Mochara was a rural townland in the parish of Shrule that was:

1. The birthplace of Maggie Langan Walsh (1875) and her brother, Martin Langan (1872)
2. The brithplace of Penelope Bryne Langan (1836), the daughter of Michael Bryne and Penelope Naughton, and the mother of Maggie Langan Walsh and Martin Langan.

Penelope Bryne Langan's brothers, Thomas Byrne and Peter Byrne, were listed in the 1901 and 1911 censuses in Mochara.

The 1901 Census

There were 17 dwellings listed in Mochara in the 1901 Census.

All of the inhabitants were listed as Roman Catholics.

All of the houses were listed as one family per house.

The families as listed by head of household were:

1. Michael Henehan, age 65, widower, and his 4 children, ages 15 to 26.
2. Michael Conroy, age 80, his wife, Mary, age 53, and their 6 children, ages 17 to 25.
3. Thomas Biggins, age 40, his wife, Mary, age 42, her seven children, ages 6 to 21, and his son, age 7. Note: Mary's first marriage was to a Varrilly, as all her children have that surname.
4. James Varilly, age 44, his wife, Bridget, age 28, their 6 children, ages 7 days to 8 years, and James' mother, Margaret, age 81.
5. James Naughton, age 70, his wife, Norah, age 62, their son-in-law, age 33, their daughter, age 25, their daughter, age 22, a female boarder, age 22, and a female visitor, age 10.
6. Martin Burke, age 55, widower, and his 5 children, ages 13 to 23.
7. Thomas Byrne, age 55, his wife, Mary, age 56, and their son, age 23. Note: Thomas was the brother of Penelope Byrne Langan.
8. Patrick Noone, age 50, his wife, Kate, age 48, and their 3 children, ages 13 to 21.
9. Peter Bryne, age 70, widower.
10. Bridget Barrett, age 50, widow, and her two children, ages 15 and 18.
11. Patrick Murphy, age 50, widower, his mother, Mary, age 80, and 4 children, ages 1 to 9.
12. Margaret Reilly, age 50, widow, and her 4 children, ages 12 to 22.
13. William Fitzgerald, age 40, his wife, Mary, age, 27, and twins age 3.
14. Michael Fitzgerald, age 45, his wife, Bridget, age 34, and their nephew, age 18.
15. Thomas Fitzgerald, age 50, his wife, Julia, age 45, and their 5 children, ages 5 to 18.
16. Walter Murphy, age 50, his wife, Mary, age 50, their 5 children, ages 5 to 15, and his mother, Honor, age 70.
17. Denis Murphy, age 64, his wife, Kate, age 50, and their 4 children, ages 11 to 27.

There was a total of 96 people living in Mochara in 1901.

Buildings

All the houses were listed as either 2nd or 3rd class houses. Fifteen of the houses had only three rooms and two had four rooms. Four of the houses had only two windows. The rest had three windows. The census code for the walls indicates that they were made of stone, cement, or brick (Photos of the ruins show that they were made of stone). The census code for the roof indicates that they were made of a perishable material, in this case most likely thatch.

There were 13 stables, 8 "cow houses", 12 piggeries, 2 fowl houses, and 12 "barns" in the townland in 1901.

Language

Everyone was listed as Irish/English speaking with the exceptions of 80 year old Mary Murphy and 50 year old Margaret Reilly who were listed as Irish speaking only.

Literacy

There were nine heads of household who could not read and write and who "made their mark" (signed the census form with an "X"):

1. Michael Conroy, age 80, whose 53 year old wife, Mary, and his six children (ages from 17 to 25) were listed as able to read and write.
2. Peter Byrne, age 70, who lived alone.
3. Denis Murphy, age 64, whose 50 year old wife, Kate, and four children (ages 11 to 27) were listed as able to read and write
4. Thomas Byrne, age 55, whose 56 year old wife, Mary, was also listed as not able to read and write, but whose 23 year old son was able to read and write. Note: Thomas was the brother of Penelope Byrne Langan.
5. Martin Burke, age 55, whose five children (ages of 13 and 23) could read and write
6. Bridget Barrett, age 50, whose 15 and 18 year old daughters were able to read and write.
7. Patrick Murphy, age 50, whose 80 year old mother, Mary, and four children (ages 1 to 9) could not read or write.
8. Margaret Reilly, age 50, whose three children (ages 16 to 22) could read and write and whose 12 year old son could not read or write. Note: In the 1911 census this person was listed as an "idiot".
9. Walter Murphy, age 50, whose 50 year old wife, Mary, could read but not write and whose three children (ages 10 to 15) could read and write. His 70 year old mother could not read or write and his 5 and 8 year old daughters could not read or write.

