Boyagh / Bullock House - Lifford

Dun

Just wondering if anybody has ever heard of a place called Bullock House in the environs of Lifford. I have a suspicion it might be in Boyagh, which is near Porthall.

Also, on that, if there are any folks from that area, any idea what the Irish for Boyagh is? I started think bó theach, but I think that would be making wishful connections - think a "bó" refers only to a female cow.

Noreen1

No idea, but according to wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Place_names_in_Ireland

if agha is an abbreviation of achadh, or field, and boy is a mispronunciation of buí, or yellow, then it might mean yellow field.

On the other hand, agh could be a mispronunciation of áth, or ford - in which case it could well mean yellow ford.

If you're familiar with the area (I'm not), you might be able to work out which, based on whether there's any river/stream crossings, etc.

Hope this helps.

ps. It's just dawned on me that Yellow ford in Irish would be áthbuí, , not the other way around

Dun

Thanks, that's definitely something to consider. I did see a "bó-théach" in Google there, referring to a cow house in some law from 1924. Anyhow, this is the area:
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,634111,903909,6,10
And there is a river going right around it, so that's definitely a possibility, thanks

Noreen1

The Irish for cowbyre (or pretty much any byre, except a stable) is boitheach. In English it would probably sound something like boy-hah (Boyagh?).

Lots of possibilities, but without the original Irish spelling, it's very hard to guess, and I don't suppose there are too many Irish speakers in the Lifford area who could help you out, either!

Dun

Thanks, that might be something to think about. Boyagh's not particularly big, and on the old maps doesn't look too heavily populated. There's a Boyagh National School, I might give them a ring during the week and see if they have any idea what it is in Irish. Thanks again for your help.

Noreen1

You're welcome.:D

4odh4n

hi there,

I live in one of the townlands bordering Boyagh, I can tell you that there is a large farm in the townland that would have been known as the 'Bullock Town', I am not aware of how or where the name came from though! There are two houses on the farm, one is pretty old, possibly it could have been known as Bullock House?, although i have never heard of any reference to the houses before.

I could possibly find out more information for you if you want to PM me any specifics you are after?

I think my parents have a book that has some history of the area, I will take a look

One thing i do know though is that Boyagh National School is not built in the Townland of Boyagh!

muffler

4odh4n wrote: »

One thing i do know though is that Boyagh National School is not built in the Townland of Boyagh!

Quite right. Its in Porthall townland.

As an aside Murlog church and school are in Lifford Common townland

Dun

4odh4n wrote: »

hi there,

I live in one of the townlands bordering Boyagh, I can tell you that there is a large farm in the townland that would have been known as the 'Bullock Town', I am not aware of how or where the name came from though! There are two houses on the farm, one is pretty old, possibly it could have been known as Bullock House?, although i have never heard of any reference to the houses before.

I could possibly find out more information for you if you want to PM me any specifics you are after?

I think my parents have a book that has some history of the area, I will take a look

One thing i do know though is that Boyagh National School is not built in the Townland of Boyagh!

Aye, I noticed that in the phonebook, I was going to give the National School a ring and see if any of the teachers knew what the Irish was for it. This is all for genealogy purposes, my grandfather was from Braade, but moved to Inishowen, which is where I'm from, so I don't know the area very well.

I did take a trip to Boyagh, but just to see what it was like, and the connection was very tenuous at that time. I was down a road, not very long, and there was a relatively modern house on the left, and a private road leading down to the right. There were byres or stables with horses at the end of the road.

Basically my granda's grandparents, Con O'Donnell and Catherine McGinley, were married in Lifford RC church in 1856, which is before civil registration. They both gave their address as Bullock House, which is the reason I am looking for all this. The only other reference I can find to Bullock House is in the Tithe Applotment Books of 1826:
Calhoun, Robert, Boyagh (of Bullock House)

And this is the reason for all the enquiries Have you heard of either of those names in that area?

muffler

I would know the area especially Braade and if you wanted to PM me I might be able to get some info for you.

