Kilcummin Civil Parish Characteristics, County Mayo, Ireland
Kilcummin Civil Parish lies within Tirawley Barony and contained only 14 Townlands including the Salmon Fishery on Rathfran Bay when the Griffith's Valuation was conducted in 1856. Lacken Roman Catholic Parish (formed in 1852) covers Kilcummin Civil Parish. (Mitchell, 1988, p. 88). Lacken Civil Parish is part of this Catholic Parish as well. There were no documented Catholic churches or Graveyards in Kilcummin Civil Parish according to the Griffith's Valuation. The Catholic Records available for this parish are documented on microfilm number 1279205 and cover the years 1852-1874.
There is very little in the way of commercial activity in the Civil Parish of Kilcummin. There were no Townlands with "Fair Greens" or "Tolls and Customs of Fairs." The Town of Killala, one of the major market towns of County Mayo of the 19th century was only 4 1/2 miles away. I have read that there were documented fairs in Rathlackan as early as 1845 in Thom's Directory but I was unable to find them in searching the directory in the early 1850's. The Salmon Fishery that was located on Rathfran Bay was perhaps the biggest commercial venture in this Civil Parish. Two different landlords represent the salmon fishery, Palmer Kirkwood on the section of Rathfran Bay that adjoins the Townland of Ballygarry and Catherine Burrowes along another section. The Townlands of Ballinlena and Beltra each have a Board of Customs Watch and Boathouse, the Village of Rathlackan within the Townland of Rathlackan has a Pound as does Carrowtrasna and Foghill and Banagher has an old Mill. Herd's Houses were present in the Townlands of Carrowsteelagh and Cashel and that was about the extent of the economic activity. (Griffith, 1847-1864; 2003, Kilcummin).
As far as education goes, there were National Schoolhouses in the Townland of Banagher and Doonadoba and a schoolhouse in Ballinlena when the Griffith's Valuation was conducted in 1856. I couldn't find any details on possible "Hedge Schools" in this area. The town of Rathlackan and the Village of Rathlackan within its borders had the largest concentrations of people.
Colonel Charles Knox is probably the most prevalent landlord as he dominates the Townland and Village of Rathlackan as well as several other Townlands. An assortment of other landlords are represented in this small Civil Parish such as Catherine Burrowes, Mrs. Erwine and Harriet Gardiner to name a few. (Griffith, 1847-1864; 2003, Kilcummin).
I was unable to find information on Catherine Burrowes or Mrs. Erwine in the Hussey De Burgh compilation "The Landowners of Ireland" which included landlords in Ireland having over 500 acres or land valued at over 500 pounds. There wasn't a listing for a Harriet Gardiner either, but there was one for Henrietta Gardiner who may be one in the same. She had a residence at Farmhill, Killala and held 4,073 acres in County Mayo. Captain Charles Knox (not listed as Colonel) had a residence at Ballinrobe, County Mayo and held 446 acres in County Donegal and 24,374 acres in County Mayo. (De Burgh, 1878; 2007, p. 175, 254).
Kilcummin Civil Parish saw a population decline during and after the peak famine years like most other parishes in County Mayo. In 1841 there were 2,791 people residing in Kilcummin Civil Parish, dropping to 1,552 in 1851. By the year 1911, there were 1,236 people remaining in Kilcummin Civil Parish. (O'Hara, 1982, p. 7).