1. James Naughton, age 70, whose 62 year old wife, Norah, could not read and write but whose three children and son-in-law, ages 20 to 32, and a 10 year old visitor were all able to read and write.
2. Michael Henehan, age 65, whose four children, ages 15 to 26, were also able to read and write.
3. Thomas Fitzgerlad, age 50, whose 45 year old wife, Julia, could not read and write. His 13 to 18 year old children could read and write. His 10 year child could read, but not write, and his 5 year old could not either read or write.
4. Patrick Noone, age 50, whose 48 year old wife, Kate, could not read and write, but whose two sons, age 19 and 21, could read and write. A 13 year old daughter could read, but not write.
5. Michael Fitzgerald, age 45, whose 34 year old wife, Bridget, and 18 year old son could read and write
6. James Varilly, age 44, whose 28 year old wife, Bridget, and his two children, ages 6 and 8, were able to read and write. His four children between age 7 days and age 4 were listed as not able to read and write. His 81 year old mother, Margaret, was listed as not able to read and write.
7. William Fitzgerald, age 40, whose 27 year old wife, Mary, was able to read and write, but whose two children, both age 3, could not do either.
8. Thomas Biggins, age 40, whose 42 year old wife, Mary, and her seven children were listed as able to read and write. His son, age 7 however, was listed as"cannot read".

Ages of the Heads of Households

In the 1901 census there were:

• Four heads of household under fifty years of age: 40 (male), 40 (male), 44 (male), 45 (male).
• Eight heads of household in their fifties: 50 (female), 50 (female), 50 (male), 50 (male), 50 (male), 50 (male), 55 (male), 55 (male).
• Two heads of household in their sixties: 64 (male), 65 (male).
• Two heads of household in their seventies: 70 (male), 70 (male)
• One head of household in his eighties: 80 (male)

This is in keeping with the tradition of the older generation holding on to the property as long as possible. In most Irish families, one child inherited the land, the others either remained at home as celibate adults or emigrated.

Ages of the Parents Versus Children

The census shows that:

1. Michael Henehan, age 65, had four children living with him, ages 15 to 26, which means he was 50 years old when the youngest was born.
2. Michael Conroy, age 80, and his 53 year old wife, Mary, had six children living with them, ages 17 to 25, which means he was 63 when the youngest was born.
3. James Naughton, age 70, and his wife, Norah, age 62, had four children living with them, ages, 32 to 22, which means he was 48 when the youngest was born.
4. Patrick Murphy, age 50, had four children living with him, ages 1 to 9, which means he was 49 when the youngest was born.
5. Thomas Fitzgerald, age 50, and his 45 year old wife, Julia, had 5 children living with them, ages 5 to 18, which means that he was 45 and she was 40 when the youngest was born.
6. Walter Murphy, age 50, and his wife, Mary, age 50, had 5 children living with them, ages 5 to 15, which means they were both 45 when the youngest was born.
7. Denis Murphy, age 64, and his wife, Kate, age 50, had four children living with them, ages, 11 to 27, which means he was 53 when the youngest was born.

Place of Birth

Everyone was listed as born in Co. Mayo, except seven people born in Galway and two (a mother and daughter born in Roscommon). Note: Mochara is only a few miles from the Galway boarder.

Occupation

All heads of house and almost everyone else over the age of 12 were listed as "farmer", "farmer's daughter", or "farmer's son" with the following exceptions.

