Bellaheady
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Bellaheady (Irish derived place name, either Béal Átha Héide meaning 'The Entrance to the Ford of Éadach' or Béal Átha an Fheadha meaning 'The Entrance to the Ford of the Wood'. Also called Rossbressal = Ros Breasail = Breasal’s 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
Templeport Templeport () is a civil parish in the barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. The chief towns in the parish are Bawnboy and Ballymagauran. The large Roman Catholic parish of Templeport containing 42,172 statute acres was split up in the ...
, barony of
Tullyhunco Tullyhunco () is a barony in County Cavan, Ireland. It comprises the civil parishes of Kildallan, Killeshandra and Scrabby. Location Tullyhunco is located in western County Cavan. It borders County Leitrim to the west and County Longford to ...
,
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 ...
.


Geography

Bellaheady is bounded on the west by Corran, County Cavan and
Killycluggin Killycluggin () is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish area of Templeport and the barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Killycluggin is bounded on the north by Tonyhallagh townlan ...
townlands, on the east by Killarah townland, on the south by
Toberlyan Duffin Toberlyan Duffin (Toberlyan = Irish derived place name usually given as Tobar Laighin, meaning either 'St Leynie's Well' or "The Well of the Spear" but probably more correctly either Tobar Lann, meaning the 'Well of the Church', or Tobar Linn, me ...
townland and on the north by
Crossmakelagher Crossmakelagher, also written Crossmakellagher or Crossmakellegher () is a townland in the civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Templeport and b ...
and Tonyrevan townlands. Its chief geographical features are the Shannon-Erne Waterway, small streams, forestry plantations, quarries, dug wells and spring wells. Bellaheady is traversed by the R205 road (Ireland), minor public roads, rural lanes and the disused
Cavan and Leitrim Railway The Cavan and Leitrim Railway was a narrow-gauge railway that operated in the south of County Leitrim and the north-west of County Cavan on the northern edge of the Midlands in Ireland; it ran from 1887 until 1959. Unusually for Ireland, this ...
. The townland covers 220 acres, including 10 acres of water.


