Mysteries and Clues: Allens and Sweeneys in Laracor Civil Parish- using Griffiths Valuation to find family connections

http://askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/

Griffiths Valuation lists families by civil parish and townland.
Using Google maps we can tell the distance and walking time between each of these Allen families.

Our ancestors, Richard Allen and Margaret Sweeney, lived in Laracor civil parish, Great Umberstown townland. Richard rented land from Charles P. Leslie. What other Allens and Sweeneys lived in Laracor civil parish? Might they have been related?

Richard Allen, Great Umberstown, renting 17 acres from Charles Leslie.
John Allen, Great Umberstown subletting a house and garden (no acreage to farm) from Richard Allen.

Who was John Allen, who survived with just a house and garden, on the farm of Richard Allen? Surely John was a relative of Richards. This may well be his elderly father or both of his parents. There is a John Allen in Umberstown in earlier records- in the 1828 Title Applotments. This John Allen paid a yearly tithe (generally 1/10th of the yearly production) for his 22 acre farm.

Neighbors in Great Umberstown- Ellen, Richard, James, Mary, Patrick Reilly, Patrick Flynn, Thomas Murrin, Michael Connolly, John Corcoran, William and Patrick Doran, Patrick Sweeney- we see these names as baptismal sponsors for the Allen children.

Other Allens in Laracor civil parish- see the blog for the map of all the families:

Dangan- Richard Allen's land bordered on those of Dangan.

James Allen, Dangan, renting 5 acres from Thomas Burrows
Peter Allen, Dangan, renting 3 acres from Thomas Burrows.

Ballinrig

James Allen, Ballinrig, renting 26 acres from Charles Leslie.
Rose Allen, Ballinrig, renting 10 acres from Charles Leslie.
(Neighbors Peter, James, Thomas Byrne, Michael Doran, Walter Rattigan, James Connolly)

Clondoogan

John Allen, Clondoogan, renting 21 acres from Richard Rowley
Edward Allen, Clondoogan, renting 11 acres from Richard Rowley

Stokestown

Anne Allen, Stokestown, renting 32 acres from Charles Leslie and subletting land to Jane Huntheon

The only Sweeny in Laracor Parish was Patrick Sweeny, a neighbor of Richard Allen in Great Umberstown. We can be fairly certain that Patrick and Margaret Sweeny were related. Patrick rented  two plots  of land from Charles Leslie; one 12 acres and one 8 acres.

The amount of acreage tells us a good deal about these families.  James and Peter Allen in Dangan had very little land to live on. Might they have worked for the Dangan Estate? The landlord, Thomas Burrows, had leased the estate to Roger O'Conner, an Irish nationalist, who hoped to host a conquering Napoleon there, but after a questionable fire, the  castle was just a ruin after 1841. It was said to be the hiding place of plunder, and a den of thieves!