I've also been trying to Find out about The Half Acre as I have relatives in my Tree from there. I know bits but not a great deal. I visited in the summer and from what I could make out from looking around and chatting to the locals it is a collection of streets, such as St Brigit's Terrace and River Street, at the river side of Cavan Town.
It was originally built to fulfil a dire need for cheap housing in the town. It's name came about because farmers /landowners in the countryside at the time were being asked/cajoled/forced to give up a half acre of land on which social houses could be built. Although the Half Acre in Cavan is probably much larger than half an acre the nature of it's housing stock led to it being given the name The Half Acre.
It was traditionally known as a 'rough' area best avoided by better class citizens although those days are thankfully long gone and it seemed a very nice place to live especially on the sunny day I visited.
Sorry if this is what you already knew Stephen, is there a particular family you are interested in that were from there? We could be long lost cousins
