Stranadarragh

Stranadarragh () 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

Stranadarragh is bounded on the north by Drumlougher townland, on the west by Bellaleenan and Ballymagirril townlands, on the south by Cornagunleog and Boley townlands and on the east by Owengallees townland. Its chief geographical features are the River Blackwater, County Cavan, marshes and dug wells. Stranadarragh is traversed by minor roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 155 statute acres.

History

In medieval times the McGovern barony of Tullyhaw was divided into economic taxation areas called ballibetoes, from the Irish ''Baile Biataigh'' (Anglicized as 'Ballybetagh'), meaning 'A Provisioner's Town or Settlement'. The original purpose was to enable the farmer, who controlled the baile, to provide hospitality for those who needed it, such as poor people and travellers. The ballybetagh was further divided into townlands farmed by individual families who paid a tribute or tax to the head of the ballybetagh, who in turn paid a similar tribute to the clan chief. The steward of the ballybetagh would have been the secular equivalent of the erenagh in charge of church lands. There were seven ballibetoes in the parish of Templeport. Stranadarragh was located in the ballybetagh of Ballymagauran. The historical spellings of the ballybetagh are Ballymackgawran & Ballimacgawran (Irish = Baile Mhic Shamhráin = McGovern's Town).

Until the late 18th century, the modern townland of Cornagunleog formed part of Stranadarragh.

In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 29 April 1611, along with other lands, King James VI and I granted four polls of ''Ballymagirrell'' to the McGovern Chief, Feidhlimidh Mág Samhradháin. The four polls conmprised the modern day townlands of Ballymagirril, Greagh, Stranadarragh and Cornagunleog. These townlands had been part of the McGovern chief's personal demesne for several hundred years before this and it was just a Surrender and regrant confirming the existing title to the then chief. This is confirmed in a visitation by George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes in autumn 1611 when he states that ''Magauran had his own land given him on this division''.

An Inquisition of King Charles I of England held in Cavan town on 4 October 1626 stated that the aforesaid Phelim Magawrane died on 20 January 1622 and his lands, including ''4 polls in Ballymagerrill'', went to his son, the McGovern Chief Brian Magauran who was aged 30 (born 1592) and married.

The McGovern lands in Stranadarragh were confiscated in the Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 and were distributed as follows-

The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the name as ''Srahnedaragh''. The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as ''Shanderagh''. William Petty's 1685 map depicts it as ''Shanderagh''.

The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the proprietor as ''Lieutenant-Colonel Tristram Beresford'', who also appears as proprietor of other townlands in the survey. In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1662 there were no taxpayers paying the Hearth Tax in Stranadarragh.

A grant dated 3 November 1666 was made by King Charles II of England to Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet which included, inter alia, the lands of ''Shranadanagh''. By grant dated 11 September 1670 from King Charles II of England to said Sir Tristram Beresford, the said lands of ''Shranadanagh'' were included in the creation of a new ''Manor of Beresford''.

The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the townland name as ''Sranedaragh''.

Lowther Kirkwood of Mullinagrave, parish of Templeport, Co. Cavan, gentleman made the following will:

The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list eleven tithepayers in the townland.

The Stranadarragh Valuation Office Field books are available for October 1839.

Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists seventeen landholders in the townland.

On 6 July 1857 the Incumbered Estates Commission published the following notice:

Census

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are ten families listed in the townland,
and in the 1911 census of Ireland, there are only eight families listed in the townland.

Antiquities

# An earthen ringfort
# An earthen ringfortSite number 1117 in "Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan", Patrick O'Donovan, 1995, where it is described as- ''Raised circular area (int. diam. 32.4m) enclosed by a substantial earthen bank and a shallow fosse identifiable only from SSE-S-W. Both bank and fosse have been destroyed from NNW-N-NE as a consequence of road construction. A stream flows through a narrow channel at the external foot of the bank from ENE-E-SSE and a modern pump-house has been erected at E. An earlier report (OPW 1969) suggested that the original entrance was probably at E''.
# Stepping stones over the River Blackwater

References

External links

The IreAtlas Townland Data Base

{{Coord, 54.07514, -7.810271, display=title

Townlands of County Cavan