1. Some non heads of household had no occupation next to their names.
2. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 who were listed as "scholar"
3. Children between birth and 7 who were not listed with any notation
4. The 17 and 23 year old daughters and the 13 year old son of Martin Burke who were listed as "scholar". However, his 18 year old son was listed as a farmer.
5. 13 year old Maggie Noone who was listed as a "scholar"
6. The 12 and 16 year old sons of Margaret Reilly who were listed as "scholar"
7. The Eighteen year old nephew of Michael Fitzgerald who was listed as "scholar"
8. The 13 year daughter of Thomas Fitzgerald who was listed as "scholar"
9. James Varilly, age 44, who was listed as Sergt (Two letters I can't make out) Constably"
10. Mary A. Brown, age 20, who was listed as "teacher", and was a boarder with the Naughton Family

Thomas Byrne, the son of Michael Byrne and Penelope Naughton, and the brother of Penelope Byrne Langan, was listed in the 1901 census in Mochara as follows:

• Thomas Byrne, head of household, Roman Catholic, cannot read, age 55, farmer, married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• Mary Byrne, wife, Roman Catholic, cannot read, age 56, no occupation, married, born Co. May, Irish & English speaker
• Michael Byrne, son, Roman Catholic, can read and write, age 23, farmer's son, not married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker.

The census indicates that Thomas Byrne and family were living in a 3rd class, 2 window, 3 room house with 3 outbuildings: cow house, piggery and barn.

The Langans appeared to have been living with the Byrnes in 1875. It can be assumed that it was in the same house listed in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. How strange it must have been to come from a two room thatched roof cottage situated near a rock wall lined, unpaved lane that was surrounded by meadows and arrive at a walk up apartment in bustling New York City.

Also listed was Thomas and Nappy brother.

Peter Byrne as follows

• Peter Bryne, head of house hold, age 70, Roman Catholic, cannot read, farmer, widower, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker.

A possible relative was James Naughton.

James Naughton had the same surname and was born about the same time as Penelope Naughton Bryne (the wife of Michael Bryne).

• James Naughton, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 70, farmer, married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• Norah Naughton, wife, Roman Catholic, cannot read and write, age 62, married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• James Connell, son-in-law, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 33, married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• Mary Connell, daughter, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 25, married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• Catherine Naughton, daughter, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 22, not-married, born Co. Mayo, Irish & English speaker
• Mary A Browne, boarder, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 20, teacher, not-married, born Co. Mayo, there is a slash in the Irish Language column
• Lizzie Browne, visitor, Roman Catholic, read and write, age 10, scholar, not-married, born Co. Mayo, there is a slash in the Irish Language column

Notes:

• While this was listed as a one family household , in the technical sense of the word, there are at least two families in this house, that of James Naughton and that of his son-in-law, James Connell
• I would assume that Mary Naughton Connell and her husband, James, stood in line to inherit the land.

The 1911 Census

The 1911 census listed 18 dwellings. The additional building had been vacant in 1901.

The order of the listings was different in 1911 than 1901, however, all of the families except for the Fitzgeralds were more or less the same as in 1901.

1. Patrick Noone was listed as a head of household again. The 1911 census indicated that:
   • John, the eldest son listed in 1901 was still at home, age 33, and married with four children
   • Martin, who was 19 in 1901 was not part of the household in 1911

2. James Naughton was still listed as a head of household at age 81
   • This houshold is virtually the same except the boarder and visitor are gone

3. The Burke household had changed.
   • Martin, the head of household in 1901 must have died
   • Thomas, age 19, and Kate, age 17, in 1901 were not listed in 1911
   • The new head of the Bruke household in 1911 was Michael, age 25 who is listed with his sister, Bridget, age, 33.

4. Thomas Biggins was still a head of household. The 1911 census indicates that:
   • Thomas and his wife, Mary, had been married for 12 years in 1911, confirming that this was a second marriage (at least for Mary, who the 1901 census indicates had a daughter born circa 1880).
   • Four of the children had left home or died

5. Mary Conroy, age 72, was the head of household in the Conroy family in 1911:
   • Four children ages, 40, 38, 36, and 25 were still at home. Two others had either left home or died

6. Michael Henaghan was still a head of household:
   • One son had married and had four children
   • Three of Michael's children had left home or died between the 1901 and 1911 census.

