Mooncoin Local History

The vast amount of the local and genealogical records for the parish of Mooncoin exist only as a result of the efforts of Edmond Walsh Kelly in the early decades of the 1900s.

Edmond was a local Waterford genealogist who spend over 30 years transcribing records from manuscripts and records held at the National Library, Public Records Office (PRO) and British Museum. (See 1901 census)

In 1922, during the Civil War, a large part of our genealogical records were destroyed in the fire at the Public Record Office at the Four Courts at the start of the Civil War.

This resulted in the loss of the Censuses of 1821, 1831, 1841, and 1851, along with wills and testamentary records, Anglican Church of Ireland registers and pre-1900 documents from the legal courts.

As an aside, the original census returns for 1861 and 1871 were destroyed shortly after the censuses were taken, while those for 1881 and 1891 were pulped during the First World War.

Edmund Walsh Kelly transcripts are the only record of the following:

• 1766 Papist Head of Household for the Parish of Portnascully.

• 1821 census

  • All the Households in the townlands of Aglish and Portnascully Civil Parishes

  • Many of the Households of Pollrone and Ballytarsney Civil Parishes

  • Some of the Households in Rathkieran, Arderra, Clonmore, Tubrid, Kilmacow, Ullid, Muckalee, Fiddown, Tybroughney, Owning & Whitechurch Parishes.

• 1831 Census

  • Head of Household and no. of inhabitants for all townlands in Aglish and Portnascully Civil Parishes, plus some households in Clonmore, Tybroghney, Polerone, Rathkyran and Kilmacow.

• 1841 census

  • All households in the townlands of Aglish and Portnahully.

• 1851 census

  • All households in the townlands of Aglish, Mountneill, Portnahully and Glengrant.

  • A few households in Luffany, Ballygorey, Ballincur, Clashrow & Ballynamountain.

Edmund was the grandson of a Glengrant man, Edmund Walsh who according to the Carrigeen and Mooncoin parish register was baptised in Grantstown on 30^th Nov 1787, the son of John Walsh and Eleanor Walsh.

For a number of reasons I suspect that the recording of John as his father was a “typo” and that in fact his father was Robert.

First, no other records exist for children born in Glengrant of John Walsh and Eleanor Walsh during this period. In fact, between 1782 and 1795, 6 children of Robert Walsh and Ellen Walsh were born in Glengrant.

Second, Edmund first son was called Robert, baptised 22^nd Jul 1822, in St. Patrick's & St. Olave's, Waterford City, which would lead me to think that his father was Robert.

Robertum Walsh, Grants’s Glen and Hellanin (Ellen) Walsh, Licketstown were married 16^th Feb 1778, where there is reference to one father being John and the other father Edmund .

Edmund Walsh Kelly Papers Source: National Library of Ireland, Genealogical Office: Ms. 683-686