Sept 8, 1903 Meenadoan
Fintown County Donegal, Ireland
Dear Brother John After a long delay I write to let you and wife and family know that my poor husband James Gallagher died and was buried few days ago which leaves me lonely and sorry. Dear Brother I want you and wife and family to make up your mind and let me know without any delay would any of your family or yourself take courage to come to stop here or not as I must sell the farm at once if some one of yours don't come. If none of your family or yourself don\rquote t come perhaps some one of your sisters would send one here. I would wish to get a reply at once and if none of you don't come I will sell the farm and take a room to myself. I am in reasonable good health yet and has what will to myself while I live but I would rather have some of my own people for the land than sell it to a stranger. I hope to get a reply soon and state will any of your house be willing to come to get the farm. I send my love and best respects to you and wife and family. Wishing to hear from you soon. Your affectionate Sister. Bridget Gallagher
April 9, 1904 Meendoan
Kingarrow Fintown County Donegal
My Dear Brother and Nephew, I got the land sold at 200 pounds. I will be sending you some money when I see matters squared up and when I see where I will go to live the remainder of my life. I am discouraged and lonely. Let me know the name of the bank nearest to you and what place so that there will be no difficulty for you getting the money all right when I send it. I will write to you again. Please send me Hanna's address and also Kate's address and Marget's address. Don't fail to do that. I am verry glad to hear from you and your family getting along so well. I had a fine letter from your son, John in Dougherty last week stating you were all well and in good health. I sent my love and best respects to you all. Your affectionate sister Bridget Gallagher.
October 18, 1904 Kingarrow Fintown County
Donegal, Ireland
Dear Brother I just rec'd your kind and welcomed letter two days ago for which I am very glad to hear from you and family been all well and in good health. I wrote to you in July last and addressed my letter to Coldwater Franklin County and same letter didn't find you was returned to me few days ago. Dear Brother you wanted to know who got this land and did I move to another place or would I be sure to go there. It was James McGeehan of Meenadoan and his son that came from Queensland and bought the place at public auction and paid me with satisfaction. I had to move to another place. I am with Peter McMenamin of Kingarrow Road. Has a good room upstairs to my self and is very content. I have no courage at all to leave Ireland. I got very stiff and feeble and I gave away a good deal of money to pay arrears of rent to the landlord and other bills and gave a good deal to the priests for Masses for the Dead. And my friends Living and Dead so it is my desire to lodge this money in the bank make a will in presence of this Parish Priest and have all arranged before I die how it will be divided. John McMenamin, my cousin in Glashagh wanted me to go to Himself. I think I am as content where I am as I could be anywhere. I _____sending my love and best wishes and respects to you all Your loving and sincere sister Bridget Gallagher To My Brother John McMenamin
Source Record Documentation
Townland
of Meenadoan [Meenadaun]
Donegal , Inishkeel Parish,
Tithe Applotment Books - 1834
Michl. McManaman
Griffith's Valuations - 1857
Bridget M'Maniman
Note: This is probably Bridget Dougherty M'Maniman, widow
of Michl. McManaman, and the mother of John McMenimen and
Bridget. Michael's full name was probably Michael John,
since the family always called him John. }
1901 Census of Ireland
townland: Meenadoan
James Gallagher, head of family, age 62, farmer, Irish
& English, cannot read
Bridget Gallagher, wife, age 61, speaks Irish &
English, cannot read
Note: This is Bridget MacMenimen, the
sister of John McMenimen, children of Michael MacManaman
and Bridget Dougherty of Meenadoan. After her husband's
death, she went to live with Peter MacMenimen of
Kingarrow, the father of John ban McMenimen, the author.
Townland of Kingarrow After her husband's death, Bridget
Gallagher, John's sister, went to live with a Peter
McMenimen on Kingarrow Road (townland of Kingarrow, which
is adjacent to Meenadoan in the Parish of Inishkeel).
