrations. The wedding party lasted until daybreak when the guests departed. The old-time wedding was an unique event in the life history of every family. It welded a bond of enduring friendship between neighbors and relations. It was the memory of a lifetime and whilst modern exigencies have led to its disappearance its exit is not without its regrets.

THE AMERICAN WAKE

From 1850 when the exodus from this parish to the U.S.A. and Australia began, on to the waging of the First World War, the American Wake was an ever recurring and lamentable feature of our parish life. Throughout most of the period I refer to, the intending emigrant had got a "Form", that is, the passage ticket form an uncle or aunt, brother or sister, who had themselves previously emigrated and with their mustered dollars or pounds enabled the one at home to make the journey that the hard-pressed parent could not themselves finance. As the day of parting approached, the prospective emigrant visited the homes of neighbors and immediate relatives and the farewells, most of them for life, were exchanged. Those who assembled at the emigrant's home on the vigil of the departure constituted the "American Wake". Those who gathered at the wake house were, for the most part, youthful-the departing one's companions. They dance through the night and were entertained by the emigrant's parents. The joviality of the dance gave a festive atmosphere to the gathering which, towards morning, shaded into the atmosphere of a wake as the conscious-awareness that a member of the household was going forth, perhaps never to return, impresses itself upon the guests. Morning came, the party began to break up and more farewells were exchanged. A gloom had now descended upon the household and the remaining friends. Last farewells were exchanged between parent and child. Hearts that would never meet again on the roads of earth were at breaking point with anguish. The wake ends in a banshee wail. A procession from the home to meet the boat from Cappagh to Limerick before the laying on of the West Clare Railway or to Craggaknock, Kilmurry, Quilty or Miltown during the past seventy years witnessed the final act in the exodus of the big majority born in Kilmurry-Ibrickane parish since 1830.

O'Brien Col Wyndham Immigration http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=06bc9290-3d43-4b9c-bc22-7b5163cbddcf&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232697

O'Brien Killenan Farm http://trees.ancestry.com/rd?f=image&guid=84ae0773-5713-4f55-8b57-f3b58d559f02&tid=7775997&pid=-1039232697