Cancelled Book Islands 1855-1970

Islands

While there is no townland in the parish of Clareabbey called Islands, the Primary (Griffith) Valuation identified, measured and valued four islands[1]:

Island 1 whose occupier was the Board of Ordnance and it was identified as a military barracks, land and waste occupying an area of over three acres.

Island 2 a small island of one rood, seven perches whose occupier was Patrick Lyons who was also listed as occupier of Island 4.

Island 3 an island of just over two acres occupied by Patrick McNamara.

Island 4 was the largest of the islands at over seven acres in size. Later the areas of Islands two and four were merged and size reassessed as the areas are liable to flooding.

The Griffith Valuation also notes three other islands of no agricultural value and does not provide an area for these. Later in the cancelled books the valuation includes telegraph lines listing the Postmaster General as the occupier.

The Islands were part of Lord Inchiquin’s estate who was listed as immediate lessor.

In the 1896-1910 revision/cancelled books Islands one and two were included in the Skehanagh townland pages as lots 14 and 15. For ease of following the revision/cancelled book history of the lots they have been included in the transcription under their original Griffith heading of Islands.

Island 1 is the only one of the four islands which listed buildings and as such was the only one inhabited 1855-1970. The cancelled books record the changes in the use of the former military barracks to becoming a number of residences from the 1920s. Power’s details of the history of the barracks, now called Thomand Villas until the early 1920s.[2]

At the 1901 and 1911 census of Ireland the barracks were enumerated with the village. In 1901 there was still a military presence with a barrack warden with his family in house 1 and a regimental captain with his family in house 2.[3] There were no occupants listed in the 1911 census. Of interest and associated with the barracks, there were a number of occupants listed in the village in 1901 who worked for the Ordnance Survey but most of these families had moved to Ennis or away by the 1911 census.

[1] (https://griffiths.askaboutireland.ie) (14 Mar. 2023).

[2] Joseph Power, A history of Clare Castle and its environs, Ennis, 2004, pp.37-78.

[3] (http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1901/Clare/Clareabbey/Claretown__Clarecastle_Village_/) (accessed 14 Mar. 2023).