Unconventional search for records: the Ryans of Coolnapisha, part 3

Dead ends everywhere, brick walls smashed and a sad ending

I wasn’t expecting this blog to focus so much on genealogy, but here we are—and so far, I’ve received positive feedback. My skeptical/scam-busting articles are usually published in the NZ Skeptics newsletter. Maybe that's for the best? I’m unsure if the audiences for skeptical and genealogy topics overlap. Let me know what you think!

Speaking about overlap, I’ve been working on a massive project with the NZ Skeptics that will expose a plagiarist—hopefully, the result will be released soon. One of the things we did was collect and even manually scan books and then OCR them so that we could run our scripts to find plagiarised parts. The old Limerick City website had many files, but hardly anything was OCRed, meaning little text was searchable. So, I downloaded the lot (what was left). I was able to download over 40 gigabytes of files. It looks like a lot of information on the site is now missing, as there are many dead links on Google Search. I was able to download folders J to V, but I'm missing folders A to I and X to Z. I slowly OCRed every file I could with OCRmyPDF. I also added files I've collected over the years. I could search all the downloaded PDFs using Adobe Acrobat, but it wasn't scalable, so searching just thousands of files was slow. Instead, I used an application called DocFetcher, which made searching very quick and allowed for advanced searching over many thousands of files. So, I can search for “Tob*” and cover Tobias, Tobis, Toby, etc. I can also do “‘Ryan Lough’~10” to search for those two words, but they must be within ten words of each other. This allowed me to find the death notice of James Ryan of Lough, which I mentioned in the last article. Some of my findings in this article come from this database. If you want me to look something up, leave me a comment.

If you have not read my previous articles about the Ryans of Coolnapisha, I suggest reading part 1 and part 2 before continuing to read this one. The names and connections are already complicated!

May The Real John Ryan Please Stand Up. 

I had great trouble fitting this record that I found in the newspaper.

“May 21, at Melbourne, Michael John, youngest son of the late Mr. John Ryan, Lough, Limerick to Mary Josephine, the eldest daughter of the late Mr. Peter Fogary, Bottomstown, in the same country.”
-Australian and New Zealand Gazette. Saturday 31 August 1867.

Since this didn’t specify which “Lough,” I initially dismissed it as a possible different location. I revisited the family, constructed a basic tree on Ancestry for Michael John, and obtained several matches to other trees.

21 May 1867 Michael John Ryan married Mary Josephine Fogerty in Melbourne. 

• 1868 Mary Ellen Ryan

• 1869 John Tobias Ryan

• 1870 Kate Ann Ryan

• 1871 Josephine Angela Ryan

• 1873 Teresa Faxman Ryan

• 1875 Frances Letita Ryan

“Tobias” is the middle name of their (only) son, so this seems like the correct family. Only one tree on Ancestry had a mother’s name. There are no sources, but this tree lists Michael as born in Lough. So I did some research on Findmypast, and behold, I found the family. 

Joanne (John) Ryan marries Ellena Cormack/McCormack.

• 18 Feb 1816 Catherina (Catherine) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Patricius (Patrick) Cormack & Maria (Mary) Cormack.

• 08 Mar 1819 Catherina (Catherine) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Thomas Cormack & Catherina (Catherine) Dwyer.

• 7? Feb 1821 Joannes (John) from Pallasgreen. Sponsors: Joannes (John) Ryan & Margarita (Margaret) Ryan.

• 22 May 1823 Patritius (Patrick) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Joannes (John) Landus & Ellen Ryan. 

• 07 Sep 1824 Margarita (Margaret) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Theobaldus (Tobias) Ryan & Brigida (Bridget) Ryan. 

• 21 May 1826 Jacobus (James) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Patricius (Patrick) Landus & Juliana (Julia) Ryan.

• 11 Jun 1828 Theobaldus (Tobias) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Joannes (John) Ryan & Wenefrida (Winifred) Brary. 

• 29 Mar 1833 Ellena (Ellen) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Jacobus (James) Ryan & Bridgia (Bridget) Ryan. 

• 14 May 1835 Thomas from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Joannes (John) Power & Maria (Mary) Ryan.

• 21 Nov 1836 Patritius (Patrick) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Theobaldus (Tobias) Ryan & Maria (Mary) Ryan. 

