Townland name confusion in County Galway

The entry for Derryglassaun, Moylough civil parish, Co. Galway  on the placename database includes a number of variations (see scanned records) - these include Derryglassan, Tereglassan, Derrelassane etc. The placename is an anglicization of the name in Irish 'Doire an Ghlasáin', so could end up several different ways in English.

Civil records did not usually reference civil parishes - generally townland or town along registration district, sub-district and county. The Mountbellew records you mentioned would likely have taken place somewhere within the civil registration district of Mountbellew, which included the registration sub-districts of Clonbrack and Killeroran. I had a quick look though the townlands listed for Mountbellew and it's subdistricts so check for Grallagh and/or Ballagh - closest match I see is a townland named Gallagh in Killosolan civil parish, nothing for Ballagh, but plenty of places that start with Ballina/Bally etc.. If you have some example certs for Grallagh/Ballagh I can check further...

I have included two marriage clips, both taking place at the the RC church in Menlough, in the Mountbellew district. One Laheen bride is from Ballagh, and another Laheen bride is from Grallagh. i have found Ballagh just outside of Killascobe. The only Grallagh townlands I can find are nowhere near Mountbellew, Menlough, Derrylissane, or Killascobe.

Thanks, in advance, for your help in this.

Ballagh and Grallagh are not the same!

I found, in the Civil Records, a marriage between Patrick Scanlon and Bridget Laheen, in Menlough, on 4 March 1895. Patrick is from Ballagh, and, Bridget is from Grallagh.

Well, back to square one, trying to find these two tounlands in Mountbellew district.

I think you should be concentrating on the Catholic parish, rather than the civil registration district - the parish covered a much smaller area. Since these are marriage records the useful sub-district information I mentioned above does not apply. Both placename references mentioned are associated with the bride's address, and marriages generally took place in her parish - the church/parish appears to be Menlough/Menla/Killascobe or 'Union of Aghiart' or 'Mount Bellow/Mountbellew', and this is confirmed in the Ecclesiatical Directories which show the priest shown on both records, Joseph Judge, as parish priest in this parish during the 1890s. The Menla/Menlough name derives from the name of the townland where a Catholic church was located.

Killascobe/Menlough Catholic Parish covered three civil parishes - Ballinakill (Killian), Killoscobe and parts of Moylough. As you have seen there are a number of townlands in these parishes that start with Ballina/Bally etc that could related to Ballagh -  it could also be a local place name or house/estate rather than the name of an official townland, similar situation could apply to Grallagh.

The grooms address for the 1890 marriage of Hampstead is in Ballymacward civil parish, name of the associated Catholic parish is also Ballymacward and it located immediatley south of Menlough/Killascobe. The residence of the groom on the 1896 marriage appears to be 'Derrylissane', which I think is probably a mistake as there's a good match for the couple on the 1901 townland at Derryglassaun townland, which is in Moylough civil parish, one of the parishes covered by Menlough/Killascobe Catholic parish.

I spotted a place named Grallagh on my own parish map for the Catholic Parish of 'Ballymacward and Gurteen' see attached map image - theoretically in the adjacent parish - maybe her birth parish was Menlough/Killascobe where she married but at the time of marriage she was living in the adjacent parish of Ballymacward ?

I traced this Grallagh location on the historic maps, I have not found any sign of Grallagh marked as a village or local name on either the 1st ed. OSI or the later c1890 map, but based on comparison on the maps it would appear to have been somewhere in Greenhills townland or the adjacent townland of Carrowholla, both of which are in Ballymacward civil parish.

I was reading the thread--Ballagh Menlough is Ballaghnagrosheen. My grandmother was born there in 1902.  It seems it became known by the people living there as Ballagh.  My grandmother used both names. 

Thanks for everyones help. I had suspected that Ballagh and Ballaghnagrosheen might be the same. It is good to have first-hand confirmation. I have changed the entries in my spreadsheet to show the name used in the civil records, and have the alternate name in parenthesis.

I have been using the Civil Records because they are so much easier to search. But, I see I must expand into RC records, and concentrate on Ballymacward and Gurteen, and Menlough/Killascobe.

Hello

Are you looking for the Laheens? I am connected with the Laheens of Ballagh and more distantly with those from Grallagh.  I was quite confused when I began the search of Laheen. My grandmother from Ballagh Delia Ruane Carr was the daughter of Timothy and Mary Hansberry Ruane. Timothy's mother was Mary Laheen.  I am still trying to confirm the exact location of her birth.  I believe it may be Derrylissane or Derryglaussan (which are the same townland). It appears the family was in Ballagh at some point and moved to Derrylissane. I have connected with descendants of Laheens from Ballagh via DNA.  There is an extensive tree on line for the Laheens of Grallagh.

My grandmother, Mary Margaret Laheen, was born in Ballaghnagrosheen around 1901. She ended up moving to England where she worked as nurse in a mental hospital. Unfortunately, she passed away young - in 1958. 

The only records I can find matching her details are a 1911 census household in Ballaghnagrosheen where the head of the family was Thadeus Laheen.  Mary at age 12 is listed as speaking "Irish & English". 

Is it possible anyone else can assist me in finding out more details about her life and family?