Ballina, County Mayo, Ireland

Westport is about 20 miles from Ballinrobe.

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*Demesne, pronounced di mayn [main], was an estate occupied by the owner rather than being rented out.

Dated 1907

The Midland and Great Western railroad from Dublin came to Claremorris in May of 1862. By December 1862 it extended as far as Castlebar.

Castlemagarret was the property of Lord Oranmor. It is now a private nursing home. See Estate: Browne (Castlemagarett)

CROAGH PATRICK, FROM THE MAYO SHORE OF CLEW BAY

The Illustrated London News, Nov. 20, 1880

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Near Mochara there are many stone walls of the type shown in this picture.

Dated 1905

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Ballintubber Abbey, co. Mayo, Ireland:

Founded 1216 by Cathal O Connor, King of Cannacht. Ireland's only royal Abbey in continuous use for 750 years. 276 years old when Columbus discovered America. 300 years older that St. Peter's in Rome. 350 years in use when Shakespeare was born. The name-Ballintubber-the townland of St Patrick's well-commemorates an earlier foundation here by St. Patrick in the fifth century. Restoration of the Abbey was completed for its 750th anniversary celebration in 1966.

The Abbey is south of Castlebar,just off the road to Ballinrobe.

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This was reputed to be a hiding place of priests during the penal days.

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Cushlough Bay in Lough Mask is situated about three miles west of the town of Ballinrobe.

The Lough Mask Castle is on private property 6.5km from Ballinrobe on the Lough Mask Road. It was built in 1480 by the DeBurgos (later Burke). Lough Mask House (the roof of which is visible next to the castle) was the home in the 1870s of Captain Charles Boycott of "boycott" fame.

Cong is a popular tourist spot in south Mayo. In addition to the Ashford Castle and Cong Abbey (both pictured below) the town of Cong is "famous" as the setting for the movie "The Quite Man". The story of a prize fighter who left Ireland for America and his return to his birth place in search of peace, the movie (1951) was directed by John Ford and starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. Fans of the movie take organized tours of the places in south Mayo and Galway that were used as settings in the movie.

Ashford Castle is on the north shore of Lough Corrib about 13 miles south of Ballinrobe. The original part of the castle dates from the 13th century. Ashford Castle belonged to the Guinness family in the 19th century. It was transformed into a luxury hotel in 1939.

Cong Abbey was founded in 628 CE. It was burnt and rebuild a number of times. The last High King of Ireland, Ruadhri O'Connor, lived here from 1183 until his death in 1198. The abbey was active until at least 1829.

The cloister, pictured above, dates to circa 1200. Some of the cloister pillars were restored in the 19th century.

Clonbur is a village at the Galway/Mayo border on the strip of land that seperated Lough Mask from Lough Carrib. One of the loughs can be seen in the backgound of this photo.

The village of Tourmakeady is on the west side of Lough Mask in the Partry Mountains. A Franciscan monastery and school were found there in 1848. The school was in existance until 1927.

The following two postcards represent Irish/American sentiments in the US

Let Erin Remember"

Postmarked 1911

Post card collection of Maggie Land Blanck

"Who casts a slur on Irish worth,
A stain on Irish fame,
Who dreads to own his Irish blood
or wear his Irish name,

Who scorns the warmth of Irish hearts,
The clasp of Irish Hands,
Let us but raise the veil and
shame him where he stands."

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Cong is a small town and a parish south or Ballinrobe. There were Langans in this parish, but I don't know if they were related. The following descriptions of Cong is from "A Topographic Dictionary of Ireland" by Samuel Lewis, written in 1837

"Cong , a post-town and parish, partly in the barony of Ross, county of Galway, but chiefly in that of Kilmaine, county of Mayo, and province of Cannaught, 19 miles from Castlebar, and 121 miles (W.) from Dublin; containing 8378 in habitants. This place, though now only an inconsiderable village, was formerly a town of some importance, and the ancient residence of the kings of Cannaught. A monastery to the Blessed Virgin, was founded here by St. Fechan, who died in 664; though by some writers its foundations ascribed to Donald, son of Aed, nephew of Amirach, King of Ireland, who is said to have made St. Fechan its first abbot. Little further is recorded of its history till 1134, when a great part of the town was burnt and the abbey plundered by the people of Munster. Roderic OÕConnor, the last native king of all Ireland, spent the last 15 years of his life in seclusion within this monastery, where he died on 29th of November 1198, in the 82nd year of his age; He was interred at Clonmacnios. In 1201 the town and monastery were plundered by William de Burgo, who repeated his ravages in 1204; and in 1310, the town was plundered by Jugh Breifneach. the family of De borgo afterwards became munificent benefactors to the abbey, to which they gave ample endowments in land, and it continued to flourish till the dissolution. Queen Elizabeth granted part of its possessions to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin: and James I granted a lease of the abbey to Sir John King, Knt., ancestor of the present Earl of Kingston.