• 16 Jul 1838 Michael from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Matheus (Mathew) Ryan & Catherina (Catherine) Ryan.  

This family makes more sense than the other one I found in part 1 (below)—it has Tobias' baptism, which is close to the birth year he gave throughout his life. It’s disappointing that I missed this and shared misinformation, but it's an excellent lesson to check and double-check! It’s surprising how similar the names and birth dates are to those of the other John family I initially found. Perhaps there’s a connection here somewhere, maybe part of the Ryan Malachy family - I discuss the Ryan Malachys later in the article. 

06 Jul 1816 Joannes/Joanne (John) Ryan marries Maria (Mary) McCarthy/Carthy from Lough. Witnesses: Joannes (John) English, Edmundus (Edward) Fitzgerald.

• 24 Apr 1817 Catherina (Catherine) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Owen Carthy & Margarita (Maragert) Corbett.

• 24 Mar 1820 Ellena (Ellen) from Solohead Parish. Sponsors: Edmundus (Edward) Molory & Catherina (Catherine) Brony.

• 13 Jul 1822 Joannes (John) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Patritius (Patrick) Ryan & Catherina (Catherine) Flin.

• 16 Jan 1827 Jacobus (James) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Jacobus (James) Kennedy & Allicia (Allice) Beary.

• 21 Mar 1830 Jeremiah from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Engenius (Eugene) Carthy & Elizabetha (Elizabeth) Moore. 

There is only one Ryan among the sponsors. John and Mary may have been from Lough, but it sure seems they did not continue to live there afterwards, possibly lived near Mary’s family.

One fact doesn’t match the new correct family: son John Ryan’s (b. 7 Feb 1821) Will says that Tobias is his eldest brother. I can’t see how that can be true, so I’m putting this down as a mistake. No marriage was found for John and Ellen, but it could have been performed in Doon or Cappamore Parish, where the records don't exist this far back.

I contacted Jeremy Busck on Ancestry (who had the tree with Michael John Ryan's mother’s name), and he said his great-grandfather, Michael John Ryan, born in Lough, emigrated to Australia, set up an apothecary in Warrnambool, Victoria, and married Mary Fogarty from Galbally, County Limerick. I had found an 1855 apothecary Irish record for Michael Ryan from Lough as an apprentice, and I wondered how to fit that in.

John’s son, James (b. 21 May 1826), died in 1914. He had no children. His Will included 701 pounds going to John McCormack, a merchant. Now, this makes sense; John McCormack is likely a relative on his mother’s side, perhaps a cousin.

I did one more search for “Theobald*” on the Findmypast website and found another family:

Joanne (John) Ryan married Honora Ryan

• 14 Mar 1842 Theobaldus (Tobias) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Theobaldus (Tobias) Ryan & Bridget Ryan. 

• 25 Aug 1844 Brigeda (Bridget) from Pallasgreen Parish. Sponsors: Thomas Moore & Maria (Mary) Ryan. 

This John (b. 18 Nov 1812) seems to be the son of Tobias Ryan and Bridget Ryan, who were likely the sponsors for the child Tobias. Mary Ryan, the sponsor for Bridget, was likely John’s sister, and Mary’s husband, Thomas Moore, the other sponsor, was the brother-in-law. Another marriage record not found, perhaps in Honora Ryan’s home parish, might be Cappamore (sadly, that parish’s marriage records only go back to 1848).

I can't find much information about this family, and it doesn't help that many families have the same first and last names. However, I did find that Tobias (b. 1842) travelled to Australia (another one). Perhaps the entire family went there. I eventually found another possible mention in Irish records, which I mentioned below from a census substitute. 

Ryan Darbys of Brackyle

A family with the same Ryan nickname doesn't mean they are related, but I would say the chances are high when they live so close together. I have found multiple instances of Ryan Darbys in Brackyle, the townland directly beside Coolnapisha. Could they be related to the Ryan Darbys of Drumwood, who are from Coolnapisha? There are numerous Ryan families at Brackyle, including many John Ryans, so it will be challenging to determine who is who. The book O’Neill Family History 1721-2018 by Willie Oliver O'Neill (RIP) mentions Catherine Ryan (Darby) (b. ~1837, d. 4 Mar 1920) from Brackyle. She married William Hennessy (b. ~1837, d. 12 Sep 1921) of Lisobyhane [Lissobihane].

