Scotland (Leagan Gaeilge – Albain): The townland of Scotland adjoins Glenamaddy’s southern boundary in north-east County Galway.  It is not known how the townland acquired its name. Albain is the Irish for Scotland. O’Donovan described the name in the Field Name Books in the 1830s as a fancy name.

Distinctive Features:

• The Ringfort and the Children’s Burial Ground situated in Scotland are registered with the National Monuments Service and feature in the National Monuments Service Archaeological Survey Database.
• The 1840 Historic Ordnance Survey Map shows eighteen houses, mostly in a cluster and fitting the definition of a clachan, located in the centre of the townland.
• Thomas Hussey who was involved in the construction of Birmingham’s iconic buildings was born in Scotland.

1656-58 Down Survey: The Down Survey online information on the townland of Scotland would appear to apply to a different townland and is therefore unreliable.

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 Scotland  who paid the tithe (tax) levied to support the Established Church (Church of Ireland) were Luke Hussey, Lacky Hussey, Edmond Reilly, Martin Cunningham and Bryan McGuire. 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 are 5 portions of bog interspersed through this townland. The road from Dunmore to Glanamadda forms a part of the N. boundary. The road from Tuam to Glanamadda forms the South boundary. There is a Danish Fort 1/2 chain West of its East boundary. This fort is appropriated to Infants Burying Ground. There are 3 Gravel Pits and 4 Lime Kilns. The remainder of the land is tillage and pasture.”

1856 Griffith’s Valuation: The townland covers an area of 193 acres 0 rood 30 perches and the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £72 8s 0d.              

At the time of Griffith’s Valuation there were thirteen occupiers in the townland of Scotland – Higgins, Hussey (6), Kearns, Keavney (2), McGuire, O’Hagan and Reilly. The landlord was Sir George Shee.

Adjoining Townlands: The following townlands share a border with Scotland – Glenamaddy, Gortnagier West, Shannagh Beg and Shannagh More.

Census Records: Population and Household data for the townland of Scotland:

Census Years	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	2011
Population	89	84	82	70	65	55	51	70	12
Households	18	14	15	14	13	12	12	11	5

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

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