Swiftsacre (Irish – Acra Uí Fhuadracháin): The townland of Swiftsacre is situated two kilometres north of the town of Glenamaddy. The townland would appear to be named after a person called ‘Swift’. The Irish for acre is acra and for the surname Swift is Ó Fuadracháin. Another form of the townland name is Swifts Acre.
Distinctive Features:
• Swiftsacre is the smallest townland in the parish

1656-58 Down Survey: The Down Survey townland name is given as Boynagh and the owner as the Protestant Archbishop of Tuam.
1823 -1838 Tithe Applotment Books: There is no record online of anybody paying a tithe in this townland to support the established church i.e. The Church of Ireland.

1838 O’Donovan’s Field Name Books: O’Donovan describes the townland of Swiftsacre as follows – “There is a small portion of bog in the South portion of this townland. The remainder of the townland is tillage and pasture.”
1856 Griffith’s Valuation: The survey established that the townland covered an area of 14 acres 0 rood 14 perches and the total rateable valuation of the land and buildings combined amounted to £4 10s 0d. The only occupier in the townland of Swiftsacre at the time the survey was carried out was Malachy Keavney. The landlord at the time the survey was conducted was James Cruise.
Adjoining Townlands: The following townlands share a border with Swiftsacre – Clooncon West and Stonetown.

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

Census Years	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	2011
Population	–	–	9	13	4	4	9	7	1
Households	–	–	3	4	1	1	2	2	1

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.

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

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