11 Feb 1868 William/Wm Hennessy/Hennessey of Lisobyhane, father John (farmer), marries Catherine/Kate Ryan, father John (farmer) of Brackyle at Templebredin.

• 26 Nov 1868 Bridget from Lisobyhane, Emly Parish.

• 14 Mar 1871 Sarah from Lisobyhane, Emly Parish.

• 23 Jan 1870 Margaret from  Lisobyhane, Emly Parish

• 20 May 1873 Mary from Lisobyhane, Emly Parish.

• 13 Feb 1875 John from Emly Parish.

• 27 May 1876 Matthew from Lisobyhane, Emly Parish

Using Irish naming rules, Catherine's mother could be Sarah or Bridget. I found some possible matches for her family, but I'll return to this.

In 1874, the newspapers discussed the New Pallas Petty Sessions, a case involving John Ryan (Darby) and his brother-in-law, Thomas O'Brien, who was charged with using abusive and threatening language towards Catherine Hayes, wife of Thomas at Coolnapisha. It was said that John fired a shot near Catherine's house, and he had a "red" (magisterial) licence. It seems there was insufficient evidence, and the bench dismissed the case. However, they were of the opinion that John Ryan's conduct was indiscreet. I haven't found any records for the New Pallas Petty Sessions online, and a call-out didn't help either. They may no longer exist, which is annoying because they can be very helpful in tracking family members. Leave a comment if you know what happened to them! Later that month, the papers published a notice that the Lord Lieutenant had revoked John Ryan's (of Brackyle) licence to carry or have arms, and the same for Thomas O'Brien of Coolnapisha, possibly because of the trial.

How is Thomas O'Brien, John Ryan's brother-in-law? Maybe someone remarried. Catherine Hayes' mother was Mary Hayes, and it was clear from the article that it was not John's mother. Perhaps one of Thomas' parents married one of John's parents. Figuring this out could help me determine which John Ryan I'm dealing with at Brackyle.

7 April 1872 Thomas O'Brien (b. ~1846), from Ballyvistie (Ballyvistea), father Thomas O'Brien, marries Kate/Catherine Hayes (b. ~1852), from Coolnapisha, father Denis at Nicker. 

The marriage record did not mark Thomas' father, also named Thomas, as deceased, so perhaps he remarried a Ryan. Considering the children’s names of Thomas and Catherine, and applying naming conventions, the mother's name could be Margaret or Mary. I found the family quickly enough; however, I was unable to find any records of Thomas remarrying.

29 Jan 1826 Thomas O'Brien/Brien marries Margaret Hogan at Emly Parish. 

• 16 Jan 1828 John from Emly Parish. 

• 15 Aug 1829 Mary from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 08 Jul 1830 Patrick from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 26 Aug 1833 Terrence from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 27 Jul 1834 Margaret from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 14 Sep 1836 Albens from Ballevistea, Emly  Parish. 

• 25 Jun 1838 Margaret from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 28 Mar 1841 Mary from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

• 09 Jul 1844 Thomas from Ballevistea, Emly Parish. 

I have another match for another Tobias, who was also living in Ballyvistea. His wedding is listed in the book Walker's Hibernian Magazine 1771 to 1812, Vol ll and was also in the newspaper.

“MARRIED. Last Sunday, Theobald Ryan, of Ballyvesty [Ballyvistea], Co. Limerick, Esq; to the amiable Miss Hellen Howly, daughter to John Howly, of this City [Limerick], Esq.”

-Limerick Chronicle, 17 Auguest 1796.

Looking at the tithe records, I found a “Theds Rd Ryan Esq” holding land in Ballyvistea and wondered if that could somehow stand for Theobald. But no, it was Thaddeus Richard Ryan, who is linked to the Ryans of Scarteen. A Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry of Ireland showed Thaddeus marrying Hellen Howly, so either Thaddeus also used the name Theobald, or those other records are mistaken. No other documents or family descendants showed the name Theobald, and no other links were found, so this was a dead end.

Talking about dead ends, I found an 18th-century painting of Tobias Ryan of Inch being sold at Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers. This painting could be one of the earliest portraits of a Ryan. The Inch Ryans are one of the older and more famous families in Tipperary. Because the name Tobias Ryan is relatively rare, there could be a link somewhere. The painting description says, “he was the father of Mrs. Woulfe (the wife of Walter Woulfe)”. Reading The Ryans of Inch and their World: A Catholic Gentry Family from Dispossession to Integration, c.1650–1831, shows that his name was Daniel, not Tobias. I have not found any evidence of the name Tobias being used in this family. I've contacted Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers about the error, but there has been no reply. 

