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The Colcloughs are descended from a very ancient and noble family of Staffordshire, England and Anthony Colclough, an officer in the Army of Henry VIII came to Ireland around 1540. He was an able soldier and saw action in many parts of Ireland and for his loyalty he was granted the estate lands and manor of Tintern in Co Wexford around 1565. He married and had twelve children and on his death in 1584 the estate passed to his son Thomas, who had fifteen children and two wives – his first wife died in 1609. With such large families the estate of Tintern was to remain in Colclough hands until 1963 when the last resident of Tintern, Lucy Marie Biddulph Colclough presented the historic edifice and ancestral house of Tintern Abbey to the Irish nation. This ended an unbroken connection between the family and Tintern Abbey going back 450 years. The estate was vested in the Board of Works in 1963 and restoration work on the Abbey commenced in 1981. Lucy Marie died in 1983.
It is fairly certain that we “Colcloughs” are a branch of the Tintern Colclough tree, however, in my research, I could find no precise connection. There were many large and extended families through the different generations and their history is well documented but only the inheritors of property, wealth and influence are detailed in the family tree so it is most likely that our branch fell from the tree some time along the way. Our earliest known ancestor, Henry Colclough was born in Co Wicklow, the precise location of his birth is not known.
The Tintern Colcloughs had large tracts of land in North Wexford, Carlow and South Wicklow so it is most likely he was c onnected with the Colcloughs of the Duffry in North Wexford. It is also possible that the father or grandfather of Henry Colclough was attracted to Co Wicklow because of the employment associated with the mining industry in that county dating back to the 18th Century.
The earliest official records for Co Wicklow vary from parish to parish. The earliest parish records go back as far as 1747 for the parish of Wicklow and the records of other parishes did not commence until as late as 1864. A county-wide search for the baptismal record of our ancestor Henry Colclough in both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland records failed to bear any fruit. I did find a baptismal record for a Henry Colclough dated 1835 with parents Thomas and Mary and also for a John Colclough, son of James and Rose, dated 1838. Both baptisms were listed in the register of the Roman Catholic parish of Clonegal located in South West Wicklow.
The Applotment Survey of 1824 shows a Thomas Colclough with a small property in the townsland of Ballinvally in the parish of Clonegal and this is most likely the same Thomas Colclough who had a son Henry born to himself and his wife Mary in 1835.
Taking into consideration the Christian names of the parents and children, it is my belief that our ancestor Henry Colclough was most likely born in that area of Co Wicklow but the parish records for the area only survive from 1833 so that is most likely the reason I could not find a record of the baptism of Henry, who was born around 1812. I would also hazard a guess that the names mentioned above, Thomas and James, were Henry’s brothers.
While we know from official records that our earliest known ancestor, Henry Colclough, was born in Co. Wicklow, it is unfortunate I could not establish for certain in which part. I could only make an educated guess that he was born in the parish of Clonegal on the Carlow / Wicklow border around 1812. He joined the RIC on 22nd February 1833 at the age of 21 years. His occupation on joining the RIC was recorded as farmer and his county of birth Wicklow but in accordance with the administrative procedures at the time no specific address was provided. His RIC training was conducted in Daingean, Co Offaly, which was one of four such training centres in the country at that time. It is most likely that he met his future wife while in training in Daingean. She was an Elizabeth Glennon of Fahey, Rhode, Edenderry which is only a short distance from the village of Daingean. He married Elizabeth in 1835 and the marriage is registered in the Edenderry RC records. It is most likely that Henry spent the first few years of his RIC service in the Rhode, Edenderry area as their first two children, Henrietta and John, were baptised in Rhode and Edenderry respectively. Henry was promoted to Constable (Sgt.) in 1841 and it is most likely that this is when he was moved to Togher, Doon and as was the custom at the time he would have moved to live with his family in the RIC barracks. His son Thomas was born in 1842 and was baptised in Ballinahowen church and this supports the assumption that he moved to Doon in 1841. He retired from the RIC on 1st July 1855 with a pension of £28 per annum. It is likely that he secured the house and farm at Togher before he retired from the RIC in 1855.
