A Visit to My Great-Grandmother's Birthplace in Ireland

My Great-Grandmother Helen Mullen-Mason was born in the townland of Pollaturick in Co. Galway, Ireland. I just returned from my first visit to that area in May of this year. This is my summary of my visit.

I began my first official visit to Ireland, other than the airport a couple years ago, in Dublin where I spent 3 days exploring in and around Dublin on my own. With limited time I thought I might not make it to Kilmainham Gaol. I'm glad I was able to fit it in because it's an important place to learn about Irish history. The story of the Plunketts is memorialized in a song called "Grace". When I heard the song sung at Murray's bar in Dublin I understood what it meant because of my visit to the gaol.

I took a day trip to Cashel to where I toured the ruins and the town.

On day 4 in Dublin I joined a bus tour. I joined the "Treasures of Ireland" tour with Trafalgar. Our tour ate at Nancy's Hands, an historic pub in Dublin, on the first day of our tour. The next day we left Dublin for a tour of Glendalough. We wondered if it might be closed because there was supposed to be a security sweep for a visit of the Prince of Wales the next day? Lucky it wasn't. Glendalough was one of my favorites sites in Ireland. The tour group that visited the next day got to meet Prince Charles on his tour of the site.

From Glendalough we went to Waterford, and then to our hotel in Cork. During our stay in Cork we visited the town of  Cobh, the port where my great-grandmother would have boarded her ship bound for America when she was 18 years old. A tour guide walked us around the beautiful town explaining its maritime history.

The next stop on our tour was Killarney where we stayed in one of my favorite hotels the Killarney Avenue Hotel. Loved the atmosphere at this hotel, plus they have a great nightly show featuring Irish dancing and singing. My room had a great view too. Also an awesome park and garden were right across the street. 

Killarney was a base from which we explored the beautiful National Park and Blarney Castle. We took horse cart rides through part of the Killarney National Park where we took in the beautiful views and spotted many deer.

We also spent a few hours at Blarney Castle. I didn't kiss the Blarney Stone. Instead of kissing the stone I spent a few hours walking around the beautiful gardens admiring the gorgeous Rhododendron that were in bloom. I wish there were benches to sit and admire the gardens, there are no benches.

The next morning we walked around Killarney National Park and up to Torc Waterfall which was very beautiful.

The gardens in Killarney National Park contain Monterey Cypress trees which have actually thrived in the Irish climate. They seem to do better in Ireland than California.

After our morning walk in the beautiful warm sunshine we headed to the Ring of Kerry where the weather was much cooler and overcast. I loved the drive around the Ring the scenic views of the rocky land with rock walls, and the stone cottages with sheep grazing are exactly the views I envisioned and even better.

Isolated homes and cottages stretching to the sea create bucolic views. Wild Rhododendron grows all around this area. The purple flowers are pretty but are considered a weed, and efforts are being made to eradicate it.  

That evening our tour group enjoyed some great food and entertainment at a cottage at Muckross Farm. It was a nice cozy venue for good conversation and entertainment without the noise of a pub. 

After two nights in Killarney we moved on to Limerick our base for the Cliffs of Moher. The Cliffs are spectacular and a must see in Ireland. 

After our adventure at the Cliffs we spent the evening at a castle enjoying some entertainment with dinner.

The next day I waved goodbye to the tour I spent 6 days with as the bus left to take some of our group back to Dublin for their flight home. I headed to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park which I found to be outstanding. If you're interested in the history of Ireland, and what life was like for ancestors living there, this is a must see. When I first entered the park I thought it was just a few houses and the castle, which if that were all was pretty impressive. Instead of just a few reconstructed cottages and Bunratty Castle it extended even further beyond what I originally saw with reconstructed mills, a church, farm buildings, a large house, a school, and small town. All trades are represented in the reconstructed cottages and other buildings.

In the evening after my tour of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park I headed 72 miles north to Tuam in Co. Galway. It was a Friday evening and traffic on the main street in Tuam was crazy. I didn't think they would have traffic jams there but there are only a few roads that everyone uses.

After dumping off my bags at the Corralea Hotel I was able to do some site seeing around Tuam. The Corralea Court has undergone some renovations since the Google Street view. I didn't recognize it when I got there. The interior seems to be newly renovated too.

It took me about 15 minutes to cover most of the town. A local election was taking place with an Irish ballot measure on divorce. It's likely the election added to the traffic jam. I ran across many people still campaigning for their candidate, and waiting for the polls to close. Interesting to see how campaigns are conducted in rural Ireland.

I was able to look inside the Cathedral of the Assumption, but the older church St. Mary's (now church of Ireland) was locked. Disappointing that Temple Jarlath's ruins were locked and gated off.

For the next 3 days I divided my time between exploring Tuam, Milltown, and Pollaturick.

Day 2 I ventured out of Tuam to Milltown and Pollaturick, the area where my ancestors lived, and my great-grandmother was born, about 9 miles from Tuam.