Going back to John Ryan (Darby) of Brackyle, he could be around the same age as his brother-in-law, Thomas O’Brien, and he might be a brother to Catherine Ryan (Darby) (b. ~1837) of Brackyle, whom I mentioned above. I found a family that matches:

Joanne (John) Ryan marries Brigeda (Bridget) Brien/O'Brien:

• 29 Sep 1828 Sara from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 10 Aug 1830 Maria (Mary) from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 20 Mar 1832 Demetrius (Jeremiah) from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 26 Dec 1833 Judith from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 20 Jan 1835 Brigeda (Bridget) from Pallasgreen Parish. 

• 23 May 1836 Catherina (Catherine) from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 11 May 1838 Hanna from Pallasgreen Parish.

• 11 Jun 1840 Joannes (John) from Pallasgreen Parish.

John’s parents might be Mary and Jeremiah (aka Darby), which might explain why this line is called the Ryan Darbys. Griffith's records show that there were a few Johns renting lands: John Ryan (Tom), John Ryan (Malachy), John Ryan (Coonagh), and John Ryan. But there was no mention of Darbys back then. It could be the John without a nickname, or the family moved there later.

After clicking, I realised I had never searched for a marriage for John Ryan (Daby) of Brackyle. He could have married one of Thomas O’Brien’s sisters, and I found one family that fits.

20 Feb 1867 John Ryan from Kukish [Ballyhaukish?] marries Mary O'Brien/Brien from Ballyvistea at Emly Parish.

• 09 Dec 1867 Bridgt (Bridget) from Brackyle, Pallasgreen Parish.

• 10 Feb 1869 Anne from Brackile, Pallasgreen Parish.

• 25 Jun 1870 Kate (Catherine) from Brackyle, Pallasgreen Parish.

• 25 Feb 1872 John from Brackyle, Pallasgreen Parish.

• 05 Jul 1873 Mary from Brackyle, Pallasgreen Parish.

• 09 Apr 1876 Catherine from Brackyle, Pallasgreen Parish.

The naming rules all match up. Mary (b. 28 Mar 1841) comes from Ballyvistea, so it’s clear that she is Thomas’ sister. After all this searching, this appears to be another dead end. The family ancestor on this line may have had Jeremiah born around 1777, and this so far debunks any close relationship to the Ryans of Coolnapisha. These are just some of the many dead ends. But hopefully, this helps someone else, as one man's dead end is another man’s brick wall!

Breaking The Wrong Brick Wall

The Register of Deeds has always daunted me. I touched it once and got totally confused, and when I found a record, it was tough to read and, in the end, utterly useless to me. But I thought I would try again for this family, as this would probably be my last hope to determine if this family has any connection to mine.

Not as many Limerick and Tipperary records have been transcribed, so any records must be found manually. I started by searching the townland index and looking at Limerick's “L” and “C” sections for all the dates. It’s not in alphabetical order, so you need to read the entire section for a letter.

I found a few mentions of Coolnapisha and some of Lough (though likely the incorrect one). One record stood out. For the date section 1739-1810, “Ryan to Ryan”. 

That sure looks like Coolnapish, and it mentions Ryans. But what is the memorial ID? 36c522? No, having a letter doesn't make any sense. With some help from the Registry of Deeds Index Project Ireland's Facebook page, a record was found for 360522. It was a record of good length, with much information, but it was difficult to read. With much work, I have been able to work out the gist of the record. I’ve overcome the odds and broken down the next brick wall for this family, and I’m amazed that I have been able to go back another generation. Most people, especially Catholic Ryan farmers, are unable to find information on their families before 1800. This 1802 record shows that John Ryan of Coolnapisha is the eldest son of James Ryan of Coolnapisha, and there is James Ryan, the youngest son of James Ryan. John will take over the land because his father is old. As we know who the eldest son is, we can use Irish naming rules and go back a generation. 