   The 1911 Census list the Heneghan family as follows:
   1. Michael, head of household, age 76, farmer, widower
   2. John Heneghan, son, age 36, married
   3. Mary Heneghan, wife, age 34, married
   4. Sarah Heneghan, daugher, age 3
   5. Mary Heneghan, daughter, age 1
   6. Pat Heneghan, son, 1 month
   7. John Staunton, visitor, age 49, farm servant, single

   According to the Heneghan tombstone in a cemetery near Shrule:

   • Mary Heneghan, Mochara, Died 6th March 1931, aged 54 yrs
   • Her Husband, John Died 1st Sept 1966, aged 92 yrs
   • Their son, Patrick, Died 11 April 1929, aged 18 years
   • Their daughters, Nora, Died 16th June 1930, aged 16 yrs
   • Sarah, died 14th March 1967 aged 59 yrs

7. Bridget Fitzgerald, single, age 36, farmer, was listed as a head of household. There was no one listed with her. There is no corresponding individual in the 1901 census.

8. Michael Fitzgerald, age 60, was listed with his wife, Kate, age 39 and four children ages 1 to 8. The census indicates that they were married for nine years. Michael was listed as age 45 and single in the 1901 census.

9. Thomas Fitzgerald, listed in 1901, was replaced by his widow, Julia in 1911.
   • The three older children were gone. The two youngest (ages 19 and 15) remained at home

10. William Fitzgerald, age 59, and his wife, Mary, age, 36, do not appear to be the same William and Mary Fitzgerald who were listed in 1901. Their ages are different and the children's names and ages do not match.

    Note: In the 1901 census there were three listings for Fitzgerald. In the 1911 census there were four listings for Fitzgerald.

11. Walter Murphy and his wife gained more than 10 year of age between the 1901 and 1911 censuses. They were listed in the 1901 census as age 50 and in the 1911 census as ages 69 and 65 respectively. The record indicates that they had been married 30 years and has seven children, all still living. There were three children still at home versus 5 children at home in 1901

12. Denis Murphy was still a head of household in 1911. He had aged accordingly, but his wife, Kate, got 18 years older in 10 years. Their son John, age 40, had been married circa age 36, and had two small children. One of Denis' daughters, age 23, was still at home. Two other children had left or died.

13. Margaret Reilly was still a head of household, having aged 19 years in 10 years. She still had two sons with her including, Michael, age 25, who was listed as an "idiot". Two of her sons had left or died.

14. Thomas Bryne, the brother of Penelope Bryne was listed as follows;
    • Thomas Byrne, head of family, Catholic, cannot read or write, age 7(?), farmer, married Irish & English speaker, born in Co. Mayo
    • Mary Byrne, wife, Catholic, cannot read or write, age 73, married 40 years, 6 children, 3 still living, Irish speaker, born in Co. Mayo
    • Michael Byrne, son, Catholic, read and write, age 35, farmer, married, Irish & English speaker, born in Co. Mayo
    • Mary Byrne, wife, Catholic, read and write, age 26, married 4 years, three children, three still living, Irish & English speaker, born in Co. Mayo
    • Thomas Byrne, son, Catholic, cannot read and write, age 3, English speaker, born in Co. Mayo
    • Maggie Byrne, daughter, Catholic, cannot read and write, age 2, born in Co. Mayo
    • Bridget Byrne, daughter, Catholic, cannot read and write, age 3 months, born in Co. Mayo

    The first pages of the 1911 census forms listed everyone in the townland. There is a column on these pages for the name of the landlord. Every entry, except two, have a line drawn through the landlord space. One of these two entries listed Thomas Byrne as the landlord of Peter Byrne.

    The census indicates that the Brynes were living in a 3 window, 2nd class house. The exact number of rooms cannot be determined from the census information.This shows an increase of one window and a class improvement from 3rd to 2nd between 1901 and 1911. They also had an increase in out buildings having added a stable and fowl house.

