1901 Census Record From Killala County Mayo Ireland Boland Family

 Residents of a house 2 in Kilroe (Killala, Mayo)

I came across a link to a genealogy site in Ireland and came across this document under the 1901 census record for my Boland family who began to emigrant to the United States in 1902. The house on #2 Kilroe located in the village of Killala just North of Ballina in County Mayo no longer stands as I located the spot via aerial shot of the area where the house once stood and located new development in the area surrounded by farm land. The farmland still exists however the house has been replaced. I remember my grandmother telling me stories of the Bolands in Ireland who were farmers unlike the Gallaghers who were fishermen in Donegal. My grandmother was the only child of Bridget Boland and John McCaffery (McCafferty) identified here as the second eldest child of John and Ellen Boland. My grandmother told me stories of Mary Boland coming to the United States first in 1902 then followed by Bridget (Agnes) then Kate (Katherine) then John, Ellen and the last two children known as Ellen and John. John Boland resided in Lower Merion on the grounds of Westminster Cemetery in a house on River Road and worked the grounds of the cemetery in exchange for free housing. My granddaughter told me that John liked living on the vast grounds of Westminster because it reminded him of the farm in County Mayo. I really do not know why the Bolands emigrated to the United States instead of remaining in Ireland. I only know they followed Mary Boland and her husband Bernard Cafferty. What is interesting about this document is it clearly stated that neither John nor his wife Ellen could read however all their children could read and write. All were Roman Catholics. Bridget was listed as a scholar which tells me she was currently a student when the census was taken on March 31, 1902. As a genealogist, I get really excited when I discover another piece of my family record. I cannot explain how it feels to see where they lived, how they worked, where they prayed. It makes them so very real. My grandmother was just three years old when her mother died in 1915 and raised by grandparents as well as her Aunt Kate only to go through life never knowing what her own mother looked like. I do not know if pictures were never taken or if pictures were hidden from my grandmother. My greatest wish is to one day discover a picture of Bridget in which some relative somewhere has in their collection.

Nameless Old Road Side Cemetery between towns of Ballina and Killala

 It amazes me how people can be interred in rocky hill sides.

 This was a difficult cemetery to explore because of its difficult terrain to navigate.

Killala, County Mayo, Ireland Birth Place of Agnes Bridget Boland McCaffery, Ancestraal Home of the mcCarricks

St Patrick's

Ireland

It has been a busy weekend getting ready for our trip. We stopped at Macy's and Kohl's for a few articles of clothing we may need, a stop at Best Buys so Bill could update his cell phone, CVS for toiletries, Boscov's for travel pillows times three, and a nice lunch outdoors on Saturday followed by a nice outdoor brunch on Sunday. We are packed. We are nearly ready and despite all the grief over the last few days, I am excited.


I am looking forward to going to St. Patrick's Cathedral and Trinity Church in Dublin. Of course we will be in the historic Templar Bar area were is it known for its pubs and shops. Trinity Church has underground crypts that go back to the middle ages. I am sure when I come home I will be writing about all the history.


Good Friday we will drive Northwest to Donegal and stay at the castle. Bill wants to drive further North then travel South along the coast where there are magnificent cliffs that meet the ocean. We will visit the town of Adara where the Gallaghers are from and Lough where the McCaffertys (McCafferys) are from.


County Mayo will be the area we explore starting on Easter Sunday with Killala and Ballina towns at the forefront. This is where the Bolands, Caffertys and Dohertys are from.  Lots of open farmland complete with thatch houses (we will stay in one) and more cliffs that meet the ocean. If we have time, we will travel further South into Galway.


The final leg of our trip will take us back to Dublin before we fly to Boston then to Philadelphia,


We do not do group tours. We are renting a car so we can travel at our pace and mix in with the locals. I am more interested in meeting family, experiencing culture, and gaining an understanding of the Irish life. I do not need to visit places that make crystal or kiss stones:)

Moving On

Trying to adjust to this new way of living.


Hoping my trip out of the country will help.


Leaving for Ireland soon. Will be out of the country until the end of the month.


Spending Easter in Donegal.


Need to gather my research so I know exactly where to stop. Adara (Gallaghers). Killala (Bolands).


Staying in three specific spots

1. Dublin (Templar Bar Area)
2. Donegal (Castle) 
3. County Mayo ( Authentic Farmhouse)

Thinking we will try a little urban, royal and rural life.

A Week in the Life

I have thrown myself into "everything" Irish this past week. Researching. Planning. Booking. Recognizing a dream come true. I have been to many places, seen many things, had different experiences but this trip will be special because after two decades of researching my family, I am going to walk the places they walked, see the sights, they seen, I hope to uncover more details about their lives. I recently discovered my Gallagher clan is from the parish of Adara. I always knew they were from Donegal but I never knew the exact village.

Reservations are made. I wanted to stay in three distinct locations, Dublin (Urban Life), Donegal (Royal Life) and County Mayo (Rural Life). That being said, we will fly into Dublin and spend the first two nights in the Temple Bar section of the city. My goals are to visit Trinity College, St. Patrick's Cathedral and National Irish Museum. I look forward to the cobblestone streets and the artsy culture.