In part 1, I mentioned that James (b. ~1785) might have been the eldest son of John and Catherine. This shows that even if you have an incomplete tree, you can use the eldest brother naming rule to determine what the older generation's names could be. The same rules were used for the eldest sister, who could be Mary or perhaps Margaret. So, the family might have looked something like this:

John? Ryan (b. ~1685)
--James Ryan (b. ~1715, d. >1802) m. Mary?
----John Ryan (b. ~1738, d. 1818) m. Catherine Ryan
----James Ryan (b. ~1760)

The family rented 18 acres of Coolnapisha land from Reverend James Ellard of Fairyfield Glebe, Kilmallock, in County Limerick. They rented it from 1799 at the yearly rent of £1:10 for a term of 17 years. This land could be Lot 10 (although it becomes much more extensive) in the 1847 Oola Tenure book, where the lease was renewed in 1818. Alternatively, the leases were renewed when James died, which could have been in 1806. 

The Summer and Spring Assize records are an excellent source of information that was found in my new database. They contain a lot of names, dates, locations and various projects with costs around the county. In the 1807 Spring Assizes, it states that J. Ellard and T. Ryan will repair 52 perches (Irish) [~333 metres] of the narrow road from Cullen to the Mill of Cross, between P. Scully’s house in Bracile [Brackyle] and J. Turney’s house in Brackyle. Could this J. Ellard be James (the Coolnapisha landowner) and T. Ryan be Tobias? While I don’t have the 1837 Summer Assizes, the newspapers show that Tobias Ryan of Coolnapisha was one of the ten cess-payers selected by the Grand Jury for Coonagh Barony. Tobias Ryan and Ellen Ryan of Coolnapisha were mentioned in 1848 in Summer Assizes for damages. Tobias Ryan (likely the oldest one, b. ~1785) again gets selected out of the cess-payers for Coonagh in the 1855 Summer Assizes - this is the last record I have of him. Later, in 1874-75, Tobias Ryan (b. 11 Jun 1828) was selected out of the cess-payers. 

Census Substitute and More Questions 

The magazine Grean (Dec 2017) shares the New Pallas Relief Fund of County Limerick, dated in committee 26th May 1846. It has an extensive list of full names in the area, plus the townland, family nickname, and the amount they paid toward the fund. I've picked out some of the more interesting names that subscribed from the townlands of Lough, Cross, and Treenmannaa.

Mr. John Ryan, Lough. £3.
Mr. William Hayes, Lough. £2.
Mr. Tobias Ryan, Lough. £2.
Mr. John Ryan (Malachy), Lough. £0.10.
Mr. John Ryan. (Coonagh), Brackile. £1.
Mrs. Matthew Ryan, Brackile. £0.10.
Mr. John Ryan, Treenmannaa [Treanmanagh]. £1.
Mr. John Ryan (Toby). Treenmannaa [Treanmanagh]. £1.
Mr. John Ryan. Cross. £3.
Mr. Thomas Ryan (Wllm), Cross. £2.
Mr. Terence Ryan, P.L.G [Poor Law Guardian], Cross. £1.10.
Mr. Simon Ryan, Cross. £0.15.

In an 1847 meeting, the Chairman listed the gentlemen he witnessed, including James and John Ryan of Lough.  

It’s tricky to fit all the puzzle pieces together. The John Ryan at Lough paying £3 would likely be John (b. 7 Feb 1821), son of John Ryan (b. ~1785). 

In part 1, we found a Tithe record of Tobias Ryan (b. ~1785) having land in Treanmanagh. Could John Ryan (Toby) in the above list be John (b. 18 Nov 1812), son of Tobias (b. ~1785)? The 1846 House book shows John Ryan, John Ryan Senior and John Ryan Junior, each with their own house. The 1847 Tenure book shows John Ryan Toby (difficult to read), John Ryan Junior (crossed out), and John Ryan Senior. There is a note for Lot 1, which has 12 people living on that land, including Ryan Toby, which says, “These are labourers of Mr. Considine’s and are not charged rent.” The land where John Ryan Junior was is marked as “Vacant, occupied __ land for Mr. Considine” (hard to read because it has been crossed out). I am unsure how Mr Considine comes into this when the immediate lessor is Jeremiah Scully. However, a Heffernan Considine is all over the Summer and Spring Assize records with many roading contracts. So it’s likely that John Ryan (Toby) worked on those contracts. The Griffiths showed John Ryan was still there in 1853 - a house with no land. 

