Who Lived Here?
Townland Valuation Records 1828-1840 for the Townland of Ballyminimore (source: PRONI VAL/1B/171) show a Mr Walter Oakman as living on this property. The description given in the Valuation Records tells us that Darraghmore consisted of a house (72 feet long and 21 feet wide) and offices, stores, a potato house and a piggery on approximately 106 acres of land. Looking at the 1830s Ordnance Survey map (#59) you can see 4 separate dwellings on this land — Darraghmore to the east, at the end of a lane leading away from the main house towards Glenavy Village was a much smaller house and very close to this, heading towards Glenavy River was a larger dwelling and outhouse(s). Then, again towards Glenavy Village, a smaller dwelling again has been drawn onto the map.
The 1824-1834 Tithe Applotment Books list four Oakmans living in the Townland of Ballyminamore in 1826 — George, Walter, William and Widow Oakman — whether these were all on the property named Darraghmore is not yet known — perhaps they each lived in one of the above dwellings on the property.
By the time Walter's son, Nicholas, was farming this property it still covered an area of just over 106 acres. A smaller house and garden were being rented from Nicholas by Anne Stewart.
Walter Oakman (baptised at Glenavy Parish Church in 1776) and his wife, Christina (born c1777), had married at Glenavy Parish Church in Glenavy Village on 15 July 1803. Walter was a linen draper and farmer, his father is likely to have been Walter Oakman of Ballydonaghy Townland who died in 1828. Children of Walter and Christina incuded: Walter, Annie, Catherine, Eliza, Isabella, John, Christina, Nicholas and Mary Jane.
Following Walter's death in June 1836 and Christina's in September 1851, Nicholas, as the only surviving son, inherited the property. When he died in 1894 his neice, Christina HUME, inherited almost all of his wealth and property. The 1901 Census for the Glenavy area shows 66 year old James Arbuckle living there as a caretaker (with his wife Mary and children Maggie, Matilda and William), while John Glendinning and his sister Catherine Glendinning were living in one of the smaller properties down the lane.
In 1905 Darraghmore was transferred to a James Kennedy (whether he was related to Christina or the Oakman family is not yet known). James Kennedy died in May 1915 - his Will indicates all his property was granted to a John Kennedy, John Johnston and Samuel Johnston, farmers. Whether they occupied Darraghmore after James' death isn't known, but in 1922 Mary Anne Jordan was living there. Darraghmore has remained in the Jordan family since then — a descendant of the Jordan family has told me the house was lived in until the mid-1980s and the farm continues being worked today.
The house and outbuildings are now in ruins, but not so that you can't imagine it as it once must have been — a grand property with sweeping views of the surrounding countryside, lush green everywhere, magnificent old oak trees — certainly a pretty picture!
I wish to express my gratitude to the current owners of Darraghmore for allowing us visit this property to take these photos.