Next it is off to Donegal. As per my grandson's request, we will stay in a castle. 2014 is the year my eldest grandchild turns 13 years old so he will come with us. My goal is to bring each grandchild to Ireland in and around their 13th birthday. Memory Making.

While in Donegal, we plan to visit the towns of Adara (Gallagher Clan), Letterkenny (McCafferty/McCaffery Clan), the cliffs overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean. We will spend Easter weekend at the castle, the most relaxed and expensive journey of our trip.

After Easter weekend, we will drive down to County Mayo, I wanted to experience the rural side of Irish life, so I rented a cottage. on the border of County Mayo and Sligo.

The grounds surrounding the cottage are filled with sheep.

I did not want to stay in the crowded town of Ballina and the tiny town of Killala did not offer much in the way of lodging, so I picked this area to stay. However, the goal is to explore Ballina (Boland, Doherty Clan) and the village of Killala (Boland, Doherty Clan). The plan is to experience the coastal and rural parts of County Mayo. Where the hills and mountains meet the sea.

The last night we will spend in Dublin since that is where we will fly home. In the coming months, I will research specific areas to visit in and around the three locations in which we will stay.

Other News:

I tried out a new recipe for authentic bread pudding. Here are the results.

 

As it baked in the oven, the aroma filled the house. I made a sauce to go over the pudding. Yummy! I will bring a tray to my son this weekend along with a chocolate truffle babka.

 

Nikolas on Halloween night with his goodies.

 

 

 

These boots were made for walking.

 

 

 

Hanging with my long time friend, Regina. We know each other since a teenager.

 

 

 

Carmel to die for pudding.

 

 

 

Look who came to visit outside our bedroom window.

 

 

 

She made me this.

 

 

 

Flowers are forever on my table.

 

 

Excited

The flights are booked. Car is rented. We are leaving for Ireland on April 15th, my grandfather's birthday. How appropriate to leave for Ireland with my husband and eldest grandchild on the anniversary of my own grandfather's birthday whose Gallagher Roots are from Donegal. This trip has been on my "bucket list" for years. I researched my Gallagher, McCaffery/McCafferty, Cafferty, Boland ancestors (direct line) and now I will walk on the ground they walked on, see the country they saw and enjoy the culture, they knew. Lately, I have felt this very strong need to go and go soon. I am not sure what my internal motivation/drive is coming from though I am sure it has much too do with the current circumstances of my life and the realization of how short life can be and how it can change in a blink of an eye.

I wanted to go for Christmas but the short notice at work and the time needed to plan was too short. (Though I have been known to throw a vacation together quickly) I also wanted to talk to my son about it. I needed his OK. I needed to know it was OK for me to leave. Had he said otherwise, I would have not made the reservations. He was "thrilled" and gave his immediate "blessing". "Mom, I want you to go and have a good time. I will be OK. If I need anything, Dad can help me". He and I are going to do some Christmas shopping via computer this weekend. We have a list from her.

In the end, we will not spend Christmas but Easter in Ireland. I have not made hotel arrangements yet though I have been searching. We will fly into Dublin and we plan to spend one night in the city before we drive the three hours "West" to Donegal. In Donegal, I want to spend one or two nights in a castle. (My grandson's request) then I want to stay in a B&B and/or thatch cottage in County Mayo preferably in or around Ballina and/or Killala.  We will drive back to Dublin and spend another night in the city before we fly back home. A "must see" in Dublin is the National History Museum of Ireland and a quick meal and beer at the Guinness Brewery. Otherwise, it is all about seeing, being and living among the locals.

To answer my own question about the internal motivation, times are tough and things look bleak. Instead of falling into a dark hole, it is about grasping the light at the end of the dark tunnel. There is not a better way of fighting through the dark night then to grasp onto the hope of a promising future. In this way, I move forward. I know that if I do not move forward, my children, my grandchildren will have a difficult time moving forward. If I have learned anything over these past three years it is "my mood" directly "impacts" those closest to me. I have come to realize that in order for those I love to "be ok" and "to move forward", I must model that behavior. Despite any internal war and/or pain I might feel, I will not fall into some dark abyss because I do not want those I love to fall into the abyss. Our hardship has not destroyed us, We found a way to close ranks. We are coming out stronger than ever despite what anyone else thinks, feels or believes.

Maybe, there is a God and maybe that God is working through us.

Killala

My great grand mother Agnes Bridget Boland McCaffery (McCafferty) was born in this tiny village with a population of 500 people before she relocated with her family to Ballina.

 Killala , County Mayo in the West of Ireland

Location

Killala (in Irish: Cill Ala) is a picturesque seaside village six and a half miles north-west of Ballina in north Mayo, famous in Irish history for the part it played in the 1798 rebellion.