15. Peter Byrne was listed as an 80 year old pensioner

16. The family of Thomas Kennedy was listed in 1911 in the place of Bridget Barrett in 1901. Thomas Kennedy, age 42, married Celia Barrett circa 1902. Bridget Barrett, age 69, was listed with them in 1911. Her daughter, Mary who was listed in 1901 either left home or died.

17. The family of Delia (Bridget) Varilly, the widow of James Varilly, was listed with 7 children, ages 2 to 14.

18. Patrick Murphy appears to have married and been widowed again in the 10 years between 1901 and 1911. He was listed as a widow in 1901 and again in 1911. He has three children, ages 1 to 7, in the 1911 census.

There were a total of 95 people living in Mochara in 1911, one less than 1901.

Buildings

All the houses were still listed as either 2nd or 3rd class houses. The number of room was coded differently, so it is not certain how many room there were per house. However, whereas there were no houses listed in 1901 with four windows, there were four listed with four windows in 1911. They were still all coded for the walls made of stone, cement, or brick and roofs of perishable material.

In 1911 there were 12 stables (one less than 1901), 15 "cow houses" (7 more than 1901), 14 piggeries (2 more than 1901), 16 fowl houses (14 more than 1901), and 3 "barns" (9 less than 1901).

Language

All of the adults were listed as Irish/English speaking with the exception of Mary Byrne, age 73, the wife of Thomas Byrne, who were listed as Irish speaking only. Note: She had been listed and Irish & English in the 1901 census.

Most of the children were listed as English speaking only.

Literacy

Several of the older generation could not read and write or could read only:

1. Mary Conroy, age 72, read only. She was listed in the 1901 census as able to both read and write.
2. Denis Murphy, age 75, "cannot write". Does this mean he could read? Nothing was entered next to his wife, Kate, age 68.
3. Mary Murphy, the wife of Walter Murphy, age 65, read only.
4. Margaret Reilly, age 69, and her "idiot" son, Michael, age 25, who "cannot read or write"
5. Thomas Byrne, age 7-(?), and his wife, Mary, age 73, "cannot read or write"
6. Bridget Barrett, age 69, "cannot read or write".

1. In the 1901 census, Peter Byrne, age 70, was listed as "cannot read". He obviously could not write either as he "made his mark" on the census return. However, in the 1911 census he was listed as able to both read and write and he signed his own name.

2. In the 1901 census, Julia Fitzgerald, age 45, was listed as "cannot read". Presumably, she could not write either. However, it was her husband, not her, who signed the form. In the 1911 census she was listed as able to read and write and she signed her own name to the census form.

3. In the 1901 census, "Norah" Naughton, age 62, the wife of James Naughton, was listed as "cannot read or write". In the 1911 census she was listed as "Honor" able to to born read and write. Note: "Norah" and "Honor" were the same person. The 1911 census lists her as married to James Naughton for 40 years.

4. The 1901 census listed Kate Noone, age 48, the wife of Patrick Noone, as "she can't read or write". In the 1911 census she was listed able to "read and write".

5. The 1901 census listed Walter Murphy, age 50, as "cannot read". He obviously could not write either as he "made his mark" on the census return. However, in the 1911 census he was listed as able to both read and write and he signed his own name. His wife, Mary was listed in both censuses as able to "read".

6. The 1901 census listed Denis Murphy, age 64, as "cannot read". He obviously could not write either as he "made his mark" on the census return. However, in the 1911 census he was listed "cannot write" which may indicate that he could read. He made his mark on the 1911 census.

Ages of the Heads of Households

In the 1911 census there were:

• Four heads of household under fifty years of age: 25 (male), 36 (female) 40 (female), 42 (male).
• Three heads of household in their fifties: 51 (male), 57 (male), 59 (male).
• Five heads of household in their sixties: 60 (male), 60 (female), 60 (male), 69 (female), 69 (male).
• Four heads of household in their seventies: 7-(?) (male), 72 (female), 75 (male), 76(male).
• Two heads of household in their eighties: 80 (male), 81 (male).

