Knockauns East (Leagan Gaeilge – Cnocáin Thoir): The townland of Knockauns East, commonly referred to as Knickanes, is situated six kilometres north of Glenamaddy Town in north-east County Galway. The Irish version of the townland name may be translated as “East Hillocks”. Knockauns is the anglicised form of cnocáin which is the Irish for hillocks and thoir means east. Other forms of the townland name are Knockanagh, Cnocáin and Knukauans Beg.
Distinctive Features:
• There are two bushes, called Peter’s Bush and Christian’s Bush, discernible on the 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map.
• There were twenty two houses in the townland in 1840, most of the houses form part of Knockauns Village which fits the definition of a traditional clachan village in the centre of the townland.
• Jeremiah Mee was born in Knockauns East on 29th March 1889.
1656-1658 Down Survey: The Down Survey name of the townland is given as Knockanagh. The owner was Sir Oliver St. George. The area of land to be forfeited arising from the Cromwellian Act of Settlement is not provided.
1823 – 1838 Tithe Applotment Books: Surviving documentation of the Tithe Applotment Books is in poor condition making it difficult, and in some cases impossible, to decipher the names of landholders. In so far as it can be ascertained the Catholic landholders in the townland of Knockauns East who paid the tithe (tax) levied to support the Established Church (Church of Ireland) were Michael McDonnel and Garret Kelly. Protestant occupiers of agricultural holdings were exempt from this tax.
1838 O’Donovan’s Field Name Books: O’Donovan describes the townland as follows – “There is a portion of bog in the Eastern portion of this townland. Situated on the West side of the road from Kilnalag to Glanamadda which passes through the W. portion of this townland. There are two sand pits near the West boundary. There are also two remarkable bushes namely Peters Bush and Christians Bush. There is a village called Big Knockauns. The remainder of the land is tillage and pasture.
1856 Griffith’s Valuation: The townland covers an area of 219 acres 2 roods 39 perches and the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £91 9s 0d.
At the time of Griffith’s Valuation there were twenty three occupiers in the townland of Knockauns East – Comber (2), Cunca (3), Mannion (3), McCabe, McDermott, Mee (5), O’Brien (4), Rafterry (2), Stritch and Keerane. The landlord was Sir St. George Gore.
Adjoining Townlands: The following townlands share a border with Knockauns East – Ardeevin, Cloonlara North, Knockauns West, Pollshask (Templetogher Parish), Liskea (Templetogher Parish) and Cloonminda.
Census Records: Population and Household data for the townland of Knockauns East:
| Census Years | 1841 | 1851 | 1861 | 1871 | 1881 | 1891 | 1901 | 1911 | 2011 |
| Population | 140 | 126 | 100 | 98 | 84 | 74 | 83 | 91 | 27 |
| Households | 22 | 23 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 7 |
Glenamaddy and the Irish Folklore Collections:
The article posted on this website under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab provides an overview of the folklore material submitted by Glenamaddy parishioners to the National Folklore Commission, now known as the Irish Folklore Collections. It also explains the background to the 1937 Schools’ Collection (Bailiúchán na Scol) project which has good representation from a parish perspective
The Irish Folklore Collections housed in the Folklore Department of University College Dublin contain a treasure trove of folklore material, some of which is accessible online. Both the Main Manuscript Collection and the Schools’ Collection contain a considerable number of submissions from collectors and informants who resided in the parish of Glenamaddy. The quick reference directories featured in the ‘Parish > Townlands’ section of this website complement the user-friendly search features of the dúcas.ie website and are helpful in tracking Schools’ Collection submissions associated with townlands. Submissions are categorised under – School, Teacher, Language, Volume Number, Page Number, Collector, Collector’s Townland, Informant and Informant’s Townland. Where applicable, Schools’ Collection directories showing online townland-related submissions appear at the end of the following townland posts on this website – Ballinapeaka, Ballinastack, Barna, Boyounagh More (Middletown), Bushtwon, Cashel, Classaghroe, Cloonacross, Clooncon East, Clooncon West, Cloonkeen, Cultiafadda, Eskeromullacaun (Esker), Felimspark, Glenamaddy, Gortaganny, Gortnagier, Kiltullagh, Knockauns, Lisheenaheltia, Loughpark, Meelick, Scotland, Shannagh More, Stonetown and Woodfield.
Schools’ Collection Townland-Related Quick Reference Directory:
Parish folklore submissions contained in the Schools’ Collection are also accessible online via the following links:-
Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613680
Árd Aoibhinn National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613681
Glenamaddy Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613677
Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613678
Glenamaddy Boys’ National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613679
Gort na Léime National School – Part 1 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569061
Gort na Léime National School – Part 2 – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4569062
Lisheenaheltia Girls’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613675
Lisheenaheltia Boys’ National School – https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4613676
Glenamaddy submissions which form part of the Main Manuscript Collection are not posted online but may be examined in the reading room of the Folklore Department in U.C.D., Belfield, Dublin 4. Typed versions of some of the parish contributions contained in the Main Manuscript Collection are published under the ‘Heritage > Folklore’ tab on this website.
Quick Reference Directory of Glenamaddy folklore submissions in the Main Manuscript Collection:-
Author: Pat Keaveny
For a related townland website post click on the following link:-
Sources:
Townlands in County Galway
1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map
Place Name Books of Galway
The Down Survey of Ireland
The Tithe Applotment Books, 1823-1837
Griffith Valuation – Ask About Ireland
Central Statistics Office
National Archives: Census Reports 1901/1911
Essex University: Historic Population Census Reports
Historic Environment Viewfinder