Abington Civil Parish

Tithe Applotment Records

Ryan Family Genealogy

Introduction

Ireland began collecting census records in the early part of the nineteenth century.  Unfortunately for us most of the nineteenth century records were either destroyed or burned in a fire.  Genealogists use other records such as Tithe Applotment records and Griffith Valuation surveys as census substitutes.  Most parishes we have seen have been entirely situated inside a single Irish County.  Abington can be found mostly in County Limerick, but a smaller part is found in County Tipperary to the north.

Why does this parish interest us?  Abington Civil Parish can be found east and adjacent to Kilnarath Civil Parish in County Tipperary.  Kilnarath is where our ancestors (Ryan and Campbell) all lived.  In fact, Margaret and Edward Hill lived in a Kilnarath townland right next to Abington Civil Parish.  We suspect Abington Parish also contains some of our own distant relatives.

The map above shows the boundaries for Abington Parish in County Tipperary.  Kilvellane Civil Parish was home to the Boney family.  Killoscully Civil Parish is where our Hill, McDonnell and Casey ancestors lived in this part of Ireland.  South of Kilvellane Civil Parish you will find the rest of Abington Civil Parish, which is found in County Limerick.

What is the Tithe Applotment?

While the Irish census began in 1810, most records were lost in a fire. The Tithe Applotment records from 1823-1837 are therefore extremely important.

The Composition Act of 1823 specified that tithes due to the Established Church (Church of Ireland), which before had been payable in kind should now be paid in money.   As a result, it was necessary to carry out a valuation of the entire country, civil parish by civil parish, to determine how much would be payable by each landholder.  This continued for 15 years before ending in 1838.  No one was exempt and the tithe was required payable by Catholics and Protestants alike.  As the British took control of Ireland the Church of Ireland began to push in on the Catholic Church which had held sway in Ireland for centuries. The Church of Ireland wanted landholders to pay tithes to the church, and worked on this applotment in order to ensure that everyone paid.

A book still exists for almost every civil parish in Ireland. It lists the land in that parish, how it is broken down, who is on each plot of land, and the amount of money owed.  Anyone who leased land had to pay the tithe.  Catholics and non-Anglicans hated the tithe; however, many paid it to maintain their leasehold. 

Abington Civil Parish, 1837 Description from Lewis’s Topographical Dictionary of Ireland

Note: Roman Catholic parish records for those parishes that belong to the Diocese of Cashel and Emly are not available to the public

ABINGTON, a parish, partly in the barony of OWNEY-ARRA, county of TIPPERARY, partly in the county of the city of LIMERICK, and partly in the barony of CLANWILLIAM, but chiefly in that of OWNEY-BEG, county of LIMERICK, and province of MUNSTER, 7 miles (E.by S.) from Limerick; containing 7564 inhabitants.

This place, anciently called Wotheney or Woney, attained considerable importance at a very early period, and was celebrated for a Cistertian abbey founded, according to some, in 1189, and to others, in 1205, and provided with monks from the abbey of Savignac, in France, by Theobald Fitz-Walter, Lord of Carrick, and ancestor of the Butlers, Earls of Ormonde, who was interred here in 1206. To this abbey King John made extensive grants of land in the kingdom of Limerick, with the advowsons of several parishes; and the abbot sat as a spiritual peer in the Irish House of Lords.The abbey, with all its possessions, was granted by Elizabeth, in the 5th year of her reign, to Capt. Walshe, who erected a handsome modern house near the ancient buildings; but in the war of 1641 these estates were forfeited to the Crown. There are only some small fragments remaining, situated near the present church, and also a portion of the mansion of the Walsh family; but neither are adequate to afford any idea of their original character.

The parish comprises about 32,200 statute acres, of which 12,920 are in the county of Tipperary, 708 are in the liberties of the city of Limerick, and the remainder are in the county of Limerick; of its entire extent, 10,317 statute acres are applotted under the tithe act. Towards its north-eastern boundary it includes a large portion of the Sliebh Phelim mountains, which rise to a considerable height, in many parts affording good pasturage for numerous herds of young cattle and flocks of sheep. The fields are generally well fenced, and the lands are in a good state of cultivation. There are some excellent meadows, mostly attached to the dairy farms; and the farm-houses are comfortable and of neat appearance.

The seats are the Glebe-House, the residence of the Very Rev. Thos. P. Le Fanu, Dean of Emly; Borroe Ville, of Dr. Wilkins ; Maddebuoy House, of Capt. Wickham; Balovarane, of T. Holland, Esq. ; Ash Row, of T. Evans, Esq. ; Farnane, of Mrs. Costello ; Lillypot, of Mrs. Bradshaw ; Castle Comfort, of the Rev.T. O'Brien Costello; and the Deer-Park, the property of Lord Carbery.

Fairs are held on May 29th and Aug 31st; besides which there are fairs at Murroe on April 29th and Oct. 27th. Petty sessions are held every alternate Tuesday; and here is a station of the constabulary police.