In addition to those mentioned in the 1901 census, the following people had children at a later age:

1. Thomas Biggins, age 51, and his wife, Mary, age 53, were listed with an 8 year old daughter, which means that he was Thomas was 43 and Mary was 45 when their daughter, Ellen, was born.
2. William Fitzgerald, age 59, and his wife, Mary, age 36, were listed with children ages 2, 6, 9, and 12, which means that William was 57 when the youngest was born.
3. Pat Murphy, age 57, widow, was listed with children ages, 1, 2, 7, 10 (?), 16, and 19, which means he was 56 when the youngest was born. As mentioned above, he was listed in 1901 as a widow. He must have remarried and been widowed again.
4. Michael Fitzgerald, age 60, and his wife, Kate, age 39, were listed with children ages, 1, 5, 6, and 8, which means that Michael was 59 when the youngest was born.

Place of Birth

Everyone was born in Co.Mayo, except three born in Galway and one born in Roscommon.

Occupation

All adults males, where an occupation was listed, were designated "farmer". Several wives, were listed as "housekeepers". This means that they stayed at home and kept their own homes. It does not mean that they went out to work as a housekeeper. Most children were listed as "scholar". Peter Byrne was listed as a "old age pensioner".

Age of the Population of Mochara 1901 and 1911

In 1901 there were:

1. 31 married or widowed adults ranging in age from 27 to 80 years old.
2. 2 unmarried adults, ages 34 and 45. The 45 year old married about a year later.
3. 16 unmarried adults between the ages of 20 to 27
4. 47 children between 7 days and 19 years.

1. 36 married or widowed adults between the ages of 26 and 81
2. 8 unmarried adults between the ages of 32 and 49. Four of these were in the same family.
3. 9 unmarried adults between the ages of 20 and 26
4. 42 children between the ages 2 weeks and 19

Note: It is known from other records that Michael Bryne and his wife, Penelope Naughton, had 7 (Or eight children. It is not certain the Peter Byrne was the son of Michael and Penelope Byrne) between 1831 and 1846:

1. Two of them died
2. Thomas and (Peter) remained in Mochara
3. Penelope married Mathias Langan, lived in both Ballinrobe and Mochara, and eventually emigrated to NYC
4. The fate of the remaining three is unknown

The Tax Evaluations

Tax evaluations were made in Mochara every year starting in 1856. These records listed only the head of household. However, they do shed some light on the families living in Mochara between 1856 and the 1901 census.

These tax records included people leasing land in the townland of Mochara who did not live in the townland. The following survey does not include these individuals. It deals only with the inhabitants of the townland of Mochara.

There are notations in the "observation" column of the tax ledgers that reflect the year a change was made in a given listing.

1856 Griffith Tax Evaluation

The landlord in Mochara was James D. Meldon who paid taxes on 308 plus acres of land which included a "herd's house". It would appear that then, as now, the land was used for grazing sheep. Since he was not listed with a house, he probably lived elsewhere.

There were only nine houses taxed in Mochara in 1856. The tenants were Nappy Byrne, Michael Murphy, James Noone, Daniel Fallon, Martin Mulrooney, John Varley (this was listed as Varilly in the censuses), Patrick Fitzgerald, John Fitzgerald, and John Murphy.

The tax rate on all of the houses was 10 shillings.

In addition to the house tax, the nine families living in the townland were paying a land tax. The taxes on the land varied by the number of acres and relative value of the land. For instance, fertile farm land was taxed at a higher rate than bog.

1. Nappy Byrne, Michael Murphy, James Noone, and Daniel Fallon were sharing the lease of 64 acres of land.
2. Martin Mulrooney and John Varley were sharing the lease on 85 acres of land.
3. Patrick Fitzgerald had a lease on 39 acres of land that were listed in separate parcels.
4. John Fitzgerald had a lease on 22 acres of land that were listed in separate parcels.
5. John Murphy had a lease on 42 acres.

Nappy Byrne was taxed 3 pounds and 15 shillings for her portion of the 64 acres she was leasing.