I had mapped out exactly where the Mullen house and property were located using Griffith's Valuation maps. Before heading over to the house I wanted to talk to some of the neighbors to confirm I had identified the correct property. The first person I spoke with said he lived in Pollaturick for 30 years, a long time but not long enough to know the early history of the area. He described the land I pointed to as Walsh land, which threw me off. I then spotted another neighbor pulling into their driveway and asked what he knew about the property. He also talked about the Walsh family, but did know that Mullens also lived on the property. He remembered a Michael Mullen associated with the property. Michael was the brother of my ancestor Patrick. Michael died in 1939, while my ancestor Patrick died in 1930. The brothers had split this property after their father died. A daughter of Michael took the property over after he died. It seems all of the other members of the Mullen family migrated elsewhere, or had died. An owner of the property is currently in a nursing home in Clare.

I believe the larger house on the family property in Pollaturick was likely built by the father of Patrick and Michael Mullen. Patrick Mullen Sr. is listed as living on lot 1 in Griffith's Valuation so we know he lived in Pollaturick from at least the 1850's. The neighbor I spoke with said one of the ruined buildings on the property likely dated back at least 200 years. A map produced between 1837 and 1840 does show a house in that area facing the same direction.

The helpful neighbor gave me a ride down to the house and opened the gate so I could get a better view of the out building. This neighbor knew Mullen family members had settled in Chicago and a relative had become a Nun. I assumed he was referring to Sister Mary Kathleen?

Visiting the Bunratty Castle and Folk Park helped me understand the layout of the Mullen house. I wondered how a family of  possibly 7 members could live in a two room house. Lofts were a way to extend the amount of space without adding a full second floor. Below you can see a window high on a side wall. This window likely provided light for a loft room.

Here are some examples from the Folk Park of how the lofts were laid out. It seems a detached ladder provided access to this space. The ladder could be moved to provide more space when the loft wasn't in use. When I first saw the loft rooms I was thinking how did they get up there? Until I spotted the ladder.

Here you can see the back of the Mullen house has been over taken by bushes and trees. It looks like no one has been living there for decades. There is an old bicycle and other items stored in the old house. It looks like the house may have been used as a barn before the property was abandoned?

I explored Pollaturick until the late afternoon. I made friends with the local animals and admired the amazingly beautiful blooming Hawthorn.

I think May must be one of the most beautiful months to visit Ireland. Since the sky was overcast I don't think I ever got a picture that did justice to the beauty of the blooming Hawthorns with their pink and white blossoms. These bushes were planted along fence lines.

Here are some pictures showing hawthorns clearly used on fence lines. The thorns on the tree or bush will definitely keep you on the right side of the fence.

In the afternoon I explored Milltown about 1 mile away. I loved the name of a local bar named  Mullarkey's. I took a look a the local catholic church which was very nice, and signed the guest book. The town stretches for about a long block with most of the amenities you might need other than an ATM, which I could not find. I tried to get cash back at a service station but couldn't?

The next day I headed back to the Milltown area, this time to visit a cemetery where Michael Mullen is buried, a great-great uncle of mine. The location of the cemetery is very nice with a view of a stone bridge on one side. Visiting the cemetery and reading Michael's tombstone I remembered that Michael had married a Mary Ruane, something I forgot when I was talking to the locals. My ancestor Patrick married a woman with a similar name, her name Mary Huane. The similarity of the names caused confusion in the old church records, and also confusion when I talked to neighbors in Pollaturick. They brought up the name Mary Ruane, but that wasn't my ancestor. Michael's tombstone says Mary Ruane is buried in Addergoole Cemetery. My own ancestors graves are unmarked.

The marker's placed on Michael's grave also cleared up why everyone associated the Mullen family with the Walsh family. Markers for Michael and Mary's grandsons are placed on the grave and their last name is Walsh. One grandson died in the United States. So this is where Walsh comes in. This saved me some research. Although I don't know who Bridget Mullen married? Could she have married a Walsh also? I need to find out who this great-aunt married?

After visiting the cemetery I headed back to Milltown to explore the park on the beautiful river Clare.

There are some historic artifacts scattered around the park. I was so happy to see the baptismal font from the old Milltown Chapel at the park. My great-grandmother would have been baptized with water from that font, and other ancestors.

A combination potato washer and animal trough is also on display at the park.

Of course you'll also find mill related artifacts at Milltown Park. 

I guess the ruined structure below is part of an old mill?

I admired this manor house near Milltown. Not sure of the history, but it is beautiful. 

After my morning exploration of the area I was able to make it back to Tuam in time for a church service at St. Mary's Church in Tuam. A church service is the only way to get inside. It was worth it. It's a beautiful church. I was so happy to get the opportunity to see the Hiberno-Romanesque Arch and other surviving portions of the ancient church, which dates back the the 12th Century, and the old high cross that used to stand on the main road before someone ran into it. It's possible some of my blood relatives attended church here before the Reformation? 

After church I headed to a supermarket to pick up something for a late lunch. I walked around the market and didn't see anything interesting except Irish potatoes. There is a cafeteria connected to the market housed in the old archbishop of the church of Ireland's Palace. I decided to eat there and the food was very good.

The restaurant at the Corralea Hotel is also very good.

