This week our townland of choice is Ballynamoyntragh which is usually spelt Ballinamintra which is the name of another townland in Cappagh, near Dungarvan.
Ballynamoyntragh is in the Electoral Division of Kilmacleague, in Civil Parish of Kilmacleague, in the Barony of Gaultiere, in the County of Waterford.
The Irish name for Ballynamoyntragh is Baile na mBaintreach and in English that means “Town of the Widows"
Area
Ballynamoyntragh has an area of:
• 2,849,142 m² / 284.91 hectares / 2.8491 km²
• 1.10 square miles
• 704.04 acres / 704 acres, 0 roods, 6 perches
Borders
Ballynamoyntragh borders the following other townlands:
• Ballinvella (Gaultier) to the north
• Ballyloughbeg (Gaultier) to the north
• Corbally Beg (Gaultier) to the west
• Kilmacleague East (Gaultier) to the west
• Kilmacomb (Gaultier) to the east
• Leperstown (Gaultier) to the south
Subtownlands
Ballynamoyntragh has one subtownland and its name is a Irish name “Ceathramhadh Garbh” (pronounced Carhoo Gorriv). The English translation of “Ceathramhadh Garbh” is Stoney Quarter.
In 1894 Gaultier Creamery was founded and it was the first Co-Op in Co. Waterford. The site in Ballynamoyntragh for the creamery was provided by Hon. D. Fortescue of Summerville House in Corballymore. The creamery Board secured a 99 year lease for the site.
In the 1901 census there were 63 inhabitants in 11 households in Ballynamoyntragh. Of the heads of the households, 8 were farmers, one was a farm servant, one was a farm labourer and a James Walshe from Cashel was the Manager of Gaultier creamery. James Walshe was a widower and by 1901 he had one son who was twelve. James Walshe was Gaultier’s creamery manager for 5 years, from 1896 to 1901.
In the 1911 census there were 65 inhabitants in 12 households in Ballynamoyntragh. Of the heads of the households 7 were farmers, 1 was a handyman, 1 was an Engine Driver in the creamery, 2 were labourers and Pat Ahern of Limerick was the creamery manager since 1902. Pat Ahern married Julie Maher the creamery dairymaid in 1910 and he remained the Gaultier manager for another 30 years.
Matthew Butler, that great Gaultier Historian tells us in his column in the Waterford News in 1947 that there were 11 households in Ballynamoyntragh at that time. He also states that a 100 years before, in 1848 there were 32 households in Ballynamoyntragh. One of the householders was James Quinn, who also had a corn mill, a kiln and 24 acres of land. The corn mill was about 100 yards north of the present creamery. The corn mill was worked by water power.
