TOWNLANDS OF NEWTOWNHAMILTON

Ballynarea is a townland of 386 statute acres and 33 perches about four miles west of Cullyhanna. It is bounded on the north Altnamackan, on the east by Skeriff Tichburn and Kiltybane, on the south by Mullaghduff and on the west by Muckno Parish in County Monaghan. In the Tithe Applotment Books of 1825 the total area is shown as 205acres, 1 rood and 30 perches (Plantation Irish Measure)

Name of townland

Baile na Ri, "The townland of the kings", but more likely Baile na Ath Raibhaige "The shallow ford", because the early English form was Ballynerewe⁽¹⁾.

Valuation

Although the decimalisation of the currency was introduced only in 1971, all of the valuations in the following table have been converted from £sd for convenience.

Year	1837	1851	1864	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	1926	1935	1952	1957	1974
Valuation	£200.75	£255.00	£330.00	£330.50	£307.00	£302.75	£303.00	£300.30	£298.05	£309.80	£308.80	£321.55	£380.70

The 1837 Townland Valuation recorded only houses worth £5 or more a year. There were two such properties -

• David Blackwood; and
• Hugh Garmoney

Griffiths Valuation records the owner of the land (for the most part) as John Douglas and Mrs Henry.

Census of Ireland 1901

The Census enumerated 88 people in 16 households; a ratio of 5.5 people per household. The households occupied a total of 61 rooms; a ratio of 3.8 rooms per household and 1.4 people per room. One of the households had 9 rooms, one had 7 rooms, one had 6 rooms, one had 5 rooms, three had 4 rooms, four had 3 rooms, and five had 2 rooms. Nine of the houses were thatched.

Native Irish Speakers

One of the households contained four native Irish speakers. All had been born in Co. Armagh. They were -

• Philip Caraher, farmer, 63
• Mary Caraher, wife of Philip, 61
• Margaret Fegan, domestic servant, 21; and
• Bernard Caraher, farm servant, 23

Population Decline

The following table sets out the number of houses and population enumerated in the townland in each of the 11 Censuses held between 1841 and 1951.

In the period of 110 years, the number of households dropped by 72.7% and the population by 74%.

Names of House and land Holders ⁽²⁾

The following table sets out the names of those who owned or rented houses and land in the townland at the time the official valuation record or population census was compiled.