Mormeal ( and , ) 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 ...

Kilcronaghan Kilcronaghan () is a Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Containing one major settlement, Tobermore, and lying on the descending slope of Slieve Gallion, Kilcronaghan is bordered by the civil parishes ...

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 west of the parish with the Altagoan river to its west forming the parish boundary with Ballynascreen. It is bounded by the townlands of:

Brackaghlislea Brackaghlislea (, , and ; , and ''Lios Liath'', meaning "grey fort") is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies to the south-west of the parish and is bounded to the south and west by ...

, Drumard, Duntibryan, Gortnaskey, Granny, Tamnyaskey. It wasn't apportioned to any of the London

livery companies A livery company is a type of guild or professional association that originated in medieval times in London, England. Livery companies comprise London's ancient and modern trade associations and guilds, almost all of which are Style (form of a ...

, being kept as church lands. The townland was part 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- ...

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 ...

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 ...

Etymology

The actual Irish origin of Mormeal is unknown with several different variants provided, most notably by Alfred Munn Moore. The most recent translation as of 2002 states its origin as being; ''Mír Mhíchíl'', meaning Michael's portion. Older origins include: * ''Mor-meall'' meaning "great hillock". ''Mór Mael(án)'' in modern Irish. * ''Baile mor miol'' meaning "town of the monsters". * ''Magh-adhair m-bheal'' (pronounced "mawr-meal") meaning "plain of the fire, or adoration, of the god Belus (the sun)".

History

Along with the townlands of Granny, Tamnyaskey, and

Tullyroan Tullyroan (; ) is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the centre of the parish and is bounded by the townlands of: Brackaghlislea, Calmore, Cloughfin, Coolsaragh, Gortahu ...

, Mormeal comprises the four townlands that make up the

Bishop of Derry The Bishop of Derry is an episcopal title which takes its name after the monastic settlement originally founded at Daire Calgach and later known as Daire Colm Cille, Anglicised as Derry. In the Catholic Church it remains a separate title, but in ...

s lands in the parish. Prior to 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 ...

, these four townlands constituted the

termon Termon () is a village in the north of County Donegal, Ireland. Geography Termon is located eight miles from Letterkenny, Donegal's main town and seven miles from Creeslough. Termon is made up of many townlands including Currin, Doon, Drumlaur ...

(or

erenagh The medieval Irish office of erenagh (Old Irish: ''airchinnech'', Modern Irish: ''airchinneach'', Latin: '' princeps'') was responsible for receiving parish revenue from tithes and rents, building and maintaining church property and overseeing t ...

) land of the parish, and were known as "''Ballintrolla, Derreskerdan, Dirrygrinagh et Kellynahawla''". Despite these townlands being in the same location as the later townlands, it is now impossible to match their names accurately. The ruins of the ancient parish church of Kilcronaghan lie within the townland of Mormeal. In the east of the townland on a hill (438 ft.) lies an ancient ráth, and one on another hill (450 ft.) to the south.

Statistics

References

{{County Londonderry Townlands of County Londonderry Civil parish of Kilcronaghan

Etymology

History

Statistics

See also

References