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St. Mullins Amenity & Recreational Tourism Group

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Our Global Community

St. Mullins - Meeting President JFK

St Mullins, like all Irish communities, has a wide diaspora spread throughout the world, and particularly in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.

For many of these, sense of place is extremely important. All Irish people have a keen sense of attachment to their place of origin. For many Irish people abroad, it is not just a question of being from Ireland, but which county, town, or even townsland a person is from. This attachment to place can be passed down through the generations.

In recent years, a number of initiatives in Ireland have brought home the effectiveness of building on that sense of place. In 2013, The St. Mullins Gathering was one of 5,000 Gatherings organised nationally to make connections globally.


Emigration and Population Decline

In common with the rest of Ireland, St Mullins experienced massive emigration and population decline beginning in the mid-19th century, as shown by Census figures from the time.

Population of Baronies of St. Mullins Lower and Upper 1821 – 1841

A barony is a historical subdivision of a county, similar to the hundreds into which the counties of England were divided. Baronies were created during the Tudor conquest of Ireland, replacing the earlier cantreds formed after the original Norman invasion. There are 52 townslands in the Barony of St. Mullins Lower.

Census Year Population Houses
1821 9,840 1,650
1831 10,160 1,675
1841 10,392 1,672

Persons 5 years old and upwards

Who can read and write 2,548
Who can read only 2,540
Who can neither read nor write 3,985

Most common surnames in St. Mullins in 1852/53

Surname Households
Murphy 72
Doyle 46
Ryan 37
Byrne 24
Kavanagh 24
Morrissey 16
Neill 14
Foley 12
Rourke 12
Bolger 11

—
The figures above are taken from surviving indices to the 1821, 1831 and 1841 Censuses, which were largely destroyed in a fire in the public records Office in 1922 during the Irish Civil War.

Population in St. Mullins Civil Parish 1841 – 1901

Population in St Mullins Civil Parish 1841-1901
Note the statistics in the graph refer to the Religious Parish of St Mullins, a different population division to which the Baronies for which the earlier figures applied.

The population of St Mullins today is 1,360 people in 360 houses, according to the most recent Census.


Tracing Your Roots

If your ancestor came from the St. Mullins or South Carlow area, or neighbouring parishes in Counties Wexford and Kilkenny, we can help you access the volume of records available on a particular family. All queries are answered. If we are unable to help, we will refer you to the appropriate source.

Main sources of Genealogical Records include:

  • Church records of baptisms, marriages and burials (starting dates vary per parish)
  • Sources relating to property, e.g. Grifffith’s Valuation (Title Records from 1830, Valuation Records from 1850)
  • 1901 and 1911 Census returns
  • Gravestone inscriptions (South Carlow, parts of Wexford and Kilkenny)
  • School registers

In order to make an initial search you will need:

  • Name of your Irish-born emigrant ancestor
  • An approximate year of birth
  • The parish your ancestors came from, if possible.

Tips to remember include:

  • Irish surnames were more susceptible to change than others. Due to the fact that most Irish people only spoke Irish, many were unfamiliar with the written version of their name in English, so don’t be put off if you discover that your ancestor’s name is different to the way you spell it today.
  • Ages and birthdates given on records and gravestone are accurate only to approximately to five to ten years either way. In some cases, exact birth dates were often forgotten and made up when first coming into contact with the official required to record them.
  • Often dates such as St Patrick’s Day (March 17th), Independence Day (July 4th), or even St Mullins Pattern Day (July 25th) were adopted as birthdays.

Areas we can help you access records for include

Townslands of the Civil Parish of St. Mullins

The townsland is the smallest division of land unit in Ireland. In most cases, natural features such as streams, rivers and roads are used as boundaries. They can range from just a few acres in size to several hundred, particularly in mountainous areas. Sometimes part of a townsland is given its own placename, e.g. The Green, Glynn.

