Dunamaggan is in the middle of Co Kilkenny about halfway between Callan and Knocktopher. There was no sign of a Hayde or anything similar in this area in the 1659 census or the Hearth Money Records.
There only reason to devote time to researching this area is that a Hayde family was present in this area in the 1827 Tithe records.
The history of the area is well described in an article in the Old Kilkenny Review published by the Kilkenny Archaeological Society. The Rev James Brennan, in a 1992 article, outlined the history from 1650 to 1800 in pages 958 to 967. This publication is in the library at Kilkenny.
It describes the Gaelic history of the name as originally being Dun-im-e-gain. Which meant the Dun (or Fort) of Imgan. Imgan being a person of some importance at the time.
The article referred to the area as being fertile with fine parks and woodlands. The article however does not provide any clues as to why a Hayde family suddenly appeared in the early 1800s.
James and John b circa 1800
John and James Hayde were farming 17 acres at Moanmore in 1827.
Moanmore is at the foot of a mountain that stretches into Tipperary. They probably came from a Tipperary family and moved around the mountain.
The location can be seen below:
John and James were probably brothers. They both had children in the 1820s and 1830s and James was still in the area when he died in 1872. There are no births in this area after the 1840s and after James died in 1872 there is no trace of any other family members in the parish, civil or census records.
Their families were:
John and Mary Cahill. They were at Moanmore in 1827 with James and #6 Moanmore in 1850. In 1850, John was farming 10 acres owned by William Morris-Reade Esq, a descendant of a Cromwellian settler. He owned all of Moanmore.
- David Hade b 1826
- Michael Heade b 1829, Lemonstown
- John Heade b 1832, Rogerstown
- William Hayde b 1835, Monassa
There was no sign of this family in the valuation records or elsewhere after 1850.
James and Margaret Morapy. They were at Moanmore in 1827 with John and #1a Loughberg in 1850. In 1850 they were in a house on land owned by Margaret Hayden, who owned most of Loughberg. The Hayden name was in the area at the time of the Hearth Money records.
- Richard Head b 1827
- Margaret Head b 1827 (twin). Mar John Walsh 1850
- Thomas Head b 1830, Monassa
- John Headd b 1834, Monassa
- William Haid b 1836, Baurscoob
- Ellen Head b 1838, Baurscoob. Mar Patrick Hearn 1864
James was in the Petty Session records between 1855 and 1870 for various offenses regarding animals. He died Bourscoob in 1872. Margaret was in the valuation records until 1880.
His sons Thomas and John were also in the Petty Sessions records in the 1850s and 1860s for various offenses. Margaret featured in these records in the 1870s, again for offenses regarding animals.
The Griffiths map of 1850 is:
Church, civil and census records at Dunnamaggan, Kilkenny are detailed at Dunnamaggan Families
I have also not been able to trace any living descendants.