Griffiths Valuation of Ireland, which was published between 1847 and 1864, gives the names and occupiers of lands and buildings and the amount and value of the property held. Henry Colclough is recorded in this survey as being the holder of the land and buildings at Togher, Doon.
Henry died on 26th September 1874 and is buried in Clonmacnoise. His headstone records his age at the time of his death as being 72 years, which would indicate that he was born in 1802. However, this is at variance with the official RIC record, which gave his age on joining the RIC in February 1833 as 21 years – this would infer that his year of birth was 1812. We must presume that the official RIC record is the correct one. His wife Elizabeth died on 16th March 1882 at the age of 71 years and she is also buried in Clonmacnoise. Henry and Elizabeth had a family of two sons; Thomas and John, and six daughters; Henrietta, Elizabeth, Margaret, Mary Ann, Louise and Theresa.
Henrietta was born in 1836 and married Philip Mellon in 1865 and lived in Mullagh, Co Cavan.
Margaret was born in 1845 and married a Hanamy from Corr Hill, Ferbane.
Mary Ann married James Campbell of Cloneyegan, Moate, Co Westmeath in 1869.
Theresa married Michael O’Rourke of Corr Hill, Ferbane in 1873.
Elizabeth was born in 1843. She was mentally handicapped, never married and lived with her brother Thomas in Togher until her death in the early 1900s. Louise was born in 1857 and married Martin Coughlan of Clonbonny, Athlone. They had no family.
John, the eldest son was born in 1837 and died at a young age. Thomas was born in 1842. He inherited the house and farm at Togher. He married Bridget Kinahan of The Island, Ballycumber, Co. Offaly in 1879. Bridget died in 1900 aged 48 years. Thomas died in 1922, aged 80 years. Both are buried in Clonmacnoise. Thomas and Bridget had a family of 5 sons; Henry, John, Tom, Michael and Patrick and their three daughters, Mary Ann, Elizabeth and Margaret.
Henry was born in 1880, married and lived in Kiltoom, Athlone, Co Westmeath and had 11 children.
Tom was born in 1893 and died in 1899 aged 6 years. Patrick was born in 1897, never married and died 1926 aged 29 years. He had made arrangements to emigrate to the United States and his passport for the trip arrived at his home on the day he died.
Mary Ann was born in 1888, married Martin Mannion of Bloomhill, Ballinahowen, Athlone and had one daughter. The family moved from Bloomhill to Athlone in the early 60s.
Margaret was born in 1890 and married Tom Ryan of Doon, Ballinahowen and had 11 children. Her son Joe and family still reside in the family home at Doon.
John was born in 1883 and lived all his life at Togher. When his father Thomas died in 1922 he inherited the house and farm. He married Margaret Scott and had one daughter, Bridget. Bridget died in 1936 aged 10 years. Margaret died in 1958 and John died in 1960. On John’s death, the house and farm passed to his nephew, Pat Colclough (my brother) of Clonbonny, Athlone and the Colclough name was maintained at Togher.
Michael, my father, was born in 1885 and attended the local national school in Rashna and moved to live with his aunt Louise and uncle-in-law, Martin Coughlan in Clonbonny, Athlone in 1900. Martin and Louise had no family. When Martin Coughlan died, his wife Louise inherited the house and land and on her death circa 1914, Michael inherited the house and farm. Michael married a near neighbour, Annie Byrne circa 1915, Annie died in childbirth as did their baby the following year and are buried in Corramagh cemetery, Athlone. Michael married again, in 1920, to Mary Costelloe, of Kilgarvan, Glebe, Ballinahowen, Athlone and had a family of seven sons, Tom, John, Mikeen, Pat, Larry, Bernie and Frank and four daughters, Mary, Kitty, Bridie and Pauline. Michael died in 1963 and his wife Mary died in 1983 and both are buried in Corramagh cemetery, Athlone.