History

Until the 1650s, Bellaheady was paired with the townland of Killarah, the lands being split by the river but the names of the two parts were interchangeable, being called either Bellheady, Rossbressal or Killarah. Locals and the Ordnance Survey still refer to part of Killarah as ''Bellaheady Mountain''. From medieval times up to the early 1600s, the land belonged to the
McKiernan Clan The surname McKiernan (), is of Irish origin and is found predominantly in County Cavan where it originated. The Irish name is Mág Tighearnán meaning ''the Son of Tighearnán'' and the clan or sept takes its name from one Tighearnán who lived ...
. About the year 1600 it was owned by Thomas McKiernan, along with the townlands of Ned, Coraghmuck and Doogary, all in Tullyhunco Barony. Thomas died some time before 1611 and his lands were inherited by his son Owen McKiernan. 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 ...
1609 Baronial Map depicts ''Rosbrazill'' on the west side of the river but does not depict the townland of Killarah on the east side, because the lands in Tullyhunco were supposed to be set aside for English servitors but Killarah was granted to an Irish native in contravention of the rules, so the mappers avoided the problem by not mapping Killarah. Owen McKiernan was worried that his lands would be confiscated under the Plantation of Ulster so he made representations to the Lords of the Council in Whitehall, London. They in turn sent the following note to
Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester (May 1563 – 19 February 1625), known between 1596 and 1613 as Sir Arthur Chichester, of Carrickfergus in Ireland, was an English administrator and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland from 1605 ...
, the
Lord Deputy of Ireland The Lord Deputy was the representative of the monarch and head of the Irish executive (government), executive under English rule, during the Lordship of Ireland and then the Kingdom of Ireland. He deputised prior to 1523 for the Viceroy of Ireland ...
- ''April 30, 1610. Recommend to his favourable consideration in the settlement of the natives, the bearer, Owen Carnan, who sued for 800 acres of land lying in the county of Cavan, which have belonged (as he informs them) to his father, uncle, & others his predecessors, time out of mind, without any attainder for matter of disloyalty''. Owen McKiernan was only partly successful in his claim as the part of Rosbrazill (now the townland of Bellaheady) on the west side of the river was granted to Hugh Culme on 23 June 1610. 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 23 June 1610, 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 ''one poll of Rossebrissell otherwise Killara'', along with other lands forming the Manor of Calva, to Hugh Culme. In the same year, Culme surrendered his interest to Walter Talbot of
Ballyconnell Ballyconnell () is a town in County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the N87 road (Ireland), N87 national secondary road at the junction of four townlands: Annagh, County Cavan, Annagh, Cullyleenan, Doon (Tomregan) and Der ...
. In an inquisition of King Charles I, held at Cavan on 20 September 1630, it stated that James Talbott of Beallaconnell owned the townland of ''Rosbreassell alias Killarra, containing one poll'', having received it as part of the Ballyconnell estate on the death of his father Walter Talbot on 26 June 1625. Talbot’s land was taken over by rebels during 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 ...
. At Cavan, on 26 July 1642, Thomas and William Jones gave the names of rebel leaders in Cavan, including ''Owen Mc William of Rosbreske, Donogh Mc Kernan of same and William Mc Kernan of same''. After the rebellion concluded, the land was confiscated in the Cromwellian Settlement and the 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as belonging to Lieutenant-Colonel Tristam Beresford. By a further confirming grant from King Charles II, on 6 November 1666, the lands of ''Rospressell'' containing 2 poles or 431 acres & 31 perches was granted to the aforementioned Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet at an annual rent of £5-16s-5d. On 11 September 1670 ''Respressol'' was created as part of the Manor of Beresford. In the Hearth Money Rolls compiled on 29 September 1663 there were five Hearth Tax payers in ''Rosbressel- John Hakins, Phillip Reilly, Phillip O Mane, Shane McLaghlyn and Tirlagh O Cuillin''. A lease dated 26 January 1751 mentions Arthur Ellis, Edward Ellis and Frederick Ellis, all of ''Ballyheady''. In the Cavan Poll Book of 1761, there was one person registered to vote in ''Ballyheady'' in the
Irish general election, 1761 The 1761 Irish general election was the first general election to the Irish House of Commons in over thirty years, with the previous general election having taken place in 1727. Despite few constituencies hosting electoral contests, the election w ...
- Gore Ellis who lived in the townland but who also had a freehold in
Burren (townland) Burren is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Templeport and barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Burren is bounded on the north by Derrycassan and Coologe townlands, on the w ...
. He was entitled to cast two votes. The four election candidates were
Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, KB, PC (Ire), (6 April 1738 – 20 October 1800) was an Anglo-Irish politician who served as one of the Postmasters General of Ireland. Charles was briefly styled as the Baron Coote between February 1766 ...
and Lord Newtownbutler (later
Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough, PC (Ire) (4 March 1728 – 24 January 1779), styled The Honourable until 1756 and Lord Newtown-Butler from 1756 to 1768, was an Irish politician and peer. He was the son of Humphrey Butler, 1st ...
), both of whom were then elected Member of Parliament for
Cavan County County Cavan ( ; ) is a county in Ireland. It is in the 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 historic Gaelic territory of East Breffny (''Bréifne''). Cavan C ...
. The losing candidates were
George Montgomery (MP) George Leslie Montgomery (c. 1727 – March 1787) was an Irish politician. Montgomery sat as Member of Parliament (MP) for Strabane from 1765 to 1768. He purchased the seat from John McCausland of Strabane for £2,000 after the death of the ...
of
Ballyconnell Ballyconnell () is a town in County Cavan, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is situated on the N87 road (Ireland), N87 national secondary road at the junction of four townlands: Annagh, County Cavan, Annagh, Cullyleenan, Doon (Tomregan) and Der ...
and
Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham PC (Ire) (1723 – 7 October 1800), styled The Honourable Barry Maxwell from 1756 to 1779, was an Irish peer and politician. He succeeded as the 3rd Baron Farnham in 1779, and was later created the 1st Visco ...
. Ellis voted for Coote and Montgomery. Absence from the poll book either meant a resident did not vote or more likely was not a freeholder entitled to vote, which would mean most of the inhabitants of Bellaheady. A deed dated 19 Mar 1768 includes the lands of ''Ballyhady otherwise Rossbressell''. A marriage settlement dated 29 October 1768 refers to Arthur Ellis, Hercules Ellis and Jane Ellis, all of ''Ballyheady''. A deed by Gore Ellis dated 24 Feb 1776 includes the lands of ''Ballyhady otherwise Rossbressill''. Ambrose Leet's 1814 Directory spells the name as ''Ballyheady''. The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list one tithepayer in the townland A description exists dated 23 September 1833 about farming in Bellaheady from Alexander Still, the steward of the Beresford Estate. The Bellaheady Valuation Office books are available for 1838.
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 six occupiers in the townland.


Census

In the
1901 census of Ireland Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * ''19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * ''Dician ...
, there are five families listed in the townland. In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are nine families listed in the townland.


Antiquities

# Rath. The 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Site No. 249) describes it as-''Marked 'Fort' on OS 1836 and 1876 eds. Situated close to the summit of a drumlin hill. Not visible at ground level''. # Hilltop Enclosure. The 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan' (Site No. 1460) describes it as- ''Not marked as an antiquity on any OS ed. but known locally as a 'fort'. Oval area (int. dims. c. 160m NE-SW; 100m NW-SE) enclosed by a low earthen bank and a wide, shallow fosse, both of which have been modified and incorporated into the field boundary, the area NE of which has been levelled leaving nothing visible at ground level. The site is divided into two roughly equal portions by a field boundary running NW-SE. Original entrance not recognisable''. # Ballyheady Railway Station and two Level Crossings. # Bellaheady Bridge. This is situated on the site of the ancient ford which gives the townland its name. Sometime between 1655 and 1850 a bridge was erected there. It consisted of eight unequal arches, the largest next to the south bank, which diminished in size towards the north, on which side the two extreme arches were at a considerable distance from the other six, the piers of which were of an extraordinary thickness. This old bridge was removed in 1850 during the canalisation of the Shannon-Erne Waterway. The present bridge was then erected. # A 19th century eel-weir # A lime-kiln


References


External links


The IreAtlas Townland Data Base
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bellaheady Townlands of County Cavan