Aghnacally (Irish derived place name, either ''Achadh na Caillí'', meaning 'The Field of the Hag’ or ''Ucht na Caillí'', meaning 'The Hill of the Hag’ or ''Ucht na Choillidh'', meaning 'The Hill of the Wood’) is a
townland
A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...
in the
civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...
of
Kinawley
Kinawley or Kinawly () is a small village, townland (of 187 acres) and civil parish straddling County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and County Cavan, Republic of Ireland. The village and townland are both in the civil parish of Kinawley (founded b ...
, barony of
Tullyhaw
Tullyhaw (, which means 'the Territory of Eochaidh', an ancestor of the McGoverns, who lived ) is a Barony in County Cavan in Ireland. The area has been in constant occupation since pre-4000 BC. Located in the northwest of the county, it h ...
,
County Cavan
County Cavan ( ; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is based on the hi ...
,
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.
A sub-division is called ''Carricknabrock'' (Irish derived place name, ''Carraig na Broic'', meaning 'The Rock of the Badgers’). Another sub-division is called ''The Spinks''. The 1938 Dúchas folklore collection states- ''The 'Spinks', in the townland of Aughnakelly in a hollow between Northern and Southern Ireland, is supposed to contain deposits of coal''.
Geography
Aghnacally is bounded on the north by Gorgesh townland in County Fermanagh, on the south by
Carrowmore, County Cavan and
Legavreagra townlands, on the west by
Aghakinnigh
Aghakinnigh (Irish derived place name, ''Achadh an Chinn Eich'', meaning 'The Field of the Horse’s Head') is a townland in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. ...
and
Drumersee townlands and on the east by Aghyoule, County Fermanagh and
Tonymore townlands. It forms part of the Slieve Rushen Bog Natural Heritage Area. Its chief geographical features are
Slieve Rushen mountain on whose north-western slope it lies, reaching a height of 1,294 feet; the Meenymore Formation, major sections of which are exposed in the stream gully between Gorgesh and Aghnacally; mountain pools; the Owengarr River; mountain streams; a waterfall; forestry plantations; spring wells and dug wells. Aghnacally is traversed by minor public roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 760 statute acres.
History
In medieval times Aghnacally was owned by the McGovern Clan and formed part of a ballybetagh spelled (variously) Aghycloony, Aghcloone, Nacloone, Naclone and Noclone (Irish derived place name ''Áth Chluain'', meaning ‘The Ford of the Meadow’). The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the ballybetagh as ''Naclone''.
In the
Plantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster (; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster Scots: ) was the organised Settler colonialism, colonisation (''Plantation (settlement or colony), plantation'') of Ulstera Provinces of Ireland, province of Irelandby people from Great ...
by grant dated 26 June 1615, King
James VI and I
James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 M ...
granted, inter alia, ''The precinct or parcel of Nacloone otherwise Aghcloone to Sir George Graeme and Sir Richard Graeme to form part of the Manor of Greame''.
An Inquisition held at Cavan Town on 31 October 1627 found that ''Sir Richard Greames of Corrasmongan died on 7 November 1625 seized of, inter alia, one poll of Outnakelly. His son and heir Thomas Greames was aged 40 (born 1585) and married''. A history of Richard and George Graham is viewable online.
The Grahams took part in the
Irish Rebellion of 1641
The Irish Rebellion of 1641 was an uprising in Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, initiated on 23 October 1641 by Catholic gentry and military officers. Their demands included an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and ...
and after the war their lands were confiscated under the
Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652
The Act for the Settling of Ireland imposed penalties including death and land confiscation against Irish civilians and combatants after the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and subsequent unrest. British historian John Morrill wrote that the Act and a ...
.
The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the name as ''Ughtnekelly'' and lists the proprietor as ''Mr Thomas Worshipp'' and the tenant as ''Edmund Magwire''.
The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the name as ''Ughtnacally''.
Sir Charles Coote in his 1802 ''Statistical Survey of County Cavan'', page 28, states- ''in the mountain of Ortnacullagh near Ballyconnell, both lead and silver ore are carried down the stream, which flows from thence''.
The 1821 Census of Ireland spells the name as ''Aughnakelly'' and states- ''Said lands containing 100 acres of green pasture & 200 of moory black mountain''.
