Moneyshanere (
) 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 ...
lying within 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
Kilcronaghan,
County Londonderry
County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
,
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. It lies in the north-west of the parish on the boundary with the civil parish of
Ballynascreen, and it is bounded by the townlands of:
Calmore
Calmore () is a townland lying within the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the north-west of the parish, and is bounded by the townlands of; Granny (townland), Granny, Mone ...
,
Drumcrow,
Drumballyhagan Clark,
Duntibryan,
Granny,
Moneyguiggy,
Moybeg Kirley, and
Tobermore
Tobermore (), ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland named after the townland of Tobermore (townland), Tobermore. The village, which has a predominantly Protestant population, lies south-south-west of Maghera and north- ...
. It was apportioned to the
Drapers company and
Crown
A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...
freeholds.
The townland was part of Tobermore electoral ward of the former
Magherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council was a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. It was merged with Cookstown District Council and Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council on 1 April 2015 under local government reorganisation i ...
, however in 1926, it was part of Tobermore district electoral division as part of the
Maghera
Maghera ( ; ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,235 in the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Formerly in the Barony (Ireland), barony of Loughinsholin within the historic County ...
division of
Magherafelt
Magherafelt ( ; , ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,071 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county an ...
Rural District.
It was also part of the historic
barony Barony may refer to:
* Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron
* Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron
* Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
of
Loughinsholin
Loughinsholin () is a barony in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Its southeast borders the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, and itself is bordered by seven other baronies: Dungannon Upper to the south; Strabane Upper to the west; Keenaght ...
.
The town of
Tobermore
Tobermore (), ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland named after the townland of Tobermore (townland), Tobermore. The village, which has a predominantly Protestant population, lies south-south-west of Maghera and north- ...
lies partially in this townland, and those of Calmore,
Moyesset, and Tobermore. The local parish church of Kilcronaghan also lies within Moneyshanere.
Etymology
The Irish origin the name Moneyshanere derives from is unknown. Several possible origins have however been given over the years:
* Moín na Seánoir (bog of the old man/bard/druid)
* Muine Sean Iúir (thicket of old yews)
* Muine Sean Oir (thicket of old spindle trees)
* Muine Sean Fhéir (brake of the old coarse grass)
* Mona Sean Saighir (crest/ridge of the ancient priest)
Alfred Munn Moore in his ''Notes on the Place Names of the Parishes and Townlands of the County of Londonderry'', makes note that St. Ciaran was known as the "ancient priest" or "Sean Saighir", possibly referring to
St. Ciarán of Saigir.
History
See also
*
Kilcronaghan
*
List of townlands in Tobermore
There are 37 townlands in Tobermore electoral ward, with 22 of these also constituting the parish of Kilcronaghan. All townlands below are listed with the earliest recorded date of their modern variation as well as the Irish origin if applicable, ...
*
Tobermore
Tobermore (), ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland named after the townland of Tobermore (townland), Tobermore. The village, which has a predominantly Protestant population, lies south-south-west of Maghera and north- ...
In literature
Moneyshanere is remembered in
F. L. Lucas
Frank Laurence Lucas (28 December 1894 – 1 June 1967) was an English Classics, classical scholar, literary critic, poet, novelist, playwright, political polemicist, Fellow of King's College, Cambridge, and intelligence officer at Bletchley Pa ...
's poem 'Her answer, in after years' (1935),
Lucas, F. L., 'Her answer, in after years', from ''Poems, 1935'', Cambridge University Press
/ref> recalling a visit to County Londonderry and expressing a craving
:For the twilit air by Moneyshanere
::That the peat-smoke scents afar,
:For the stream that croons her lonely tunes
::By the road from Magherá.
References
{{County Londonderry
Townlands of County Londonderry
Civil parish of Kilcronaghan