Leamchoill – Loughwell 

Leamchoill – Loughwell  is a large farming, Gaeltacht,  townland in the, Taobh Garbh, side of  the Civil and Roman Catholic parish of Moycullen in County Galway.

It is in the Electoral Division of Furbogh and is spelled as Loughill/Loughil. Tá sé i gceantar Scoile Leamhchoill. It is bound north by Lealetter and Keagh, by Poulnaclogh and Killagoola to the east, by Finisklin, Knock, Knockalough to the west and Knockarasser to the south. The small townland of Leitir Fhraoigh is included in this townland.

It is 4.8km from Moycullen and 9.1km from Spiddal. The total area is c1164 acres, 1.82 square miles.  Nationwide, it is the 1778th largest townland that we know about. Within Co. Galway, it is the 169th largest townland, View Townlands.i.e.  Loughwell is part of the Moycullen bogs Natural Heritage Area.

Topography and Features

The greatest portion is a heathy wet pasture and moorish soils.

There are two hills called An Cnoc Garbh/Knockgarve and Cnoc Leamhchoille Beag.  Logainm shows one lake called Loch Doirín Darach/Lough Derreendarra, but there is a Loch Dubh, and it borders  Loch Kip.  There is a river called Abhainn Leamhchoille/Laughil Stream, and a stream named Sruffaunbeg and a stream in Leitir Fhraoigh  named  Glais na Síobóige. The bridge between the townland and Keagh called  Droichead Leamhchoille/Laughil Bridge, is one of Maigh Cuilinn’s nine protected structures.

View- Logainm.ie

The Origin of the Townland name 

There are various spellings of the townland in official documents. To help with research I will show the name used in the source of information.  O’Donovan’s field name books show Laughil as the standard name and Leamh-Choill as the Irish form. The modern name is Loughwell and Leamhchoill in Irish when means Elm-wood, which gives an idea that at some time elm trees were in abundance in this place. Tagann an t-ainm as coill de chrainnte leamhain. Is cosúil, mar sin, gur fhás leamhain anseo tráth.  See appendices 1-3. View- O’Donovan field Names and Appendix from Logainm.ie.

Places of Cultural/Historical Interest

Two National Schools were built in Loughwell over the years. The first school was built in 1872, and the more recent school was built in 1958 and served the children of the area for twenty years before it was closed in 1978. The fact that many of the children spoke Irish fluently at this time must have been an advantage when the students joined Scoil Mhuire in the village of Moycullen. See separate history of Loughwell school on this site.

The bogs, of Loughwell are home to a range of flora and fauna, including several varieties of moss as well as insect-eating plants, lichen, Furze, and some Rhododendron.

Field and other local names:

None to hand

 Land ownership, tenants, and census records.

Down Survey 1656-1658 – Townland of LAUGHIL (Moycullen By)

Down Survey Name: Laughill & Leatry

The Down Survey was a cadastral survey of Ireland carried out by English scientist William Petty in 1655 and 1656. The survey was apparently called the “Down Survey” by Petty because the results were set down in maps; ‘admeasurement down’ was used; it is referred to by that name in Petty’s will.

The Down Survey 1641 (pre-Cromwell) states that the owner was O’Flaharty’s Heirs, Hugh (Catholic)

The Down Survey Map 1670 (post-Cromwell) states that ownership of the lands had changed and now belonged to Blake, Andrew (Protestant). There is no mention of land size.

Land Valuation Records- only available by visiting Valuation Office, Abbey St. Dublin)

Blake Census – The Blake Census was the work of Francis Xavier Blake, the Parish priest in Moycullen between 1792 and 1825. The data for this townland is included in ‘Mountain’ area records.

Tithe Applotment Books LAUGHIL 1823-38 – The first available national record of households is the Tithe Applotment Books. See summary of households below. The landlord was – P Lynch.

The Griffith Valuation Records (1847 – 64) – See summary of households below. The landlord was – Patrick Lynch.

