Analysis – Connaught Cluster
Aghamore Subcluster
Below are the locations of all the Freeman lines that were in Aghamore Parish in the Griffith Valuation, which took place in 1856 for Mayo County. Of these some have been proved to be closely related and others likely.
Townland Map of part of Aghamore Parish showing Freeman locations
The table shows the likely list of Freemans in this subcluster:
| Townland | Parish | County | Individuals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballinacostello | Aghamore | Mayo | 2 | Proven |
| Cartron North | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | Proven |
| Agahatarn | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | Proven |
| Corracogill South | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Proven |
| Meeltran | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | Probably |
| Lismeegaun | Aghamore | Mayo | 3 | Likely |
| Cappagh | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | Likely |
| Falleighter | Aghamore | Mayo | 2 | Likely |
| Derrycashel | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | (Proven) |
The Meeltran Freeman, named Timothy (Thady) had a nephew Michael who was listed as living in Ballinacostello at the time his marriage to a Catherine Judge in 1877. He is also a witness in a court case involving the 2 Ballinacostello Freemans, William & James, who appeared to have an acrimonious relationship. Because of this seemingly close familial connection he is listed as a probable member of this subcluster.
Autosomal and a low-level Y DNA test suggests that the Derrycashel Freeman line is a member of this subcluster although family lore states that the Freemans of Barnahesker and Derrycashel are related this is likely through a connection on the maternal line.
Given the location of Laughlin Freemans grave stone adjacent to the Ballinacostello Freemans, it is probable that he was a direct ancestor of the Aghamore Subcluster. The Subclusters Earliest Common Ancestor was born approximately 1719AD and given that Laughlin Freeman was born1699, this strongly suggests he is that person.
Tibohine Subcluster
This subcluster includes a group of adjacent and near adjacent townlands in the northern part of Tibohine Parish as shown below.
Townland Map of part of Tibohine Civil Parish showing Freeman/Seery locations
| Townland | Parish | County | Individuals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Currasghsallagh | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Likely |
| Lissdaly | Tibohine | Roscommon | 2 | Likely |
| Creevy | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Proven |
| Kiltybranks | Tibohine | Roscommon | 2 | Likely |
| Aghadiffen | Kilmovee | Mayo | 1 | Likely |
| Ballaghadereen | Kilcolman | Mayo | 1 | Likely |
Only 1 line has been traced and tested so far and his result shows that this is the earliest branch of the Seery/Freeman family in the area and predates the Aghamore subcluster and probably indicates the area of first settlement.
Castlerea Subcluster
This subcluster is located to the South of Tibohine and seems to use some unusual Christian names such as Nicholas and Daniel. I have included Kilrodden in this list as a Freeman family settled there shortly after the Griffith valuation was taken and they appear subsequently on the 1901 census. The Knockroe, Kilkeevin tester has only tested at a lower level but is highly likely connected to this subcluster.
| Townland | Parish | County | Individuals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloonbunny | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Proven |
| Ballyglass East | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Likely |
| Aghalour | Tibohine | Roscommon | 1 | Likely |
| Clooncraffield | Kilkeevin | Roscommon | 2 | Likely |
| Knockroe | Kilkeevin | Roscommon | 1 | (Proven) |
| Kilrodden | Tibohine | Roscommon | See note | Likely |
| Carns | Kilmctigue | Sligo | 1 | Proven |
| Coolrecuill | Kilmctigue | Sligo | 1 | Probably |
| Toorlestraun | Kilmctigue | Sligo | 1 | Probably |
The Castlerea Subcluster has a completely different haplogroup (branch on the Y DNA Tree) than the other Freemans. This may be for the following reasons.
- This is a completely different Freeman/Seery family with their origins in a different place. The broader haplogroup M-222 that they belong to is associated with the North Western corner of Ireland. There is a significant cluster of Seerys in County Fermanagh so perhaps these are Northern Seerys moving South.
- They are Seerys from Westmeath, descendants of the original Tibohine settler but a Non-Paternity Event (NPE) occurred that switched the male Y DNA line. This could be as a result of an illegitimate Freeman birth, with the male child never taking the fathers surname or an adoption of children of a earlier marriage who became Freemans on the mothers subsequent marriage.
Surprisingly, the tester from Carns, Sligo matched this subcluster sharing a common ancestor with the Cloonbunny tester around 1630. This family uses the Christian name Bartholmew exclusively in the area along with the Toorlestraun and Coolrecuill families so I have linked them to this subcluster on the strength of this and their close proximity (see Sligo map below).
Presently there are matches in this line to O’Donnells of Mayo but whether the Freemans had a NPE O’Donnell line or the O’Donnells had a NPE Freeman line needs much more testing to discover. Given the size and closeness to the other subclusters and their tight spread it is highly plausible that they are related to the main Freeman-Seery line.
Sligo Subcluster
This may not be an individual subcluster but merely the extremities of one of the other subclusters. It is more diffuse than the other subclusters, spreading over several Parishes.
The Sligo Freeman/Seerys
| Map No. | Townland | Parish |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carns | Kilmctigue |
| 2 | Coolrecuill | Kilmctigue |
| 3 | Toorlestraun | Kilmctigue |
| 4 | Kilcummin | Achonry |
| 5 | Carrownacreevy | Achonry |
| 6 | Quarryfield | Cloonoghill |
| 7 | Mountirvine | Kilfree |
| 8 | Carrigans Upper | Emlaghfad |
| 9 | Tullycusheen Beg | Emlaghfad |
The Freemans of Carrigans Upper have been added as they appear on the 1901 census but not in the earlier Griffith Valuation. They have been tested and found to be a completely different Y haplogroup to the Connaught Freemans (Aghamore, Tibohine or Castlerea). Again, this could be from a differing NPE event or they have a different origin. Family lore places their origins in Co Longford. The above map shows the diffuse nature of this subcluster. Note that numbers 1-3 are proven or likely to be members of the Castlerea Subcluster mentioned earlier.
| Townload | Parish | County | Individuals | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kilcummin | Achonry | Sligo | 1 | Likely |
| Carrownacreevy | Achonry | Sligo | 1 | Likely |
| Mountirvine | Kilfree | Sligo | 1 | Likely |
| Tullycusheen Beg | Achonry | Sligo | 1 | Likely |
| Barnahesker | Aghamore | Mayo | 1 | Likely |
The Freemans of Barnahesker could possibly be a member of this subcluster as there is strong atDNA evidence that the mother of the earliest Barnahesker Freeman, Patrick Freeman (1819-1887) was a Durkin from Ballincurry, Aclare (marked with an orange triangle on the map above). This is located close by all the other Sligo subcluster Freemans so possibly their line could have been living in the Sligo area before moving to Aghamore.
Continue reading: Analysis – Westmeath Cluster