RootsChat.Com

  Hello, Jack.
Looks as though only the first posting that I quoted to you, from J Burns, refers to your family.  Regarding the aunt, Margaret Costello (born 1841) of Troy NY, that cared for the Carmody girls after their mother's death, would Costello have been her married name? I have only found 3 Abbeydorney baptisms for sisters of Honora Costello, no sign of any Costello brothers. Possibly Margaret's death certificate or Troy newspaper funeral notices might give a clue as to her family name and parents or relatives?
Have you seen Cornelius Carmody's civil war diaries and personal papers held in the New York State Library?
No luck so far tracking Cornelius Carmody's parents and family in the Kerry records (again the death certificate and Watervliet/Troy newspaper funeral notices might have clues).  You may find out more information from census and other local Troy NY records.  I don't know enough about searching for free USA records, you probably know more about that.  Good luck, John.

Although Irish history always comes in several versions, James Garvey (in "the Mahonys of Ballylahive" in 2002, see also "A Farewell to Kerry" 2002) says "By the 18th Century, however, most of O'Dorney had passed into the control of the Hare family and their kinsmen the Crosbies. The future Earls of Listowel would retain title to these properties until the 1870's when they would relinquish the leaseholds to their Talbot-Crosbie cousins." 
There could be much relevant information in the estate rent ledgers about tenants on the Crosbie and Hare estates at Ardfert, but possibly not about sub-tenants farming land that had originally been let to major farmers such as Nicholas Scollard.
The surviving rent books of William Talbot Crosbie are held in the manuscript room of the National Library of Ireland in Dublin along with the Earl of Glandore's (Crosbie of Ardfert's) rent books for 1805-1813.  The Earl of Listowel's (Hare's) rent ledgers for the years 1875, 1879, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, and 1891 - have survived intact and are held in the Kerry County Library in Tralee.
The Valuation Land Office in Dublin at 6, Ely Street has records of land transactions from the time of the original Griffiths Valuation to the present in their "Cancelled Land Books" and "Current Land Books."  I understand that the Mormons have copies of these available on microfilm.
In 1903, under a government sponsored scheme, tenants of Irish farms were given the means to buy their farms from the landlords. In 1909, tenants were given the right to compel landlords to sell under the scheme. In essence, the money to buy the farms was advanced by the government and the tenants (now owners) repaid the loan over 68.5 years. In many cases, the loan repayments were less than the previous rent. In time, inflation meant that the loan repayments were negligible.
This Irish Land Act came into force in November 1903, and Father Fitzgerald, parish priest at Ardfert, reported in the "Kerry People" that the first land sale was negotiated in December 1903 with Mrs Mary J Quill, for her property adjoining the Talbot-Crosbie estate, priced at 15 years rent.
Hansard reported a question in the House of Commons in November 1906 about delays over completing purchase agreements lodged with the Estates Commissioners in June 1904 for the Crosbie Estate at Ballyheigal (Ballyheigue).
Hansard reported a question in the House of Commons in December 1908 about tenants claims for the division of untenanted lands bought by the Estates Commissioners from the Lindsay Talbot-Crosbie Estate around Ardfert, and a reply that the owner was selling the lands himself.
This information gives some clues of when Kilgolbin farms may have been purchased, and where information may be found.

Greetings, Dermot. Good to hear from the Canadian Nolan family. I have wondered about tracing land ownership and tenant farming history, but it could be a tedious task. I am puzzled as to how some families remained on the same land for centuries, while others were evicted or died during the great famine years.
I have just purchased Ian Maxwell's book "How To Trace Your Irish Ancestors" (publisher www.howtobooks.co.uk), and he lists in great details the various archives and books and records that may be available for personal searching (not much help if you live in Canada or New Zealand). Seems that you need to work backwards to identify the landlord or land owners for Kilgulbin, then locate records for those landed estates, which may reveal the names of tenant farmers and long-term leases.  Records can be in a number of locations in Ireland or England, or in private hands.  It will be a log and frustrating search, unless you get lucky.
I hope that you can receive a personal message on this forum, though you will not be able to reply.  Regards, John McKenzie, Timaru, New Zealand.

  My cousins have provided the clues to verify that my Great-great-grandfather John Nolan came from Knocknamalough, near Abbeydorney, O'Dorney, County Kerry, Ireland.
John was born about 11 May 1839, and his parents were Edward Nolan and Elizabeth McMahon (apparently conversion of names into English from Abbeydorney Latin parish records introduces variations, so Edward is also shown as Edmond, and McMahon as Mahony).
Name searches should test all possible variations and mis-spellings.

John's wife was Catherine Costello, also from Knocknamalough, O'Dorney, County Kerry, Ireland.
Catherine was born about 26 March 1842, and her parents were Maurice Costello from Knocknamalough, County Kerry, and Jane Day from Ballygarrett in County Kerry, and Maurice and Jane were married on 15 February 1825 in the Kilgobbin Church of Ireland church, near Camp, County Kerry.

There was considerable intermarriage between the various families living around Knocknamalough, and this practice continued when several family members of two generations all ended up living in New Zealand, so that many are related through several family members.
No doubt there will be more to be discovered.