[This accounts for the Protestant Population in Ballinlough]
Ballinlough - 1846
The Influence of Parson Blunden, Sanford (Landlord) and Soup Schools on Religion during the years of the Famine.
Parson Blunden was the Protestant Rector of Ballinlough (12 mile from Ballymoe) during the famine time. He with the assistance of Sandford (Landlord) got up Soup Schools and induced the people in and around Ballinlough to give up the practice of the Catholic Religion and attend Protestant Worship --
A small number of poor Catholic families went over to the Protestant Faith - the descendants of these few Catholic families are now Protestant, and are scattered all over Ireland, chiefly Co. Roscommon.
As a kind of inducement to change their religion, or, in Compensation for attending Protestant Worship