The town is situated on an island formed by the several openings of a subterraneous river that flows from Lough Mask into Lough Corrib; the principle of these openings rises in a great body from a depth of 73 feet, forming a powerful eddy, which turns two large mills, and the approaches are over three bridges. It consists of two streets of small houses, of which the greater number are thatched, and has a sub-post-office to Ballinrobe. There are two large mills, t he property of Mr. John Thompson, erected about 40 years since, and each grinding on an average 300 tons of wheat annually. Fairs are held at Funshinough in May and September; and petty sessions are held every Saturday alternately for Mayo and Galway.

The parish comprises 17,622 acres, as applotted under the tithe act, of which about 240 are woodland, 480 mountain and bog, and, with the exception of about one-fifth, which is waste, the remainder is good arable and pasture land, chiefly under tillage, and producing excellent crops; that which is in pasture, lying upon a substratum of limestone, feeds a large number of sheep and goats. Limestone is everywhere found, rising in many places above the surface; and there are quarries of the finest description of building stone, which is sent to most parts of the adjacent counties, for which Lough Corrib, navigable for 20 miles to Galway for boats of 10 tons burden, affords a facility of conveyance. The gentlemenÕs seats ate Strand Hill, the residence of T. Elwood, Esq.; Garracloone, of R. Blake, Esq., ; Bally-magibbon, of J. Fynn, Esq.; Blake Hill, of Mrs. Blake; Ashford, of Lord Oranmore; Royal Rock of the Rev. M Waldron; Houndswood, of Martin DÕArcy, Esq.; and the glebe-house, of the Rev. E. L. Moore. The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and in the patronage of the Archbishop: the rectory is partly impropriate in Sir R. A. O'Donel, Bart., as representative of the abbot of Cong, and partly appropriate to the prebend of Killabegs in the cathedral of Tuam. The tithes amount to L489.4.7 and 1/2., of which L18.9.2 and 3/4. is payable to the prebentary, and the remainder to the incumbent: the impropriate tithes are not under composition. The glebe-house was built by aid of a gift of L400 and a loan of L380 from the same Board, in 1817: the glebe comprises 25 and 1/2 acres. The church, a neat edifice with a small square tower, and in good repair, was erected by aid of a loan of L640 from the late Board of First Fruits, in 1811. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church; the chapel is a handsome edifice, in the later English style, with a square tower surmounted with a cross. the parochial school is under the Tuam Diocesan Society, aided by an annual donation from the incumbent; a school at Ballymagibbon is supported by John Fynn, Esq.; one at Funshinought is aided by Marine D'Archy, Esq.; and there is a national school at Carrokeel. About 430 children are instructed in these schools; and there are also four pay schools, in which are about 150 children; and a dispensary. There is an ancient cross in the centre of the town, and the ruins of several churches are still to be seen here. Spare of various colours are found and the neighborhood abound with natural curiosities. Lough Mask, which is on much higher ground than Lough Corrib, discharges its superfluous waters into the latter by subterraneous channels, which, from the openings in the limestone, may in several places be seem flowing at a great depth below the surface. The most remarkable of these openings is the Pigeon Hole, which is of great depth; a descent to it is formed by 68 steps, and at the bottom the water rushes with great violence and noise till it is again lost in the dark recesses of the cavern, which extends to a considerable distance ; in the middle of the streams a small ell weir. There are several other caverns in the limestone range, of which Kelly's cave and the Lady Buttery have roofs fantastically encrusted. In Lough Corrib is the island of Innisduras, containing 29 acres and about 20 inhabitants. Near the glebe-house are the ruins of four druidical circles."

Cong was the location of the John Wayne movie "The Quite Man".

Maggie