Measuring the Distances

 

One word of advice I've always appreciated receiving about researching Irish ancestors was to cross-check any possible marriage records with the distance between the townlands where the bride and groom were said to have lived. The question to consider would be to determine how the couple met. Given the typical modes of transportation in rural Ireland in the mid-1800s, if young people were to get out and meet each other, it would most likely have to be by foot.

Thus, the question becomes, how far a walk is that? The advice I learned was: no greater distance than the round trip which can be accomplished in one day. 

The most likely scenario for such travel would be a trip to market, whether to buy or to sell. Even if the potential couple were to meet up at market from homes in entirely opposite directions, each would still need to return home at the end of the day.

With the challenges of knowing just where all those tiny townlands are in Ireland, I accidentally discovered that Google Maps shows specific townlands in response to a user's inquiry. Having learned that, I simply set the app to get directions between two townlands, then indicate the mode of transportation I prefer to measure. In this case, of course, it would be transportation by foot; no trolley car rides for these inquiries.

Thus, if I found a couple with my ancestors' names, but living in a different townland than where I had last found them, this extra bit of information could help me determine whether I had found the right people, or simply stumbled upon name twins who would lead me astray.

As I go through records for possible Cullinane relatives descended from Gobnait (or "Debora") Falvey, I've been constantly popping back to check distances on Google Maps. Even when considering if the couple had moved from one location to another, it helps to see the distances measured. Townlands, after all, are rather small sections of property, so moving from one to another may be within reason—but moving far enough away to entail an all-day hike leads me to doubt the familial connection.