1857 Griffith Tax Evaluation

There were 14 house listed in Mochara in 1857. The tenents were: Martin Murphy, Nappy Byrne, Michael Murphy, James Noone, Daniel Fallon, John and Michael Mulrooney, John "Varley", James Meldon (the landlord), Patrick Fitzgerald, John Fitzgerald, John Murphy, John Burke, Thomas Reilly, and Thomas Barrett.

The landlord was still James Meldon.

The tax rate on most of the houses was 10 shillings. John Varley and Thomas Reilly were paying 15 shillings and John Fitzgerald was paying 5 shillings.

Nappy Byrne's land taxes were the same.

1861 Griffith Tax Evaluation

There were only 11 houses taxed in Mochara in 1861. #1a, Martin Murphy, 2a Nappy Byren, 2b Michael Murphy, 2bc James Noone, 2 d John Costello, 41 John Mulrooney, 4b John Varly, 4c James D Meldon, 7a Patrick Fitzgerald, 11, John Fitzgerald, 12 a John Murphy. The changes were:

• John Costelloe replaced Daniel Fallon "61".
• Michael Mulrooney replaced Martin Mulrooney, "1861".
• James D Meldon was listed
• John Burke was not listed*
• Thomas Reilly was not listed*
• Thomas Barrett was not listed*

The landlord was still James D. Meldon.

1862 Griffith Tax Evaluation

There were 14 houses taxed in Mochara in 1862. The changes were:

1. John Burke, Thomas Reilly, and Thomas Barrett reappear
2. Michael Henehen was listed with John Varley
3. Thomas Linskey (?) replaced John D Meldon, 1862

James Meldon was still the landlord.

The tax rate was still 10 shillings, except on the house of Thomas Linskey who was paying 15 shillings and John Murphy who was now paying a whopping 1 pound and 5 shillings.

Nappy Byrne's land taxes were the same.

1863 and 1865 Griffith Tax Evaluation

The only date in the observation column was 1865.

There were now 18 houses in the townland and increase of four houses. Three of the new listings are dated 1865; the fourth is not dated.

The changes were:

1. Thomas Murphy replaced John Murphy, 1865.
2. There was a new listing for Denis Murphy connected to Thomas Murphy, 1865.
3. There was a new listing for James Naughton, no date.
4. There was a new listing for Martin O'Hara, 1865
5. There was a new listing for Denis Murphy (notation that he was the son of James) 1865

• John Varly at 15 shillings
• Thomas Linskey at 15 shillings
• Thomas Murphy at 1 pound
• Denis Murphy at 1 pound
• Thomas Barrett at 15 shillings

Nappy Byrne's land taxes were the same.

James Meldon was still the landlord.

1869 to 1880 Griffith Tax Evaluation

This ledger has the following notations on the first page: "Revised in Blue 1869", Red 1873" and Blue 74", "__ (?) 1876", "___ (?) 1877", "Revised in 1878", "Revised in 1879" and Revised in 1880". Unfortunately, the microfilm is in black and white so these colors are not visible.

This ledger covered at least 11 years so there are numerous cross out and notations.

The changes were as follows:

1. Martin Murphy was crossed out and Michael was entered. Michael was crossed out and Martin was entered, "66/8", which must reflect the years 1866 and 1868.
2. Nappy Byrne was crossed out and Thomas Byrne was entered. There is no clear notation in the observation column. Note: Nappy Byrne died in 1877.
3. Michael Murphy, who shared the property with the Byrnes, was noted as the son of James
4. John Costello was crossed and no one was entered, "71".
5. Michael Conroy replaced John Mulroony, "69".
6. John Linskey replaced Thomas Linskey, "80".
7. Denis Murphy (the son of Thomas Murphy) replaced Thomas Murphy, "71".
8. The notation that the second Denis Murphy was the son of James was changed to " son of Walter", "71.

The tax rates on the houses remained the same.

The land tax for Thomas Byrne was raised to 5 pounds and 13 shillings.Taxes for most of the others remined the same.

James Meldon was still the major landlord with all of the properties but one. Sarah Fitzgerald was listed as the landlord of 5 plus acres of land. Her tenant was Thomas Fitzgerald.