The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Emly, with the rectory and vicarage of Tuough united, by act of council in 1776, together forming the union of Abington, in the patronage of the Archbishop of Cashel the tithes amount to £650, and of the entire benefice, to £900. The church is a neat small edifice, without tower or spire. The glebe-house is situated on a glebe of 20 acres.

In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish is the head of a district, comprising also Clonkeen and a small portion of Doone. The chapel at Murroe is a large and handsome edifice, built in 1811, and enlarged in 1836: there is another old chapel at Borroe.

The parochial schools are chiefly supported by the rector; there is another school of about 60 boys and 60 girls, also three pay schools. Two handsome school-houses have been erected at Kisikerk.

Abington Parish Townlands

Townlands found in Tipperary:

Baurnadomeeny * Bealaclave * Coonmore * Foildarragh * Foilduff * Foilduff (Jackson) * Goulmore * Laghile * Reardnogy Beg * Reardnogy More * Shanballyedmond *

Townlands found in Limerick:

Abington * Ahacore * Annagh * Ashroe * Ballyguy * Ballyvorheen * Boarmanshill * Boher * Bohergar * Cappanahanagh * Cappanouk * Cappercullen * Cloghnadromin * Clonloughna * Clonshavoy * Clooncunna North * Clooncunna South * Coolbreedeen * Coolnahila (Palmer) * Coolnahila (Powell) * Dromeliagh * Eyon * Farnane * Forkeala * Garranbane * Gleno * Gleno Knocklatteragh * Gleno Newtown * Glenstal * Gortavacoosh * Kishyquirk * Knockaneery * Knocknagorteeny * Liscreagh * Lismullane * Maddyboy * Meentolla * Moher * Mongfune * Moroe * Moroe town * Moroewood * Puckane * Rath * Rathwood * Sandylane * Toberagarriff * Toorlougher *

Most common surnames in Abington (Tipperary) in 1851

Ryan (25 households), Kennedy (20 households), Carey (15 households), Quigley (13 households), Caples (7 households), Nolan (6 households), Wade (6 households), Hayes (5 households), Lynch (5 households), and McLoughney (5 households).

Most common surnames in Abington (Limerick) in 1851-2

Ryan (123 households), O’Brien (25 households), Burke (24 households), Hayes (18 households), Wixtead (17 households), Dwyer (16 households), Fitzgerald (16 households), Hickey (16 households), Hickey (16 households), Fleming (14 households), and Mullowney (12 households).

 

Tithe Applotment Records – Abington Parish

Transcribed from FHL Microfilm 256560

Abington

DIO. EMLY  A2

September 1, 1826

Abington Civil Parish

County Tipperary, North Riding

Barony Owney and Arra

Poor Law Union Nenagh

Catholic Diocese Cashel & Emly

Catholic Parish Murroe and Boher

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No______

Records

Irish Land Commission

APPLOTMENT BOK

Parish of Abington

Diocese of Emly

County of Limerick

Received into the Registry

Of the Diocese of Cashel

This 5^th day of September 1826

James L. Hickey

Deputy Registrar

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OATH OF COMMISSIONER

To be taken before any Justice of the Peace of any County in which the Parish hall be situate, in which parish Commissioner shall be appointed to set.

I ________________________

In the County of _________________ do swear that I will faithfully, impartially, and honestly, according to best of my skill and ability, execute and perform then Powers and Authorizations vested and reposed in me as Commissioner in the Parish of __________________ by virtue of an Act passed in the Fourth year of the Reign of King George the Fourth, entitled “Act to provide for the establishing of Compositions for Tithes in Ireland” for a limited time; and by an Act passed in the Second and Third Years of the Reign of His Majesty King William the Fourth entitled “An Act to amend Three Acts passed respectively in the Fourth, Fifth and Seventh and Eighth years of the Reign of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, providing for the establishment of Compositions of Tithes in Ireland, and to make such compositions permanent”, according to the Direction of the said Acts, and according to equity and good conscience, and without forth favour or affection, prejudice or malice, to any Person or Persons whomsoever.

                                                                                                                        So help me God,

                                                                                                                        (Signature)

On the bottom left of the document one normally sees the signature of the Justice of the Peace and date signed.

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The following list shows the tithe records for the townlands of Abington Civil Parish.  The first townland name is what I saw in the records.  The name in parenthesis is the modern equivalent.  Place names were not standardized during this time, or the spelling was much different than what appears today.

Townlands of Kishikirk (Kishyquirk) Barony of Clanwilliam County of Limerick

Townland of Cloughnadromene (Cloghnadromin); County of Limerick

Townlands of Clonnconne (Clooncunna), Lismillane (Lismullane) and Boheigor (Bohergar); Barony of Clanwilliam; Limerick             

Townland of Boher (Boher), Barony of Clanwilliam; County of Limerick       

Townlands of Coolbreen (Coolbreedeen), Clonleghna (Clonloughna), Coolinihily (Coolnahila), Baloagey (Ballyguy); Barony of Owney and Arra; County of Limerick

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