History

In August of 1798 General Humbert arrived into Kilcummin pier from France and combined with the Irish forces against the English forces in the area. This year is chronicled in Irish history as the Year of the French and a book and television history celebrate this unique event.
Consequently, Killala has become a popular location for the historian and in fact was used as a major location for the 1981 multi million pound film "The Year of the French". In 1998 Killala celebrated the bicentenary by twinning with a town in Chauve in France.

Killala Round Tower

Killala's skyline is dominated by a round tower, dating to the 12th century, a testament to the historic distinction of the village as an ecclesiastical centre. The Killala round tower was most likely used as a belfry and is one of the best examples of round towers in Mayo.
In the centre of Killala there is a Church of Ireland cathedral, built in 1670 over the remains of a ruined Catholic cathedral that had stood on the same site. The adjoining graveyard has a 9th century souterrain with numerous chambers.
The origins of the Killala diocese date from the time of St Patrick who appointed his disciple, St Muredach, over the church there - dating back to 442 or 443 AD.

Archaeology

The area is rich in archaelogical remains such as:

• Rosserk Abbey (founded in 1400 AD as an early Franciscan Friary)
• Moyne Abbey
• Rathfran Abbey (Dominican Priory 1274 AD)
• Meelick Castle
• Humberts Rock
• Céide Fields (the oldest enclosed farms in the world) are a short distance away near Ballycastle.

If my husband can get off from work around Christmas, there is a good chance I will be here!

Church Where Agnes Bridget Boland was baptized in killala Ireland

Moyne Abbey

Located in County Mayo, a place littered with old abbeys from years long past.Moyne is one such, and Franciscan too... It lies snug in a cleft in the shore of a deep estuary, between Killala and Ballina. As you drive down the lane, between flower-strewn hedges, even with the clutter of modern bungalows, there is an ancient feel to the countryside. The small hills look terraced.

History tells us that Moyne Abbey was consecrated in 1462. Then burnt down by the British governor of Connaught a hundred years later and the Franciscan monks persecuted. However, some monks managed to survive there until the 1800's.

Moyne Abby lies across a series of farmer fields, and the farmer blocks the path with a secure gate, and a sign that says. "BEWARE OF THE BULL" and "NO TRESPASSING"

Killala County Mayo Ireland

If you look closely at the middle top portion of this map of County Mayo, you can find the location of the town known as Killala, birth place of the Boland Family. Killala has a population of only 500 people, which makes it great for me because it will be easier to trace records of the family in this town. As a matter of fact, I contacted the diocese of Killala recently for the baptism records of Agnes Bridget Boland and the marriage records of John & Ella Boland. If you look south of Killala, you will discover the town of Ballina, birth place of the Cafferty family and home of the Boland family just before they immigrated to the United States. Ballina has a population of 10,000 people.
You are probably asking yourself the question, "how did I know Killala was the birth place of our Bolands and Ballina is the last location where they lived before immigrating over to the United States?" The answer is in their ship records.

The last address listed in Ireland for Bridget Boland McCaffery was the residence of her step-brother Michael Doherty in Ballina, County Mayo Ireland. This was the same address listed for all the Bolands with the exception of Bernard & Mary Boland Cafferty whom lived in Ballina at the time of their immigration but not with Michael Doherty.

Ella (Ellen) Boland was born Ella McCarrick. She married Michael Doherty and had at least one child before her husband died. That child was Michael Doherty. Ella McCarrick Doherty then married John Boland and as far as I know they had four children together. However, I have questioned whether or not the child known as Mary Boland Cafferty was a Doherty or a Boland? Bernard & Mary married in Ballina, County Mayo Ireland and their first child Michael Cafferty was born in Ballina before the family immigrated to the United States.

If I can locate the marriage records of Bernard & Mary Cafferty, then that question would be answered.

At this time, I do not know if Michael Doherty ever immigrated to the United States but I believe he remained in Ireland.

Killala, County Mayo Ireland was a seaside village located at the Killala Bay. During the famine, the village was hit hard. While researching this town, I came across an article which stated that over 140 bodies layed out on the roadside and were buried in a mass grave during the Great Famine. It should also be noted that the town of Ballina was also hit hard during the famine. Ballina had vast farmlands.

Other background history of Killala;

Killala is a picturesque seaside village six and a half miles North-West of Ballina in North County Mayo, famous in Irish history for the part it played in the 1798 rebellion.
History
In August of 1798 General Humbert arrived into Kilcummin pier from France and combined with the Irish forces against the English forces in the area. This year is chronicled in Irish history as the Year of the French and a book and television history celebrate this unique event.
Consequently, Killala has become a popular location for the historian and in fact was used as a major location for the 1981 multi million pound film "The Year of the French". In 1998 Killala celebrated the bicentenary by twinning with a town in Chauve in France.
Killala's skyline is dominated by a round tower, dating to the twelfth century. There is a Church of Ireland cathedral, which was built in the 17th century over the remains of a ruined Catholic cathedral.
The area is rich in archaeological remains such as:
Moyne Abbey
Rosserk Abbey
Rathfran Abbey
Meelick Castle
Humberts Rock
Céide Fields (the oldest enclosed farms in the world) are a short distance away near Ballycastle.