Ballintober Civil Parish, County Mayo, Ireland Genealogy

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

History
BALLINTOBBER, a parish, in the barony of CARRA, county of MAYO, and province of CONNAUGHT, 8 miles (N. N. W.) from Ballinrobe; containing 6212 inhabitants. This parish, the name of which signifies in the Irish language the " town of the well," probably derived that appellation from a spring which descends from a natural arch in a rock, with such force as to act like a shower bath, and near which is no other stream whatever. Cathol O'Conogher, King of Connaught, in 1216, founded an abbey here for Canons Regular of the order of St. Augustine, which he dedicated to the Holy Trinity; it was burned in 1263, but was restored, and continued to flourish till the dissolution; in 1605 a lease of it was granted in reversion for 50 years to Sir John King, Knt. This abbey is said to have been erected on the site of an ancient castle, in which were buried the former lords of Mayo; and part of its remains are now converted into a R. C. chapel.

The buildings appear to have been truly magnificent, and many of the ruined portions are still entire in their principal features; though the principal tower has fallen, the lofty arch on which it was supported is still remaining, and nearly 50 feet high; the doorway is a beautiful specimen of the pointed receding arch, supported on each side by a range of five columns. The parish is situated on the road from Castlebar to Ballinrobe. There is a wide extent of mountain, exclusively of which the land is nearly equally divided between arable and pasture; and there is a considerable tract of wood and flooded lands. The living is a rectory, in the diocese of Tuam, entirely appropriate to the vicars choral of the cathedral of Christ Church, Dublin; the tithes amount to £240. Inthe R. C. divisions the parish is united to those of Burriscarra and Towaghty: the chapel is at Killavalla. There are three daily pay schools, in which are about 170 boys and 40 girls.

From: Samuel A. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837); accessed at:

http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/B/Ballintobber-Carra-Mayo.php

Localities
List the names of townlands in this civil parish List the names of the surrounding parishes List the names and give a description of a district, poor law union, etc.

Maps and gazetteers
Add a Web site link for a map or gazetteer site, and/or add a printed source. Read more about maps and gazetteers.

Cemeteries
Add references to indexes to gravestones or monumental inscriptions.

Census
The purpose of a census was to gather information about people who lived in an area. While the government began census taking in 1821, only fragments exist before 1901. Censuses for 1901 and 1911 are available. Read more about the records in the Ireland Census article.

Add information here about census substitutes that you know about.

Church records
Read general information about church records.

Catholic
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

The Catholic parish of Burriscarra and Ballintubber includes the civil parishes of Burriscarra, Ballintober (a variant spelling), and Touaghty.

Church of Ireland
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Presbyterian
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Methodist
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Society of Friends
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

Others
Name(s) of ecclesiastical parish, records, availability, archive, online indexes, notes.

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
Probate dealt with the property of a deceased person. Read more about these records in the Ireland Probate Records article.

Add information about probate records for this parish.

School records
Read more about these records in the Ireland Schools article. Add records for this parish.

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
Add a site for this civil parish.