Carrowmore, County Cavan
Carrowmore, County Cavan is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland.
Etymology
The townland name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic placename "Ceathrú Mhór" which means ‘The Great Quarter’. It derives its name from the large size of the townland which in medieval times comprised a quarter of the ballybethagh of Calvagh, as it originally consisted of the present-day townlands of Carrowmore, Mullanacre Lower, Mullanacre Upper and Moher, a total of 2,066 statute acres. The oldest surviving mention of the name is in the 1609 Ulster Plantation grant where it is spelled ‘Carraghmore’.
Geography
It is bounded on the north by Legavreagra and Aghnacally townlands and the international border with Fermanagh and Northern Ireland, on the east by Snugborough and Derryginny townlands, on the south by Lecharrownahone townland and on the west by Mullanacre Upper, Mullanacre Lower & Drumane townlands. Its chief geographical features are Loughan Macmartin mountain lake, the Crooked River, some mountain streams, forestry plantations and Slieve Rushen mountain, on whose southern slope it lies, reaching an altitude of 1,294 feet (394 m) above sea-level. It forms part of the Slieve Rushen Bog Natural Heritage Area
The townland is traversed by the Bawnboy Road, the Laher Road, Carrowmore Lane and other minor lanes.
The townland covers 981 statute acres, including 1-acre (4,000 m2) of water.
History
It formed part of the Manor of Calva which was granted to Walter Talbot in 1610 as part of the Plantation of Ulster. The Hearth Money Rolls of 1664 list the occupiers of Carrowmore as John O’Flynn, Tirle Maguire, Philip Brady, Edmond Reilly, Donoghy O’Finnegan, William Borke, Cormucke O’Dany, Tirlagh O’Catany, Shane McKernan, Shane McLanery and Philip O’Reilly.
The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list the following tithepayers in the townland- McGauran, McTeague, Smyth, Brady, Donahey, Hewit, Greg, Netterville, Anderson, Holiday, Christy, McSures, Moore, Baxter, Gallagher, Patterson, McGuire, McKernan, Veitch, Kelly, Clerk, Malone, Biggars.[1]
The Ordnance Survey Name Books for 1836 give the following description of the townland- "Ceathramhadh mhór, 'great quarter'. Property of Montgomery. Rent 16 shillings to £1 per arable acre. The mountain land is free of rent. Plenty of limestone. Lowland is gravelly soil. Produces oats, flax and potatoes. A new and old road passes through it to Swanlinbar. About 3/4 is mountain and pasture, with 30 acres of bog."
In January 1839 on the Night of the Big Wind a ghost story occurred in Carrowmore. In the Dúchas School's Collection at http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5044800/5039796 a story by Mr Thomas O'Reilly, Church Street, Ballyconnell in 1938 gives more details.
The 1841 Census of Ireland gives a population of 280 in Carrowmore, of which 137 were males and 143 were females, with 54 houses.
The 1851 Census of Ireland gives a population of 218, a decrease of 62 on the 1841 figure, due to the intervening Irish Famine of 1845–47, of which 109 were males and 109 were females, with 41 houses, of which 1 was uninhabited. The decrease was larger in the female population.
A deed dated 1 April 1854 now in the Cavan Archives Service (ref P017/0063) is described as-
Lease made between William Hamilton Enery, Ballyconnell House, County Cavan, esquire, and Owen Magauran, Carramore, County Cavan, in respect of part of the lands of Mullanacre Upper (Mullinacree Upper), parish of Tomregan, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan. Bounded on the north by the large mountain, on the south by the river separating it from Moher, on the east by the river separating it from Carramore and on the west by the road leading to the mountain. Contains 20 acres late Irish plantation measure. Lease to run for the natural lives of Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa, Princess Royal of England, and Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, or term of 31 years, whichever is longer. Annual rent of £3 sterling. Magauran covenants to do suit and service at the Manor of Gwyllym Brooke and perform all lawful customs associated with the Manor.
Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists the landlords of the townland as the Annesley Estate, Harper, Benson, Reilly and McNally & the tenants as McTeague, Reilly, Maguire, Freehill, McGovern, Brady, Donohoe, Benson, Shannon, Kelly, Flynn, Veitch, Emo, Gregg, Biggins, Halliday, McKnight, McNally, Gwynne, Henderson, Netterville, Graham, Bannan and Cairnes.[2]
In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are twenty-four families listed in the townland.[3]
In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are twenty-one families listed in the townland.[4]
In the Dúchas Schools' Collection at http://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5083770/5039628 is a description of Carrowmore in 1938 by Bernard Freehill.
Antiquities
The historic sites in the townland are several old quarries and gravelpits.
References
- ↑ Tithe Applotment Books 1827
- ↑ Griffith's Valuation 1857
- ↑ Census of Ireland 1901
- ↑ Census of Ireland 1911