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Down / Re: Shaw/Byrne, Tullyorior, Co. Down
« on: Friday 28 September 18 19:15 BST (UK) »
Hello AussieGaz!
I was delighted to hear from you and have read the entire correspondence about the Shaw family with great interest, including the existence of Shawstown and Kearneystown. And yes I was aware of the great social experiment that was done at the Australian Byrnestown. I discovered the Co. Down version by accident on an OS map as I was doing GIS on Burns families. Suddenly there it was on a 1940s OS map and it is recorded on 1867 Griffiths maps. Then I did a search and found the wonderful story of the Aussie version. But there was no obvious connection between the two. My feeling was that the utopian experiment (as you so aptly labelled it!) happened with Irish families who were already in Australia, although Byrnes were involved. If you could find a direct connection to Down that would be something!
I have been trying to find a familial connection between my Belfast Burns, the Co. Down Burns and the Byrnes of Wicklow. There are lots of clues, including wills, oral traditions and now DNA data that shows the connection for sure. The most famous Byrne was Fiach McHugh O'Byrne of the late 16th century who was a firebrand in opposition to English occupation of Ireland. Some Byrnes were in quite a bit of trouble after his assassination in 1597 and may have moved north then or after the Battle of Kinsale in 1603.
A couple of centuries later other Byrnes were involved in the 1798 rebellion in Dublin and Co. Wicklow. And there was also strong support in the north for a degree of independence because of the suppression of economic growth of Belfast by England. As a result of the various uprisings two of the Byrnes were executed, one in Dublin and one in Wicklow town and both were called William. There is a classic statue to Billy Byrne in the center of modern Wicklow. He was much admired, just 24 years old and 6 feet 6 inches tall. Perhaps there was more northern migration then.
Previously I have noticed the folk around Banbridge are really interested in their past and have gone to great lengths to document the various graveyards in the area, and also church records of all denominations. My hope is that some local lore might help in finding a few facts about the settling of Tullyorior (or elsewhere) by so many Byrne/Burns families. In some respects it may have been regarded as a safer place since it is protected to the north by the Bann river and transportation was possible through a branch railway running along the Bann from Banbridge.
There are a few more interesting facts, but I better stop here.
Regards.
I was delighted to hear from you and have read the entire correspondence about the Shaw family with great interest, including the existence of Shawstown and Kearneystown. And yes I was aware of the great social experiment that was done at the Australian Byrnestown. I discovered the Co. Down version by accident on an OS map as I was doing GIS on Burns families. Suddenly there it was on a 1940s OS map and it is recorded on 1867 Griffiths maps. Then I did a search and found the wonderful story of the Aussie version. But there was no obvious connection between the two. My feeling was that the utopian experiment (as you so aptly labelled it!) happened with Irish families who were already in Australia, although Byrnes were involved. If you could find a direct connection to Down that would be something!
I have been trying to find a familial connection between my Belfast Burns, the Co. Down Burns and the Byrnes of Wicklow. There are lots of clues, including wills, oral traditions and now DNA data that shows the connection for sure. The most famous Byrne was Fiach McHugh O'Byrne of the late 16th century who was a firebrand in opposition to English occupation of Ireland. Some Byrnes were in quite a bit of trouble after his assassination in 1597 and may have moved north then or after the Battle of Kinsale in 1603.
A couple of centuries later other Byrnes were involved in the 1798 rebellion in Dublin and Co. Wicklow. And there was also strong support in the north for a degree of independence because of the suppression of economic growth of Belfast by England. As a result of the various uprisings two of the Byrnes were executed, one in Dublin and one in Wicklow town and both were called William. There is a classic statue to Billy Byrne in the center of modern Wicklow. He was much admired, just 24 years old and 6 feet 6 inches tall. Perhaps there was more northern migration then.
Previously I have noticed the folk around Banbridge are really interested in their past and have gone to great lengths to document the various graveyards in the area, and also church records of all denominations. My hope is that some local lore might help in finding a few facts about the settling of Tullyorior (or elsewhere) by so many Byrne/Burns families. In some respects it may have been regarded as a safer place since it is protected to the north by the Bann river and transportation was possible through a branch railway running along the Bann from Banbridge.
There are a few more interesting facts, but I better stop here.
Regards.