Dun

Well, as I said the family was O'Donnell, and they're all gone from there now. There are some now in Strabane, but none left in Lifford. I'll PM you a google street view link to the house where they used to live - it's a semi-detached, and it's the house on the left that looks a bit different to the original I am trying to find out if that's the area they came from (Bernard O'Donnell and Catherine Lynch), or if they just moved there from elsewhere. Also if they're any relation to the ones in Boyagh. Thanks!

muffler

Sorry, read your PM before reading the post above.

Dun

I thought so, either that, or I had thought left and said right, which I have a bad tendency to do

The house on the left was still in the O'Donnell clan up until either the 1970s or 1980s. Maybe even later. I must check with my mother - I think the last of the ones that didn't get married and still lived in the house died in the 1970s. I was up at Murlog looking for Bernard and Catherine's grave, and found their son and daughter's grave. My mother reckoned that it might be in an older graveyard. Any ideas where that is?

muffler

Just sent a PM with some info

JPebbles

Hi, excuse me for linking in but as a descendant of Robert Colhoun of Boyagh, Bullock House and Tironeill, are you able to assist in any way with information as well please. I would very much appreciate any information on either the Colhouns (Calhouns) or the areas of Boyagh and Tironeill.

Many thanks

aodhred

Hi ,Boyagh is english for Cow House,along time there was a cattle fair held in part of this townland.This was a rocky field called Carriganeni(Rock of the Fair).
Bullock House,This was the name on house of a farm called Bullocktown,It was famous for its cattle.My grandmother was from this house and farm.Their was O Donnell,the farm has changed hands since then.This line died out in 1952.Many letters would be sent to this house to be handed out,ie tickets for america during 1800s.They employed many people making clay bricks on the farm.I hope this helps you

JPebbles

Hi. Thank you so much for the information you posted. It was very helpful. In the 1826 Tithe Applotment list, my ancestral grandfather, Robert Colhoun (aka Calhoun) and his eldest son Robert were the owners of Bullock House and property in Boyagh, as well as Tironeill. In a family letter written in the late 1800s a man named Hugh O'Donnell, who worked for my ancestor Robert bought the family farm at Tironeill. I'm trying to put together pieces of my Colhoun ancestry in Donegal, and again, I thank you for your assistance. Every bit helps.

aodhred

Thanks for your information.If you have that letter from John O Donnell to your grandfather could you get me a copy? My email address is <SNIP> was a John O Donnell born circa 1800 and died aged 97,his brother,Hugh, married Ellen Mulrine of Springhill Ballindrait in 1869,They had a son John born in 1873.He died in 1922.These O Donnells did own land in Tieroneill too.Remember that all these farmers were tennents.The landlords for Boyagh were Cochrines from Redcastle Moville,All their records are in the PRO in Belfast.Hopefully this helps you

aodhred

Hi again,I have been looking into this again.It seems to me that Bullock House was a sub townland of Boyagh.In the land survey of 1835 there is no mention of Bullock House in survey.It just mentions 1 house of value in Boyagh,a James Semple lived in this house and it is still lived in.I looked up births deaths and marriages and quite a few come from Bullock House,from 1855 onwards it is called Bullockstown which is part of Boyagh.The house that u are referring to is called Brickfield House because of all red bricks made on this farm

muffler

Hi aodhred, I have removed your email address from your post above. Never a great idea to post it in a public forum. You can PM the email address to anyone you wish to make contact with.

Thanks

JPebbles

Hi. Thank you so much for all the information, its been very helpful. Unfortunately I have no letter from any O'Donells. The information I have is in a letter written by my gggrandfathers brother in Ireland to my gggrandfather here in Australia, around 1900. He was writing briefly about what had become of the Tironeill farm and Lisonally Hall, places that our Colhouns had lived. I have been going back through the info I have, no mention of Boyagh. I only know about Bullock House and Boyagh through the 1826 Tithe Applotments and it seems my ancestral grandfather paid taxes for property or crops there. I don't believe they lived there, I'm thinking maybe they had land there, but lived at the farm house at Tironeill. Robert Colhoun (aka Calhoun) snr died in 1836 and his son Robert jnr married and went to America, so I don't know what became of the property then. Roberts snrs wife Ann and family stayed on at Tironeill until around 1870.
Unfortunately, living in Australia, I have little access to information but I will keep searching for any clues that might help us.

Dun

Aodhred, are you any connection to the O'Donnells?