Cavan Library holds several leases relating to Aghnacally. (A) Reference No. P017/0034, dated 7 October 1827 described as- ''Renewal of lease made between Joshua Taylor, Killniglare, gentleman, and Edward Whitely, Ballyconnell, esquire, both County Cavan, of the one part, and Moses Netterfield, Ballyconnell, County Cavan, gentleman. Recites that by indenture of lease dated 20 November 1824 made between same parties, Taylor and Whitely leased to Netterfield the lands of Aughnakilly, parish of Kinawly, County Cavan; sub-denomination of Aghnacally (Aughnakilly) called Legavreagra (Legauregra), for three named lives with covenant for perpetual renewal. Rent of £45.10.0 late currency. One of the lives named has died and renewal now granted with insertion of life of James Spear, son of John Spear, Tullybrien, County Tyrone, gentleman, aged 16 years. Annual rent of £42 sterling present currency being equal to £45.10.0 late currency''. (B) Reference No. P017/0039, dated 24 December 1833 described as- ''Assignment made between Edward Whitely, Ballyconnell, County Cavan, gentleman, and Charles Magee, Tully, County Cavan, gentleman. Recites that by lease dated 25 September 1742 made between Owen Wynne, esquire, of one part, and James Herdman and George Spear, of the other part, in respect of the lands of Drumersee and Aghnacally (Aughnakelly) and the mears and bounds by which it was leased by William Armstrong, in the barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan. Lease to run for named lives renewable forever at annual rent of £31 then currency of Ireland. Recites details of other deeds affecting the property. Now, in consideration of £800 sterling paid to Whitely by Magee, land is assigned''. (C) Reference No. P017/0040, dated 7 March 1834 described as- ''Lease made between Charles Magee, Tully, county Cavan, gentleman, and James Howden, Dunglave, county Cavan, gentleman, in respect of part of the town and lands of Aghnacally (Aughnakelly) known by the name Legavreagra (Legauregra), parish of Kinawley, county Cavan. Lease to run from date of deed to 1 October next. Rent of 5 shillings''. (D) Reference No. P017/0041, dated 7 March 1834 described as- ''Assignment made between James Howden, Dunglave, County Cavan, gentleman, and Charles Magee, Tully, County Cavan, gentleman. Recites that by lease made on 18 June 1824, Joshua Taylor, then of Kilnaglare, county Cavan, gentleman, and James Howden, party hereto, Taylor leased the town and lands of Aghnacally (Aughnakilly) then in the possession of Edward Whitely; and also the town and lands of Legavreagra (Legariegra), parish of Kinawley, county Cavan, for named lives and with covenant for perpetual renewal. Annual rent of £40 late currency of Ireland. Howden now assigns the lands to Magee in consideration of receipt of sum of £200 sterling. Noted on verso that a memorial of the deed was entered in the Register Office, city of Dublin, on 9 May 1834, in book 9, number 23''. (E) Reference No. P017/0042, dated 7 May 1834 described as- ''Assignment made between Moses Netterfield, Ballyconnell, County Cavan, gentleman, and Charles Magee, Tully, County Cavan, gentleman. Recites that by lease made on 20 November 1824 made between Joshua Taylor, Kilnaglare, gentleman, and Edward Whitley, Ballyconnell, esquire, both in county Cavan, of the one part, and Moses Netterfield, party hereto, of the other part, Taylor and Whitley leased to Netterfield the town and lands of Aghnacally (Aughnakelly), parish of Kinawley, county Cavan, and sub-denomination of Legavreagra (Legauregra). To be held for the natural lives of Laurence Spear, Moses Netterfield and Richard Netterfield with covenant for perpetual rent. Annual rent of £45.10.0 late currency. Recites details of renewals of lease made after 1824. It has now been agreed that Netterfield, in consideration of sum of £276, is to assign the property to Magee. Noted that a memorial of the deed was entered at the Register Office, city of Dublin, on 9 May 1834, in book 9, number
1'.
The Tithe Applotment Books 1834 spell the name as ''Aughnacully''.
The 1836 Ordnance Survey Namebooks state- ''There is a hill in the east part of the townland called the Black Cairn and a ridge of rocks called Carrick-na-brock''.
Griffith's Valuation
Griffith's Valuation was a boundary and land valuation survey of Ireland completed in 1868.
Griffith's background
Richard John Griffith started to value land in Scotland, where he spent two years in 1806–1807 valuing terrain through the examin ...
of 1857 lists twenty-two landholders in the townland.
The landlord of Aghnacally in the 1850s was William Magee.
Aghnacally folklore is found in the 1938 Dúchas collection.
Census
In the 1821 census of Ireland there were six families listed in the townland.
In the
1901 census of Ireland, there were sixteen families listed in the townland.
In the
1911 census of Ireland, there were fifteen families listed in the townland.
Antiquities
# A megalithic wedge tomb
Gallery grave
A gallery grave is a form of megalithic tomb built primarily during the Neolithic Age in Europe in which the main gallery of the tomb is entered without first passing through an antechamber or hallway. There are at least four major types of gal ...
, erected c.2,250 BC. The 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Site No. 6) (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995) states- "Situated in an open space in a plantation on the NW flank of Slieve Rushen. The gallery, 4m long, is slightly higher and wider at its open SW end. Two orthostats form the N side and three the S side. The backstone is set beyond the ends of the gallery sides. A massive slab, split in two, covers all but the SW end of the gallery. A tree rooted in peat on top of the roofstone may have caused the break. There are four outer wall stones to the N of the gallery and two lines of outer-walling, the inner of four stones and the outer of three, at the S. The structure is incorporated in a mound measuring 9m E-W and 7.5m N-S." Local folklore about the cromlech is found in the 1938 Dúchas Collection.
# A stone cairn. The 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Site No. 119) (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1995) states- ''Marked on the OS 1836 and 1876 eds. as the 'Black Cam'. It is depicted as an oval enclosure (dims. c. 80m NW-SE; c. 55m ENE-WSW) on the 1836 ed. Situated within a dense modern plantation of coniferous trees. Not located''.
# Lime-kilns.
# Stepping-stones across the river.
# A foot-stick across the river.
# Stone bridges across the rivers.
References
External links
The IreAtlas Townland Data Base
{{County Cavan
Townlands of County Cavan