Michael HYLAND of Morette and Carlow (1851 – 1931)

Michael was the second son of Michael HYLAND and Catherine DOOLEY. He was baptised 8 June 1851 in Portarlington parish. The witnesses were “Edward FLYNN and Sarah DOOLY.”

He was one of only two of the Hyland family to marry, the other being my great grandfather Patrick. Michael married Mary FENNELLY at Emo on January 22nd 1885. Interestingly, neither of Michael’s brothers who were still in Morette was his witness.

According to his great granddaughter, Michael played Gaelic football and cricket.  Lord Portarlington reportedly brought teams to play at Emo Court and the tenant farmers would make an opposing team.

In 1886 Michael got a tenancy of 30a-2r-5p in Morette. However, he passed the lease to his older brother John when he took on a subleased farm at Ballykillane, Emo, known as Limetree Farm, the area where his wife was from. John went on to buy the property Michael originally leased, in 1898 following the Land Act.

In 1889, at the birth of one of his daughters, Michael was recorded as a labourer but was recorded as a farmer at other birth registrations.

The 1901 census records the house at Limetree as made of cob with thatch roof – 3 rooms and 3 windows to the front. Michael later bought this farm.

Michael reportedly invested in corn harvesters to provide a service to other farmers. Shortly before WW1 the family ran into a crisis when two main corn cutting machines broke down.  Michael over-spent on court cases, which he lost, against the Canadian company who supplied the harvesters. He reportedly sold up and relocated to Carlow town. 

Michael and his family are shown as living in Barrack St., Carlow, in the 1911 census.

For a period Michael and/or his sons ran a pub at 52 Tullow St called Dunphys, although this venture did not last long.

Michael and Mary had the following children:

Joseph	2 November 1896	Merchant Publican Shop keeper   Lived Carlow	m. Julia KNOWLES 18 April 1934   1 son	9 April 1935   Acute intestinal obstruction caused by perforated diverticulitis Cardiac failure   Richmond Hospital, Dublin.
Patrick	12 January 1899	Printer – The Nationalist and Leitrim Observer.   Lived Carrick-on-Shannon	m. Mary Anne Molloy 1st ¼ 1945   2 sons	26 April 1960   Respiratory failure Bronchogenic carcinoma Spinal secondaries   St Laurence’s Hospital, Dublin
Denis	22 March 1902	Teacher Lived Dublin	Did not marry	October 1977

Death

Michael died on 9 October 1931 from myocardial degeneration, 3 months 6 days. Cardiac failure. Wife Mary died in 1949.

I had the privilege of meeting many of Michael’s descendants at a family gathering in Carlow in 2019. At that time two grandsons and a grand daughter were alive. His descendants include grandson Dinny Hyland, 1950s national pole vault champion and should-have-been Olympian, well remembered by my mother’s generation.

I am indebted to Michael’s great granddaughter (living) for background information on Michael and his photo.