The subscriber's list shows the earliest use (thus far) of a nickname in Lough/Coolnapisha records: Malachy. It is likely related to James Ryan (Malachy), the storyteller mentioned in part 2. I am not sure how to fit this John in. Could it be young John (b. 23 Dec 1835), son of James Ryan (b. ~1785)? Perhaps the same one that is at Brackyle in the Griffith's records. All this information makes me question whether I have this family line done correctly and whether I need to reexamine all the evidence again.

Ryan Malachy 

The Malachy Ryan nickname has surfaced multiple times, indicating a connection to the James Ryan (b. 1785) branch of the family. It likely signifies that an ancestor bore this name. I had disregarded a naming rule that may warrant further consideration. James Ryan's (b. 1785) father was indeed Malachy, the one mentioned in the Tithe records and likely deceased between 1826 and 1847. Since the family was close, Malachy was likely a brother of John (b. 1738). Without more evidence, I can't be entirely sure, but the tree might have looked like this:

James Ryan (b. ~1715, d. >1802) m. Mary? 
--John Ryan (b. ~1738, d. 1818) m. Catherine Ryan
--Malachy Ryan (b. ~1750) m. m. Catherine?
----James Ryan (b. ~1785) m. Judith English
--James Ryan (b. ~1760)

This isn't an exact science. I don't have any statistical information about when a family member is more likely to fit into a slot when there's a lack of evidence. So, I made a list of facts (including indirect ones) for and against and from those - I attempted to make an educated guess.

Thanks to Green magazine, I learned more about James Ryan (Malachy) (b. 02 Mar 1867), aka Jim, of Coolnapisha, the storyteller for the School’s Collection. He is Thomas' son and James' grandson (b. ~1785).

"Tom Ryan (Malachy) Lough, was successful in the 1935 junior hurling all Ireland Final. Tom Ryan is the son of the late James Ryan Malachy, one of the founder members of the club. James Ryan was a great athlete, a footballer, a weight thrower, and a hammer thrower. He competed at many sports meetings throughout Limerick and the surrounding areas. He also composed poetry and songs and his original "Where the Mulcair River Flows" must be truly appreciated when compared to the modern versions."
-Roots by Jimmy Carr, Grean 1980

The magazine even had a photo of the family:

I've been trying to trace John Ryan (Malachy) of Brackyle, whom I believe is part of this lineage. I haven't been able to find his family. There is one possible child of his. A court case in 1868 was discussed in the papers; Matthew Keaty of Dromlora, on behalf of his daughter Bridget Keaty, wants John Ryan of Brackyle to pay child support. Bridget and John's child, Ann Keaty, was born in 1865.

It's the first case that I've seen in which the child was baptised months after the civil birth registration. Usually, it's the other way around. Bridget, who reported the birth, didn't know anything about the father, and a word that looked like Brackyle was crossed out in the father's section. The baptism lists John as the father but oddly doesn't list the child as illegitimate. 

The paper described John as a "heavy browed, solid looking but comfortably dressed young man". Ann: “a fine little girl… in attendance, and smiled most affectionately at John”.

From what I can gather, the other John Ryans at Brackyle were married and did not match the correct naming rules. If John had been married, that indeed would have been mentioned in the paper. Back then, adultery was highly frowned upon, so there is a good chance that this is the correct John.

The Townland Meaning

In the Ordnance Survey Name books, there is a description of Coolnapisha, Oola. I found that this section was written around 1839. 

“Coolnapish -- B. S. 
Cul na Pise, back land of the peas.

Coolnapisha   -- J. C'D.
Coolinapish   -- Inhabitants
Coolnapish    -- Revd. J. Mahony, P.P.
Cullinapissie    -- Civil Survey 1654-1656

Situated in the north end of the parish. Bounded on the E.[East] and S.[South] by the ph.[parish] of Tuoghcluggin; N.[North] by Doon ph.[parish]; and W.[West] by Prackyle [Brackyle] td.

This td. contains 357 acres, which are arable, and without limestone. Soil partly light and wet, producing potatoes, corn and flax. The proprietor Major Lesie has it let per his agent Thos. Weldon, Esq. to 8 tenants by leases of 3 lives or 31 years at £2 2s. to £1 16s. per acre, and in farms of 40 to 3 acres. Co. Cess generally 1s. 4d. to 1s. 8d. per acre half yearly. Tithe 3s. per acre. Bog used for fuel is very scarce, and is bought by the tenantry. Prevailing Name: Ryan.”

