Breaghwy Civil Parish, County Mayo, Ireland Genealogy

Guide to Breaghwy Civil Parish, County Mayo ancestry, family history, and genealogy. Parish registers, transcripts, baptism records, marriage records, and burial records.

The following information is a starting point for records about the civil parish of Breaghwy. The information is based on locations and records before 1922.

History
BREAFY, or BREAGHWEE, a parish, in the barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 2 miles (S. E.) from Castlebar; containing 2315 inhabitants. This place is situated on the road from Castlebar to Clare, and is bounded by a very considerable river, called the Minola, which by its frequent inundations does more injury to the surrounding districts than any other in the county or province. From its contiguity to Castlebar it was the scene of much skirmishing, foraging, and plundering, while the French troops under General Humbert had possession of that town, in 1798. The parish comprises 5000 statute acres, as applotted under the tithe act: the land in cultivation is partly under tillage and partly in pasture, in nearly equal portions: there is a very considerable extent of bog, which might be reclaimed by draining. On the estate of Major Blake, of Fisher Hill, is a very fine quarry of stone, which is fit for buildings of the first order. Races are held generally in August, on a course within the parish.

The principal gentlemen's seats are Breafy Lodge, the residence of Major Browne, who has made extensive improvements and plantations in the demesne; Windsor House, of Colonel McAlpine; Fisher Hill, of Major Blake; Hawthorn Lodge, of C. O'Malley, Esq.; and Rocklands, of J. C. Larminie, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and is part of the union of Castlebar: the tithes amount to £57. 15.11. In the R. C. divisions this is one of the three parishes that constitute the union or district of Aglish, or Castlebar; it contains a chapel [at Castlebar], but no service is at present performed in it. A school at Lightfoot is supported by Mrs. O'Malley and J. Larminie, Esq.; and there are two others, in which are about 200 boys and 100 girls. There are some remains of a very ancient monastery.

From: Samuel A. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); accessed at: http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/B/Breafy-Carra-Mayo.php

Localities
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Cemeteries
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Census
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Church records
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Catholic
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The Catholic parish of Castlebar is in the civil parish of Aglish. It was formerly called Aglish, Ballyheane and Breaghwy.

Church of Ireland
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Presbyterian
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Methodist
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Society of Friends
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Others
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Civil Registration
Government registration of births and deaths began in 1864. Registration of Protestant marriages began in 1845, with all marriages being registered by 1864. Go to the Ireland Civil Registration article to read more about these records.

Land records
The Registry of Deeds started in 1708. Land transactions were recorded, including immovable property passed on in a will and property given to a daughter at her marriage. Read more about these records in the Ireland Land and Property article.

Probate Records
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School records
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Tax records
The valuation of property for tax purposes was started in the 1840s by Richard Griffith. A tax paid to the church, call Tithe Applotments, began in the 1820s. Read about these records in the Ireland Taxation and Ireland Land and Property articles. Add records for this parish that you know about.

Websites
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