Tithe Applotment Books - 1834
Kingarrow
James McManamy
Eneas McManaman
Denis McManama
Griffith's Valuations - 1857
Kingarrow
Dominick McManamin
Anthony McManamin
Hugh McManamin
1901 Census of Ireland
Kingarrow
Fanny McMenamin, head of family, cannot read, age 70,
widow, speaks only Irish
Denis, son, age 40, cannot read, speaks Irish and English
Mary, dau., age 35, cannot read, speaks only Irish
Bridgit, dau., age 33, cannot read, speaks only Irish
Fanny, dau., age 30, cannot read, speaks only Irish
Peter McMenamin, head of family, age 58, farmer, read
& write, Irish & English
Mary, wife, age 45, read & write, Irish & English
Anthony, son, age 20, farmer, read & write, Irish
& English
Joseph, son, age 17, scholar, read & write, Irish
& English
Peter, son, age 15, scholar, read & write, Irish
& English
John, son, age 13, scholar, read & write, Irish &
English
William, son, age 11, scholar, read & write, Irish
& English
James, son, age 9, scholar, read & write, Irish &
English
Patrick, son, age 7, scholar, read & write, Irish
& English
Bridget, dau., age 5, scholar, can't read, Irish &
English
Frank McMenamin, head of family, age 35, can't read,
Rosie, wife, age 30, can't read
Mary, dau., age 12, scholar, read & write,
Rosie, dau., age 11, scholar, read & write
Anna, dau., age 10, scholar, read & write
Bridget, dau., age 9, scholar, read & write
Francis, son, age 7, scholar, read & write
Domnick, son, age 4, scholar, can't read Patrick, son,
age 2, scholar, can't read
1911 Census
Kingarrow
Peadar Mac Meanman, head of household, age 74, read &
write, Sub-postmaster, Irish & English
Maire, wife, age 65, read & write, Irish &
English
Antoine, son, age 32, farmer's son, read & write,
Irish & English
Peadar, son, age 26, farmer's son, read & write,
Irish & English
Seaghan, son, age 24, novelist, read & write, Irish
& English
Uilliam, son, age 22, farmer's son, read & write,
Irish & English
Padraig, son, age 19, Rope-maker, read & write, Irish
& English
Brigid, dau., age 17, read & write, Irish &
English
Note: This entire census is written in
Gaelic. "Novelist" is written in English over
the Gaelic by someone. Seaghan, described here as a
novelist, is the Donegal writer John Ban McMenimen, who
wrote several books on life in Donegal in Irish. His name
is usually rendered as Sean ban or Seaghan ban McMeanman.
The Irish which an unknown hand has translated as
"novelist" in the 1911 census entry for Seagan
(John ban) McMenamin is almost impossible to read.
According to my Irish dictionary, novelist is
"urscealai," based on the form ursceal, for
novel. But this isn't exactly what the gaelic is saying
in the census. The first word looks like the Irish for
writer, or scribhneoir; this is followed by a second
word, which looks like "Sgaulta." This is
probably from the Irish for "stories," or
sceal; scealta seems to be some kind of adjectival form
of sceal. So the census entry is really saying "a
writer of stories," which is not quite the same as
novelist.
Townland of Glashagh More, Kilteevoge Parish,
Donegal
Note: In her letters to brother John in
Dougherty, IA., Bridget mentions a cousin John McMenimen
in Glashagh. This is the townland off Glashagh More, in
Kilteevoge Parish, just to the south and west of
Meenadoan.
Griffith's Vaulations - 1857
Glashagh More
Mcmenamin, John
Mcmenamin, Patrick
Other McMenimen locations in Inishkeel Parish
In addition to the McMenimens in Meenadoan (our family)
and those in Kingarrow (possibly related) and Glashagh
(Kilteevoge Parish - definitely related), there were
several McMenimen families in the townland of Meenagolan,
which is adjacent to Glashagh More but in Inishkeel
Parish. These McMenimens are probably related to those in
Meenadoan, Kingarrow and Glashagh More as well but
documentation is lacking at the present time.
Townland of Meenagolan - Inishkeel Parish
Tithe Applotment Books - 1834
Edward McManomin
John McManomin
(These names appear next to each other - probably
adjacent holdings)
Pat. McManomin
Griffith's Valuations - 1857
Michael McManamin
John McManamin,
Michael McManamin
Michael and Peter McManamin
Edward McManamin
These names in Meenagolan, particularly those of Michael,
John and Peter, bear a strong resemblance to the
McMenimens in Meenadoan, Glashagh and Kingarrow. The
Townlands Kingarrow and Meenadoan were adjacent to each
other in Inishkeel parish, near the village of Fintown.
Meenagolan and Glashagh More are adjacent to each other
but in different parishes, a few miles to the southa and
east of Kingarrow and Meenadoan. Meenagolan is in
Inishkeel parish - Glashagh More is in Kilteevoge parish.