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Monaghan / Re: Gilliland Conly Ballybay
« on: Wednesday 09 March 16 01:22 GMT (UK) »
Hi David
Many thanks for the information, it certainly ties in with the little I have at the moment, although I am heading over to Ballybay later in the year to do some digging (not literally, I hope) and to chat with some of the family still living at Corfad, Annaneese and Corceran. Chief amongst my targets is my Dad's brother, Martin Gilliland, who although now in his late 80s will be able to add some detail. Martin is the source of the 'wild Joe' story, as he had it from Richie, his father, some years ago. It seems that the young Joe Gilliland hailed from Carrick (?) and spent his early years building a reputation as a hard drinking, hard fighting, hard poaching, hard working labourer. Deciding one day seeking better fortune he was walking into Ballybay when he met an elderly widow who farmed alone at Ullinagh. She stopped him on the road and asked to where he was bound and when he told her that he was seeking work she offered him a labouring job at her farm. Upon her death, Joe inherited the farm, as she had no children still living. He had a reputation as a 'horse doctor', as skill which seemed to consist mainly of riding any troublesome patient until the poor best gave in and either lived or died! The 'Wild' epitaph springs either from his youth, his fondness for a pint and a punch ( usually in that order) or the manner in which he treated his horses! I have absolutely no verification for any of this - tales rend to grow taller over time, but there is probably a kernel of truth in there somewhere!
Of Richie's children, only Martin and George are still alive, although Lionel's son (Andrew) still farms both Corfad and Annaneese, inherited from the Eakins brothers (Richie's wife's family - she was the only surviving child of a very late marriage). However the offspring of all of Richie's 12 children are scattered all over the globe, with a few still farming in Co Mobaghan.
I will keep you updated of anything I find in Church or family records when I get over there. This forum seems not to like posting email addresses, but I will make an attempt to do so in a separate post.
Andy
Many thanks for the information, it certainly ties in with the little I have at the moment, although I am heading over to Ballybay later in the year to do some digging (not literally, I hope) and to chat with some of the family still living at Corfad, Annaneese and Corceran. Chief amongst my targets is my Dad's brother, Martin Gilliland, who although now in his late 80s will be able to add some detail. Martin is the source of the 'wild Joe' story, as he had it from Richie, his father, some years ago. It seems that the young Joe Gilliland hailed from Carrick (?) and spent his early years building a reputation as a hard drinking, hard fighting, hard poaching, hard working labourer. Deciding one day seeking better fortune he was walking into Ballybay when he met an elderly widow who farmed alone at Ullinagh. She stopped him on the road and asked to where he was bound and when he told her that he was seeking work she offered him a labouring job at her farm. Upon her death, Joe inherited the farm, as she had no children still living. He had a reputation as a 'horse doctor', as skill which seemed to consist mainly of riding any troublesome patient until the poor best gave in and either lived or died! The 'Wild' epitaph springs either from his youth, his fondness for a pint and a punch ( usually in that order) or the manner in which he treated his horses! I have absolutely no verification for any of this - tales rend to grow taller over time, but there is probably a kernel of truth in there somewhere!
Of Richie's children, only Martin and George are still alive, although Lionel's son (Andrew) still farms both Corfad and Annaneese, inherited from the Eakins brothers (Richie's wife's family - she was the only surviving child of a very late marriage). However the offspring of all of Richie's 12 children are scattered all over the globe, with a few still farming in Co Mobaghan.
I will keep you updated of anything I find in Church or family records when I get over there. This forum seems not to like posting email addresses, but I will make an attempt to do so in a separate post.
Andy