The following documents are from newspapers of the last century. Please note that Glenamaddy was spelt "Glenamada" at the time and Boyounagh was spelt "Boyanagh".

"In the parish of Boyannagh the surface is boggy and where it is arable consists of a light marshy soil. The principal residences are Lakeview of O’Flyn, (Mountkelly), Clondoyle House of B. Kelly (Cloondoyle More) Ashfield House of I. Kelly and Kedagh Park (Cloonlara South). About eighteen hamlets principally a miserable knot of squalid huts are sprinkle athwart the surface. The Roman Catholic chapel is at Glanamaddy and has an attendance of I ,500-2,000. In the R.C. arrangement it is united to Templetogher. In 1834, the parishioners were with one exception Catholics. Four daily schools of which one has a grant of £10 p.a. from Lord Fitzgerald, have on their books 369 boys and 58 girls. In Templetogher there are three hedge schools having 194 boys and 58 girls in their books. Glanamada village is in the Western verge of the barony of Ballinastack. It stands on a miserable road between Dunmore and Athleague in the middle of a dismal region of bogs in as about as gloomy a collection of human habitations as imagination can suppose possible in a civilised country. A dispensary here is within the Poor Law Union of Castlerea and serves a district of 62,608 acres with a population of 19,530. In 1831, its expenditure amounted to £197, area of village 60 acres, population in 1841 was 446 and houses, 80.

Williamstown is a neat place and well built."

Note: Lord Fitzgerald was until his death in 1843, leaseholder of the Boyounagh Estate before McDonnell.

"The following lands come for sale through Edward Cane, Executor of the late William Vesey, Baron Fitzgerald, former lessee. The said lands called the 4 quarters of Boyounagh are leased from the See of Tuam and commonly called Cloonkeen, Meelick, Cashel, Cunningham Cillage, alias Boyounagh Beg, Gortaganny, Middletown alias Boyounagh More, Ballinphuill alias Ballmagig and Wsker O'Mulacain.

The yearly rental is £46-0.3, with Crown and Quit rent of £1-18.1, with a heriot charge of £3-13.10 on the death of the chief tenant. The lease is for 21 years. The Lord Bishop of Tuam Killala and Achonry and his Successors reserve the right to all manors, glebes, gorts, woods, mineral rights, quarries and royalties or anything of value found or to be found on the premises, with liberty for the said Lord Bishops etc. servants or workmen to enter the premises or part thereof, at all times and at any time. Also his Senechal or his Deputy may enter the premises as above and hold Courts Leet and Baron as by custome is usual."

Notes:

(a)    Heriot was the law that in feudal times when a warrior died his sword and accoutrements were surrendered by his successor to his feudal Lord. However, when feudal tenure was abolished in 1662, landlords sometimes demanded the tenants best beast or animal, while the local vicar demanded the second best as a mortuary. This was in later years simply a sum of money. £3-13.10 was in 1852 a very large sum of money compared with our present devalued £s.

(b)    The above estate was purchased by Martin McDonnell.

(Registry of Deeds under Boyounagh 1859)

BOYOUNAGH, a parish, partly in the carony of Tyaquin, but chiefly in that of Half-Ballymoe, county of Galway, and province of CONNACHT, 6 3/4 miles (E. by N.) from Dunmore; containing 4861 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Dunmore to Castlerea, and comprises 13,840 statute acres, a large extent of which is waste land and bog. Here are two oatmeal mills, and limestone is abundant. Springfield is the seat of W. McDermot, Esq.; Ashfield, I. Kelly, Esq.; Clondoyle, of B.Kelly. Esq.; and Lakeview, of I. O'Flyn, Esq. It is a vicarage, in the diocese of Tuam, and is part of the union of Kilkerrin; the rectory forms part of the union and corps of the deanery of Tuam: the tithes amount to £185, of which £120 is payable to the dean, and £65 to the incumbent. The church is in ruins, but the ground is still used for burials. In the R.C. divisions it is the head of a union or district, also called Glanamada, comprising the parishes of Boyanagh and Templetogher; there is a chapel in each, of which that Boyanagh is situated at Kelnalag. A school, in which about 80 boys and 10 girls are taught, is supported by Lord Fitzgerald; and there are three private pay schools, in which are about 180 boys and 50 girls

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