Now that all the beer kegs were empty it was time to leave Tuam.

Before leaving Ireland I did some sightseeing around Galway City.

There are really beautiful abbey ruins in Claregalway. The ruins are from a medieval Franciscan abbey.

I went into a shopping mall in the city of Galway to escape a brief shower and was surprised to find the old city wall enclosed in this mall.

I took a bus from Galway across the country to Dublin to catch my flight to the next leg of my journey in Spain. The earlier showers had stopped and rain soaked Dublin was looking good in the sunshine as I took a last look before saying goodbye.

It was a wonderful first trip! I look forward to returning to Ireland again and exploring more of the country in the west.

Using Townland Maps to Plan My Trip To Galway

I'm leaving in a week for a trip to the ancestral homeland of Ireland. I will begin my trip in Dublin, then  head south and west, doing some sightseeing, and then ending my trip by staying a few days in Tuam, Ireland (before heading back to Dublin for one more day before my flight). From Tuam it's an easy drive to Milltown, where my family attended church, and Pollaturick the ancestral townland (I'm not sure whether I will make it to Kilvine and Irishtown in Mayo on this trip?).

Since I know the townland and the section number of the property on the Griffith's Valuation Map I can visit my family's land and home in Pollaturick. I thank my cousin Darryl Kapple a million times for finding a listing for our Mullen family's home in this townland.

Here is the listing he found:

Patrick Mullen Sr. can be found on Griffith's Valuation in the mid- 19th Century renting the land which is section 1 on the map for the valuation. He was renting all of the land outlined in the bottom left corner. After land reform the family was allowed to purchase the land, which they did. My great-great grandfather Patrick Mullen Jr. divided this land with his brother Michael. You can see a line dividing this land in two. Later they divided this land between their heirs. 

A problem I had to resolve for this trip was I didn't have an address for this land and house. I used Google maps to find Pollaturick. A map for the area did come up but the area is marked as Bohalas, not Pollaturick. A red tack for Pollaturick shows up on the far left side of the townland. I will have to ask if there was a name change or this is an error on Google's part? 

With the map possibly being wrong I had to figure out where the boundary lines were. I started by looking for another map with the townland borders. The Ask About Ireland site, which has a Griffith's Valuation database, has the best townland maps. Flipping between those maps and the satellite map I was able to see that the outline of the townland can still be seen from above. The outline of my ancestors' property can still be seen also. The lines are still visible but are fading. 

From the air you can see the house that is now for sale (on the right below). Street view doesn't show a view from that smaller road. There are views from the main road however. 

From the air you can see another ruined building (⇫ above far left highlighted) on the property which I might examine if it isn't too difficult to get to? From what I've heard there is a lot of barbed wire fencing in the area. There is a garden center not far from there so I may be able to buy wire cutters? 

Here is a street view of the other ruined building, which was likely another house, on the property. It does look like there were two houses on the property, one belonging to Michael and the other Patrick. There was also a building called an office. 

Street view does show one building, and possibly more on our Mullen land. This building below is on Mullen property. The house for sale can be seen in the distance. 

According to the 1911 building and house returns Patrick Mullen owned a house with 3 windows in front, which matches the house for sale, and 5 out buildings or farmsteadings.

It's possible that these buildings from Google street view belonged to the Mullens? I will knock on the door of the house near them and ask. 

I want to take a look at the old train station and signal house in Pollaturick. Believe it or not a Pierce Brosnan was station master there back in 1911. If anyone knows if he is related to the actor please let me know? This Brosnan appears to have relocated to Pollaturick to work for the railroad.

Railroad station and signal house

Oddly the railroad station house is said to be in section 15 according to the Valuation Revision Books. I can't find a map with a section 15? I did find a map with a crossed out 12 changed to 14. 

Cross outs often signified changes in ownership in the cancelled books, so that may be the case on the maps also? Below you can see Patrick Mullen 1A crossed out. New sections A and B, C and D, are created to divide the land between the brothers. 

All of this information will make my trip to Pollaturick fruitful. I worried about getting lost but now I know the area very well and don't think I will get lost. 

I might travel a little farther afield and check out some ruins close by, such as Dunmore Castle. I found a ruined monastery not far away which is in the parking lot of a Superstore. With all the empty land why build a Superstore on top of a nice ruin? As my Irish family would say Jesus, Christ, Mary, and Joseph why? Maybe this is a Protestant business? There were Irish Protestants on my mother's side of the family, my father's side is this Pollaturick Catholic Mullen/Huvane family. On the Catholic side we blame everything on Protestants lol. 

I'm more than ready to be heading to Pollaturick. I'm hoping the first week doesn't fill my head to over flowing with information that I forget where everything is in the townland. I'll have to make a copy of everything so I don't forget. I'm also making some copies of family pictures to share, and hopefully stir up some local interest in helping me to rediscover my Irish ancestors history (below is a picture of Helen Mullen-Mason my great-grandmother with her son and granddaughter. She was born in Pollaturick and came to America, Chicago, in 1898. She was the daughter of Patrick Mullen Jr.. Both of her parents remained in Ireland until they died in the 1930's).