Anglicised Name Irish Name Translation Civil Parish
Aghnaglear Ath na gCléir Ford of the Clergy St. Mullins
Bahana An Bheitheánach Birch Wood St. Mullins
Ballybeg Big An Baile Beag Little Town St. Mullins
Ballybeg Little An Baile Beag Little Town St. Mullins
Ballyblake Baile Mhic an Bhlácaigh Blakestown St. Mullins
Ballybrack Baile Breac Speckled Town Ballyellen
Ballycrinnigan Baile Crinnegáin O’Cronegin’s Town St. Mullins
Ballyglisheen Baile Ui Glaisín Glasheen’s Town St. Mullins
Ballyhagen Baile Uí Eagáin Hagan’s Town St. Mullins
Ballinalour Baile Uí Chruinneagáin O’Croinegan’s Town St. Mullins
Ballyine Baile Uí Eidhin O’Hyne’s Town Ullard
Ballykeenan Baile Chianáin O’Keenan’s Town St. Mullins
Ballyknock Baile Chnoc an Bhiocáire Town of the Vicar’s Hill St. Mullins
Ballyknockcrumpin Baile Chnoc Crompáin Town of the Pill/Inlet (from the Barrow) St. Mullins
Ballyling Baile Uí Ling Ling’s Town St. Mullins
Ballymurphy Baile Ui Murchadha O’Murphy’s Town St.Mullins
Ballinalour Baile na Lobhar Town of the Lepers St. Mullins
Ballyroughan Big Baile Uí Ruacháin Mór O’Ruachan’s Large Town Kiltennel
Ballyroughan Little Baile Uí Ruacháin Beag O’Ruachan’s Small Town Ullard
Bauck Baic A Bend St. Mullins
Carriglead Carraig Leithid Broad Rock St. Mullins
Clanagh Cluanach O’Clanagh’s Land St. Mullins
Cahir Roe’s Den Cathaoir Ruadh Red Charles St. Mullins
Cashlen Maol Caisleán Maol Bald Castle St. Mullins
Cloney’s Bridge Cluainte Daingean Lawns of Meadows St. Mullins
Coolnamara Cúil Chonmara Back of the Sea Ullard
Coolyhune Cúil Uí Chomhain O’Quane’s Corner/Angle St. Mullins
Coonogue Cunóg A Nook or Corner Kiltennel
Cournellan Cobhar Neylon’s Hollow Kiltennel
Dranagh Droighneach Abounding in Brambles St. Mullins
Drummond Druimín A Ridge/Long Hill St. Mullins
Glebe An Ghléib A Glebe St. Mullins
Rathanna Baile Hanraí Henry’s Town St. Mullins
Inch or Motalusha Inse A Holm, Inch or Strath Grangeford
Kilcloney Cill Cluaine Church on the Lawn Clonagoose
Inchaphuca Inse an Phucaigh The Fairies Holm St. Mullins
Kilmissan Coill Maoisin Messian’s Wood St. Mullins
Knockeen Cnoicín A Little Hill St. Mullins
Knockymulgurry Cnoc Uí Maolgaraidh O’Mugarry’s Hill St. Mullins
Kyle Cill A Church Ballyellin
Lacken Leacain Hillside St. Mullins
Lissalican Lois Ailleacan Halligan’s Fort Ballyellin
Marley or Knockduff Marlach Cnoc Dubh Abundant in Marl St. Mullins
Mohullen Maighean Chuillen Plain of Holly Ballyellin
Mullannagaun Mullán na gCeann Field of the Heads St. Mullins
Mullannaskeough Mullán na Sgeach FielBallyellind of Brass St. Mullins
Mullannavode Mullán na bFód Field of Sods St. Mullins
Newtown Baile Nua Newtown St. Mullins
Poulmounty Poll an Mhointigh The Turf Pitts St. Mullins
Rathgeran Rath Gearain Gearan’s Fort St. Mullins
Slievedurda Liabh Durda Durda’s Mountain St. Mullins
Rocksavage St. Mullins
Seskin Seisceann Quagmire / Sedgy Land St. Mullins
Slievedurda Sliabh Durda Durda’s Mountain St. Mullins
St. Mullin’s Tigh Moling Moling’s House St. Mullins
Templenaboe Teampall na Bó Church of the Cow St. Mullins
Tinnacarrig Tigh na Carraig House of the Rocks Ullard
Tinnahinch Tigh na hInse House of the Inch St. Mullins
Turra Toradh Fruit St. Mullins
Walshestown Baile na Branagh Walshe’s Town St. Mullins

Parishes adjoining St. Mullins Parish

Parish County
Ballyanne Wexford
Ballyellen Carlow
Graiguenamanagh (Graigue) Kilkenny
Killann Wexford
Kiltennel Carlow
St. Mullins Wexford
Templeudigan Wexford
The Rower Kilkenny
Ullard Carlow

Click here for links to useful genealogical resources


Irish Diaspora Initiatives

Following the dreadful economic crash of 2008, the Irish Government was advised to look at its diaspora in a totally different way. Initiatives were put in place, that have reinvented the country’s relationship with the greater global Irish family to capitalize on the power of the Irish footprint all over the world to lift the country out of recession in a process of give and take. We give them roots and a sense of belonging and they give us their networks and jobs.

The Irish government was conscious of what could be achieved by building links with Ireland’s diaspora and are implementing a revised strategy Global Irish: Ireland’s Diaspora Policy on how to better engage with the diaspora.

Our involvement in such initiatives has included

  • The Local Diaspora Engagement Fund
  • Local Tourism Diaspora Fund (Ireland-Newfoundland Connections 2014)
  • Community Tourism Diaspora Fund (1400th anniversary of Birth of St. Moling)
  • IPB Ireland Gathering Fund (The Gathering 2013)
  • Ireland Reaching Out (Ireland XO – 2009 onwards)
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A message from SMART

SMART is sincerely grateful for the help and support received from members of the St Mullins community and further afield in the development of this website. We send special thanks to all who contributed photographs, historical data, or other material for use here.
We also acknowledge and greatly appreciate the financial aid provided by the Department of An Taoiseach Local Diaspora Engagement Fund for this project.

Recent Posts

  • Festival / Event & Tourism Venue Grant Scheme 2016
  • Application for the Adopt A Monument Scheme
  • 1916 Commemoration
  • The Local Diaspora Engagement Fund
  • National Tidy Towns and Pride of Place competitions
  • Ireland-Newfoundland Connections 2014

Get In Touch!

SMART
St. Mullins Amenity & Recreational Tourism Group

Registered Charity
The Green, St. Mullins, Co. Carlow, Ireland

Phone: +353 51 424913
Email: smartstmullins@gmail.com

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