Tom was born in 1921, joined the Defence Forces and attained the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In 1948 he married Maureen Norton of the Strand, Athlone and had one son, Michael and three daughters, Mary, Anne and Angela. Maureen died in 1972, Tom married again, in 1976, to Maureen Hanley and lived in Mount Merrion until his death in 1993. He is buried in Deansgrange cemetery in Dublin.
John was born in 1922. He went into business with John Reid and DE Williams in Athlone and subsequently in Birr, Co Offaly. He married Frances Fogarty of Golden, Co Tipperary in 1955 and had three sons, Michael, Sean and Brendan and lives in Birr.
Pat was born in 1927. He worked in the motor business with Gills of Athlone and subsequently went to live with his uncle John in Doon. He inherited the house and farm on John’s death in 1960. In 1963, he married Maura Concannon of Esker, Ballinahowen and had two sons, Gerard and Patrick and one daughter, Sinead.
Larry was born in 1932. He trained as a carpenter and worked in Athlone and in Dublin. In the 1970s he established his own building firm and carried on his business in the Dublin area. In 1970 he married Della Rabbitte of Ballymore, Co Westmeath and had one son, Lorcan and one daughter, Mary. Della died in 1990 and Larry died in 1997. Lorcan resides in the family home in Terenure, Dublin.
Bernie was born in 1934. He joined the firm of DE Williams on leaving school and worked in Athlone and Moate. He moved to Roscrea in the early 1960s and established his own business. He married Ann Lee of Killeigh, Co. Offaly and had one daughter, Louise and two sons, Brian and Niall. He lives in Roscrea and Brian has joined him in the business.
Frank was born in 1938. He joined the Defence Forces in 1958 and was commissioned in 1960. He served in various appointments and locations both at home and abroad and rose to the rank of Brigadier General. He retired in 1999 and lives in Kilkenny. In 1966, he married Veronica Mahon of Banagher, Co Offaly and had one daughter, Martina and two sons, Brian and Frank.
Mikeen was born in 1925, he lived all his life in Clonbonny and worked the farm with his father. On the death of his father in 1963, he inherited the farm and house and lived with his mother until her death in 1983. He remained single and died in 2003. On his death his farm and house passed to Gerard Colclough, his nephew, of Doon, Ballinahowen.
Mary was born in 1923 and lived in Clonbonny until her marriage to Johny Byrne, a neighbour, in 1951 and had a family of six sons, Bernie, Sean, Michael, Pat, Liam and Frank and one daughter, Maura.
Kitty was born in 1928. On completion of her education at the Bower Convent in Athlone, she moved to work in Dublin. In 1954, she married Jack Boyle of Dublin, they had no family. Jack died in 1972. Kitty remarried in 1975 to Hugh Doran of Dublin and lives in Killiney, Co Dublin.
Bridie was born in 1930. She attended the Bower Convent in Athlone and subsequently moved to work in Dublin. In 1956, she married Jimmy Walsh of Dublin and had a family of one daughter, Marie and three sons, Patrick, James and Joseph. Jimmy died in 1983 and Bridie died in 1992. Marie, their daughter lives in the family home in Clonskeagh, Dublin.
Pauline was born in 1936. She was educated in Clonbonny National School and the Vocational School in Athlone. She worked in Dublin, Cork and Galway. In 1965, she married Paddy Joyce of Belville, Athenry, Co Galway and had a family of three sons, Sean, Pat and Denis and one daughter, Valerie. Paddy died in 1985 and Pauline died in 2000. Their son Sean lives in the family home in Belville and carries on a farming and joinery business.
The Colclough family name is still retained in the two ancestral homes of Togher and Clonbonny - in the case of Togher, since circa 1855 and in Clonbonny, since 1900. With two young Colclough men in-situ in both locations, hopefully we will see the Colcloughs continue in occupation for many generations to come.