Census 1841 to 1891– The only records available for ‘Laughil’the period between 1841 and 1891 are the total number of houses and population.

Summary of – Tithe Applotment, Griffith’s Valuation, 1901 and 1911 Census

Long-term families in Loughwell

It appears that of the original Tithe Applotment records, there are no Geraghty or Martin family names that can be traced to current times. The present-day families of Lydon, Kyne, Kelly and Walsh first appear in the Griffith Valuation records. It is likely the Lydon (Liddane) family were there during the Blake Census.

Story of Loughwell Households 

Information is to be added later.

People of Loughwell

The landholders of this townland leased their small holding from various landlords until 1903, when they got absolute ownership of their holdings. The traditional way of life existed from the famine years well into the 1960’s. Over this time rural life changed extraordinarily little.

Up until the 1980s they sowed potatoes, vegetables and corn and reared beef, pork, and poultry for the local markets. They made butter for sale and raised hens and sold the eggs.

Fair days for Loughwell farmers were held in Spiddal and in the Fair Green Galway for cattle, sheep and horses and a pig fair was held in the Fair Green, Moycullen.

Today, the farm family members combine off-farm work with part-time farming, including saving enough turf for their own needs.

Notable Loughwell People 

Tomás Ó’Raghallaigh (1883-1966) was born in Leitir Fhraoigh (more commonly called Loughwell) Maigh Cuilinn May in 1883.  See separate ‘Tomás Ó’Raghallaigh’ on this site.

Owen Kyne (1861) was a Relieving Officer.

Pastimes 

The locals fished for trout in the lakes in the area. They would visit each other’s houses in the evening and chat and play cards. The young lads played football on Sunday evenings.

End of report

Photo Album to be supplied

10 photos in Geograph  –  Search – Leamhchoill (Laughil) by Graham Horn

Lots of photographs in the green book p447

References 

• https://www.townlands.ie

• Google Maps Route Planner

• Place names of Galway Galwaylibrary.ie/place, O’Donovan’s field name books:

• www.logainm.ie The Placenames Database of Ireland was created in collaboration with The Placenames Branch (Department of Culture, Heritage, and the Gaeltacht)

• Maigh Cuilinn a Muintir – Cumann Staire Ruaidhrí Uí Fhlaitheartaigh

• Maigh Cuilinn a Táisc agus a Tuairisc – Pádraic Breathnach

• Blake Census – moycullen.galwaycommunityheritage.org

• Down Survey 1656-1658, – http://downsurvey.tcd.ie › down-survey-maps

• Tithe Applotment Books – http://titheapplotmentbooks.nationalarchives.ie › 

• http://www.askaboutireland.ie › griffith -valuation

• Land Valuations Records, Valuation Office, Abbey Street Dublin

• 1841-1891 Census figures www.histpop.org

1. 1. Census of Ireland 1901/1911 National Archives
   2. Prompt list – https://moycullen.galwaycommunityheritage.org 

• General information and Place Names, Walter McDonagh and John Kyne

WMcD 15/06/2025

Appendix 1 

Other Forms of the Name with authority source (if provided) in italics:

Laughil

Leamh-Choill

Louwhil High Constable for the Barony

de qr vocat Carrowe lowcholl Inquis. Temp. Eliz. I

Lawghwill Mr. Blake, Furbough

Lagheil Printed Townland List

Laghill Printed Townland List

Loughell or Letterie Quit Rent Ledger

Lawhill Quit Rent Ledger

Loughwhil Robt. Martin, Esq., Ross

Louwhil Sketch Map

Low Hill the Rev. E. French, P.P. Moycullen

Louwhil Thos. Martin, Esq., M.P.

Lougheil Tithe Applotment Book

Caption – courtesy of O’Donovan field Names

Appendix 2

Appendix 3

Caption: Images of archival records showing name variations- courtesy of: Logainm.ie