The census documents for Ireland, between 1821 through to 1851, were housed in the Public Record Office in Dublin's Four Courts building and were destroyed by fire, on June 29th 1922, during the Irish Civil War.   The next earliest possible reference to our house is based on the property valuations of the Roscommon area, by Sir Richard Griffith , between 1857-8.  This property valuation was undertaken to initiate a tax, that had to be paid by every land or leaseholder.  The valuation showed that a Mathias Noon lived at Creemully and Aghagad Beg.  Creemully and Aghagad Beg is an area of about one square mile.  The Griffith Property valuation  described Mathias Noon as a Land/Lease holder who owned 16 acres and a building.  He paid Sir Charles Henry Coote, the landlord, who lived in nearby Castlecoote House, Castlecoote, £6 for the land and 15 shillings for the Building.  The map references refer to (39, 38, 41, 65A a+b) and time permitting I will research old maps to locate the exact position.  He was the only Noon/Noone who lived in Aghagad Beg and Creemilly and the custom of passing on your land and property to your children, means that it is highly likely that the property described was our cottage, as there was still only one Noon/e family living in Aghagad Beg and Creemilly, in the 1901 Census (43 years later) and this family can be confirmed, by elderly neighbours, as living at our farm.  The 1901 census (the earliest confirmed record) showed the existence of a two room cottage, in the Townland of Aghagad Beg and Creemully, in the Parish of Fuerty, in the Barony of Athlone, in the County of Roscommon.  The cottage was habited by eight people. Martin Noon (53) - described as a Farmer, Kate Noon - wife (48), Martin (16), Andrew (12), John (9), James (7), Ellie (5) and Katie (4).  


There was another member of the Noon family, named Nora (age unknown). She was reared with her Grandmother in Ballymoe. She later married Tim Duke of Aughagad (local neighbour).  The cottage was thatched during this period.  Neighbours confirm that a third room (Living Room) was added approximately eighty years ago.  


             Click picture to Enlarge

The building of Primrose cottage was started approximately eighty years ago over a period of ten days by John Mannion and a younger man (possible relative).  It consisted of two rooms built of stone with a dirt filler between the stone.  It had a thatched roof as metal supports in the walls showed.   There was a large kitchen fireplace in the first room as you entered and a smaller fireplace in the second room.  There was no running water, sewage facilities, or electricity.  John was married with one son.  Some years later Tom, a land commission holder in Donamon moved in.  Some years later Joe Murphy and his wife Ann (local neighbours on the same road) moved in to Primrose Cottage.  They were the last people to live there.