In the previous part 2 article, I discussed that lot one originally had three lives, and this supports that theory.

Ordnance Survey Name books state Coolnapisha means the land of the peas, but a discussion on Facebook suggested a better definition could be the place or corner of the pishogues. A pishogue is a curse or can be used as protection against witchcraft/other pishogues. No official record shows that the alternative name is Lough, but since the land was boggy and used to flood a lot, maybe the meaning came from that. Someone else said an alternative meaning could be “loc”, meaning “enclosed”. 

In the book, The Origin and History of Irish Names of Places, Vol 2, 1883, this was the description for Coolnapisha, which basically agrees with the Ordnance Survey Name books: 

Pea. Pis [pish], genitive pise [pisha], signifies pease of all kinds, and is of course cognate with Eng. pease ; Lat. pisum. It is almost always anglicised pish and pisha; as in Coolnapish and Coolnapisha in Carlow, Kilkenny, and Limerick, the angle or hill-back (cuil or cul) of the pease : Aghanapisha in Westmeath, the field of the pease.

From the diminutive pisean [pishane] is formed (by the addition of ach-p. 3) Pishanagh, the name of two townlands in Westmeath, signifying a place producing pease.

In 1847, the newspapers had an article that examined the lands and the effects the Great Famine had; they described the area as: 

“The "Dead River," so called from its slow progress through flat country, divides Coolbane from Coolnafish and forms intimate proximity with the localities which I now attempt to describe. Through marshy plains, which in rainy weather present one broad sheet of water-it wends its way through dark and cheerless prospects until it empties itself at the "Old Bridge" of Sunville into the River Bilboa. From the violence and impetuosity of the latter river, the dead stream is repelled back again through the region through which it flows, and Lough-Coolnafisha fertilizes part of the lands in the possession of the comfortable industrious farmers known among the peasantry by the name of "The Ryan Toby’s." Here hospitable and interdependent farmers reside in a complete oasis in the desert, and strongly contrast wealth and independence with the rude and abandoned condition of their opposite neighbours.”

-Limerick and Clare Examiner. Saturday 20 November 1847.

There are some interesting points here, other than another spelling of Coolnapisha! The news article shows that James Ryan’s (Malachy) story in The Schools' Collection wasn’t lying when he claimed no one died in Coolnapisha because of the famine. Amazingly, they lived so well during the Great Famine; maybe their growing of corn helped. At this time, the family used the nickname Toby, even though it was never recorded in the land records. It says, “Lough-Coolnafisha fertilizes part of the lands,” which sounds like the name of a local lake. 

When examining the oldest maps of the townland, you can see an unnamed spot on their land; it is only noticeable on the coloured map that it is water. The neighbours also had Coolbaun Lough, which also vanished in later maps. Could this lone blue spot be the reason the name Lough was used for the area? Could it have been more extensive in the past?

Tailte Éireann Historic 6 Inch First Edition Colour mapping dated 1829-1841.

Searching old records, I find some mentions, but I’m unsure whether this is the same area.

Waters.]— The only lakes of either considerable size or interest are Coolapish in the barony of Coonagh, and Gur in that of Small County, and even the mere loughlets and ponds are few in number, and unconspicuous in character.

-The Parliamentary Gazetteer of Ireland, 1846 

I’ve found many sources on the Cooga Bog disaster that describe the bog of Poulenard, aka Castlegarde (near Coolnapisha), moving. Just about every paper, journal article, book, report and website has a mistake about its date, giving the day between 14 & 29th, the years 1792-1794 or even 1708. The county can also be listed incorrectly. The month somehow stays correct! This is an example of mistakes being copied for over 100 years and no one checking the original sources. Going by the earliest record I’ve found (so it might still be wrong), on the night of the 22nd (Saturday) of December 1792, the flood of liquid turf was one mile long, a quarter of a mile broad, and at least 21 feet deep in some places. It moved several miles, crossing roads and demolishing bridges. It buried three houses with 21 people in them. Collins’ son was awakened in one of the buried houses by his maid's groan. He was overwhelmed by the bog up to his neck. He escaped and watched the rest of his family perish. Another family, this time no survivors: a pregnant mother sitting in bed with her arms around her four children, and her husband standing over them with his back against the wall to support it. It was so rapid they had no chance of escaping. The moving bog eventually flowed into the “Lough of Coolnapish” and continued moving.

