placenamesLongford
An Longfort
Nineteenth-century census and sale records reveal changes within the rural barony, distinct from the county and town of Longford.
The name
A reliable full-name meaning has not been established here. The recorded Irish and English forms are given without an unsupported translation.
Recorded forms
- An Longfort · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Longford · English · main form
Place & story
A shrinking population in rural townlands
The 1851 census tables place Clonguish parish within Longford barony and allow comparisons with 1841. Ballagh’s recorded population fell from 273 to 171 over that decade, while nearby Corry declined from 260 to 139. These are figures for individual townlands within the barony, rather than for Longford town or the whole county. They make the scale of local demographic change visible. [2]
Land offered for sale
Estate sales provide another view of the district. The University of Galway records John Thompson’s offer of more than 500 acres at Esker, in Longford barony, through the Landed Estates Court in 1864. A further sale in 1871 covered property across both Longford and Granard baronies. The estate’s transactions crossed administrative boundaries, while individual rentals identified the lands concerned. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Longford. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Census of Ireland1851,CountyLongford,Barony of Longford,Clongesh parish table · Census Commissioners; reproduced by Central Statistics Office
- Thompson,Clonfin: estate4328 · University of Galway, Landed Estates Database
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2025-01-10. How this page was prepared.