COOLKENNO IN 1730: - The townland of Coolkenno or "Coolekenny" as it was scribed in the early 18th Century has always been a centre of habitation around here since the colonial period. St. Michael's Church had only been recently constructed for the local Anglican community and the gentleman farmer's seat at Coolkenno Hall would have been brightly recognisable across the area from its perch on the lower slopes of Barnacashel Hill as Lorenzo Hodson's freshly sowed woodland coppices surrounded the farm. We know already from posts that we covered on Coolkenno Hall that Mr. Lorenzo Hodson was indeed a wealthy man on the estate with other investment tied up in Carlow, Dublin and Roscommon. Imagine his large holding incorporating Coolkenno, Aghowle, Killabeg, Quigginroe, Boley and Mungacullin. We can only imagine what our area was like in 1730. The fields may have been wild and trees plentiful in parts with turf and rock extracted from the boglands of Aghowle and Barnacashel hills. Homesteads dominated the scenery as many of the second or third generation settlers had constructed close to each other or where ever possible. The Hume Survey of 1730, a ledger to determine how much linen cloth could be produced by each head tenant with descriptions to his holding, as proven, is an invaluable source for local historians, whether for social history or genealogy. His notes on Coolkenno add more detail to the land. "£400 to be made or valued from linen on Hodson's full holding. The above farm is a good farm for graising. It has extra meadows upon it and good plough land and good old improvements but few or no new ones." It appears old Hodson may not have been keen to spend on land improvement or buildings even though his farmhouse is richly defended on the Moland Survey of 1728. Many surnames still survive around here after 300 years. Who were the Coolkennovians of 1730? - William Tutty, Joseph May, Judy Coort, John Dowdall, Joseph Bailey, Nicholas Welsh, Oliver Welsh, Stephen Patrickson, Joseph Cooper, Thomas Harris, Matthew Smith, Joseph Hillard, Patrick Dowling, John Minar, John Ward, Umphrey Pendar and Widow Johnson and all their families. Interestingly, John Ward died an old man and his headstone can be clearly read close to the old doorway of Aghowle Church whilst Thomas Harris would probably have been bewildered to be told in 1730 that his surname would still be used on a hill some 285 years later.
Coolkenno History