The Cleary family have lived in Ballinla, Killucan, Co. Westmeath since 1860 when Bridget  Cleary with her nine children were moved on to the holding by the landlord of the time,the Earl of Longford. Bridget's husband, Thomas hailed from the townland of Riverstown, just three miles  down the road and when he died between the years 1854 and 1860, his wife moved to Ballinla.  Bridget Cleary died in 1871 and was the second person to be buried in Coralstown graveyard.   The land was purchased by Bridget's grandson James, My great grandfather in 1909 through the  land purchase acts.
  
James Cleary's wife Margaret is also a Cleary (no relation) and she was born in Woodown,  The Downs.  The Cleary Family came to Woodown in 1770 when Jack Cleary from Ballymore  settled in Woodown on a holding of about 100 acres for a payment of £50 rent to the  Landlord.  Jack Cleary married Anne Watson from Marlinstown and they had a family of six sons.  He divided the farm with five of his sons.  For The sixth son Philip he bought a farm at  Tubberquill.
  
On the 1854 Griffiths valuation forms, there were seven Cleary homes in Woodown. (Philip had  returned as the prodigal son and had  being given 2 acres.) Our land on the map is marked number 15 and contained 19 Irish acres. It seems that it never transfered to John's son, Thomas but went directly into his grandson, Patrick's name in 1865. It transfered into Patrick's wife Catherine's name in 1882 and was also changed to 18 acres and then on to Edward, my maternal great grandfather, who   purchased the land in 1909.
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