Peter Cleary
In the Tithe Appointment Books for the old Civil Parish of Kilfarboy (Miltown Malbay), dated 1825, the Clare Heritage and Genealogical Centre identified three Cleary holdings at Illaun :
- Thomas Cleary who was shown as holding 1.25 acres of first quality land, 2 acres of second quality land, 4 acres of third quality land and 3.5 acres of 4th quality land which brought his total holding to 10.75 acres.
- Peter Cleary who was shown as holding 4 acres of first quality land, 9.75 acres of second quality land, 4 acres of third quality land and 2 acres of 4th quality land which brought his total holding to 19.75 acres.
- John Cleary who was shown as holding 3 acres of first quality land, 3 acres of second quality land, 3 acres of third quality land and 3 acres of 4th quality land which brought his total holding to 12 acres.
Also see Clearys of Miltown Malbay.
Family tradition reports that Peter Cleary was father of Martin Cleary, b. 1821, who married Mary Griffy and they had ten children: Peter, b. 1843, Martin, Daniel (below) Mary, Biddy, Martin, Thomas, James, Catherine and Pat, b. 1867.
Martin's son James Cleary married Mary Glenny (probably from Illane, also) in Australia and they had three children: Martin, b. 1836, d. 1936, Francis, b. 1890, d. 1953, Thomas, b. 1891, d. 1951, James Matthew Cleary, b. 1893, Bessy Ellen Cleary, b. 1895, William Patrick Cleary, b. 1896, d. 1957, Daniel Joseph Cleary, b. 1900, Stephen John Cleary, b. 1902, d. 1947, Gertrude Mary Cleary, b. 1904, Catherine Agnes Cleary, b. 1906 and Josephine Ann Cleary, b. 1907, d.1998.
Another son, Daniel Cleary, b. 1847, married Mary Talty and they had eight children on the farm in Illane: Kate, b. 1884, Thomas, Mary, Susan, Bridget, Margaret, Ellen and John, b. 1900.
Another son, Thomas Cleary married Kate O'Connor and they had five children: Thomas (who married Biddy Daly - see Ennis Road listing in "Miltown Malbay Genealogy and Faith" - and they had two children: Paudi and Anne) Peter who married Bridie Cleary and they had seven children - see Ennistymon Road listing) Margaret and Mary (both nuns) and Paddy who remained a bachelor.
Thanks to Donal Garrihy for providing some of this information which had been told to him by his mother.