1881 to 1897 Griffith Tax Evaluation

The changes were:

1. Martin Burke replace Martin Murphy, "83", "84".
2. Patrick Noone replace Michael Murphy (son of John), "90", "91".
3. Patrick Noone also replaced James Noone, "88". Note It looks like he replaced James Noone in 1888 and then moved in 1890 or 1891 to the former house of Michael Murphy.
4. The widow Varley is listed, "85"
5. John Linskey was crossed out, "88".
6. Michael Rielly replaced Thomas Reilly in 1884.
7. Martin Barrett replaced Thomas Barrett in 1883.
8. Patrick Murphy (son of Denis) replaced Denis Murphy (son of Walter) in 1897.

There were only 16 houses listed:

1. The house once occupied by John Costello must have remained vacant until after 1897.
2. The house that Patrick Noone occupied in 1888 to 1890 or 1891 must have remained vacant until after 1897.

The taxes and the landlords remained the same.

Thomas Bryne was still paying 10 shillings tax on the house and 5 pounds, 13 shillings on his share of the 64 acres.

Changes between 1897 and the 1901 Census

There were 16 heads of household listed in 1896 and 17 in 1901.

Nine heads of households were the same between 1897 and 1901: Michael Henehan, Michael Conroy, James Naughton, Martin Burke, Thomas Byrne, Patrick Noone, Thomas Fitzgerald, Patrick Murphy, and Denis Murphy.

There were 4 changes where the house remained in the same family:

1. The widow Varley married Thomas Biggins and was listed under his name in 1901.
2. John Varley was replaced by James Varley (Varilly).
3. The Barret household changed from Martin to Bridget, widow, age 50.
4. The Reilly household changed from Michael to Margaret, widow, age 50

There were four new heads of household between 1897 and 1901 where it cannot be determined which house they occupied.

1. Peter Byrne
2. Walter Murphy and his family
3. Michael Fitzgerald and his family
4. William Fitzgerald and his family

1. That of Martin O'Hare, who was in the last Griffith, but not in the 1901 census
2. The house vacated by John Costello in 1871
3. The house vacated by Patrick Noone in 1890 or 1891
4. The house listed under William Fitzgerald in the last Griffith. One of the three Fitzgerald was surely in this house, but it cannot be determined in the scope of this survey which one.

Houses That Were In The Same Family From 1856/57 to 1911

There were nine households in Mochara in 1856: Nappy Byrne, Michael Murphy, James Noone, Daniel Fallon, Martin Mulrooney, John Varley, Patrick Fitzgerald, John Fitzgerald, and John Murphy.

The size of the townland increased to 14 houses in 1857. New names in the townland were: Burke, Reilly and Barrett.

In 1911 (54/55 years later) the following families still in the townland: Byrne, Noone, Fitzgeralds, Varley, Murphys, Burke, Reilly and Barrett. Only two of the original names were gone, Fallon and Mulrooney. Note: Michael Conroy moved into the Mulrooney house in 1869 and the Conroys were still listed in 1911.

Basically the fabric of this townland was unchanged over 54 or 55 years. As the 1901 and 1911 census show, the few changes of name probably reflected the marriage of a female. In other words, no one moved to Mochara without already being connected to the original population in some way.

Where Did All The Children Go?

Studies show that in Ireland:

1. One child (male or female) married and inherited the farm
2. Another one or two children remaind as celibate adults
3. The rest, who were not among the small number who either died or married in another community, emigrated

Mochara was a microcosm of these trends.

The number of houses in the townland was more or less the same from 1865 to 1911 (46 years). As indicated by the censuses the families in Mochara were quite large. It is not possible in the scope of this survey to determine how many children were born in Mochara from 1865 to 1911 who lived to adulthood. The censuses show that the population remained static for 10 years and that at least 19 young adults were no longer in the community at the end of the 10 year period. If it is assumed (since every thing else in the townland did not change over time) that 19 is an average number of emigrations, marriages into another community, or deaths of young adults in the townland over ten years, this could represent an outflow of somewhere in the neighborhood of 85 young adults from the townland in 46 years.

It is an established fact that emigration from the west of Ireland was extremely high. It would be interesting to known how many people from the townland of Mochara ended up in New York City?