Rest In Peace John Kelly

On a sad note, I recently discovered that the historian John Kelly of Chadville (beside Drumwood) had passed away last year. No wonder he wasn’t replying to my emails. He initially shared that our family might have been related to the Ryan Darbys of Drumwood. He even met up with my family in 2010 when they travelled from New Zealand to Ireland, putting them in contact with Jerry Ryan (Darby). Jerry showed them his family's graves, and those photos my family took helped me research the Ryans of Coolnapisha. 

Jerry Ryan (Darby), Sandra Singleton (my grandfather’s cousin), John Kelly, and Fay Raill (my grandfather’s cousin) are looking at the Drumwood townland map.

My family lost touch with John; it was later discovered that he had suffered a stroke. In 2018, I was able to get in touch with his cousin, Frank Kelly, who was able to put me in contact with John. He was actively involved in local history research again and helped me with various questions over the years. He even said I did "amazing research," which I am honoured to have received from him. I would have loved to share what I had recently researched. I am sure John would have been interested in what I had found, especially the infamous landlord Valentine Ryan's (of Chadville) wider family and the possibility that he might have been related to the Ryan Darbys/Ryans of Coolnapisha, based on the funeral of Surgeon-Major Mathew Joseph Ryan. I’m beginning to see in this hobby that you interact with many older people, so expect many deaths.

I still haven't found my family connection to the Ryans of Coolnapisha and, therefore, the Ryan Darbys of Drumwood. But I have connected many old family lines together on Ancestry. I've also built a scaffold to help combine the pieces, hopefully linking other ancestors. I might have one more article where I spend money on services and land records. But for now, I'm signing off.

The Family Tree

John? Ryan (b. ~1685)
--James (b. ~1715) m. Mary? 
----John (b. ~1738) m. Catherine Ryan
------James? (b. ~1785)
------John (b. ~1785) m. Ellen Cormack
--------Catherine (b. 1816)
--------Catherine (b. 1819)
--------John (b. 1821)
--------Patrick (b. 1823)
--------Margaret (b. 1824
--------James (b. 1826)
--------Tobias (b. 1828)                  This line uses Toby as a nickname
--------Ellen (b. 1833)
--------Thomas (b. 1835)
--------Patrick (b. 1836)
--------Michael (b. 1838)
------Tobias (b. ~1785) m. Bridget Ryan   This line uses Toby as a nickname
--------John (b. 1812)
--------Honora (b. 1813)
--------Stephen (b. 1815)
--------Catherine (b. 1816)
--------Mary (b. 1817)
--------Maryann (b. 1818)
--------James (b. 1821)
--------Mathew (b. 1823)
--------Winifred (b. 1825)
--------Daniel (b. 1828)
--------Bridget (b. 1831)
--------Elizabeth (b. 1833)
------Jeremiah (b. ~1785)                 This line uses Darby as a nickname
--------Michael (b. 1817)
--------Johanna (b. 1821)
--------Thomas (b. 1823)
--------Bridget (b. 1826)
--------Laurance (b. ~1830)
--------John (b. ~1836)
--------Juliana (b. 1839)
------Ellen? (b. ~1785)
----Malachi? Ryan (b. ~1750)              This line uses Malachi as a nickname
------James (b. 1785) m. Judith English
--------Johanna (b. 1819)
--------Malachi (b. 1821)
--------Catherine (b. 1824)
--------Margaret (b. 1826)
--------Mary (b. 1829)
--------Thomas (b. 1833)
--------John (b. 1835)
--------Ellen (b. 1838)
--------Helen (b. 1840)
--------James (b. 1842)
----James Ryan (b. ~1760)

P.S:

All the different spellings of Brackyle I’ve come across: 
Brackile, Breakeile, Brackail, Brackeil, Braxail, Bracile, Brackill, Brakile, Brakill, brackayle, Brackeile, Brackhile, Brackhill, Bekile, Brackil.

All the different spellings of Treanmanagh I’ve come across: 
Trinmanagh, Tearmanna, Trienmana, Tiermanna, Tiermana, Treenmana, Triermana, Trearmanagh, Treanmannagh, Treenmannagh, Treenmannaa, Treananna.