Tonlegee () 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 ...
,
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 ...
. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of
Corlough
Corlough () is a Roman Catholic parish situated in the historical barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. It derives its name from Corlough townland, in which the parish church is situate. It formed part of the larger parish of Templepo ...
and 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 ...
. The townland was also called ''Clonmeoun'', probably an Anglicisation of the Gaelic 'Cluain Mín' meaning ''The Smooth Meadow''.
Geography
Tonlegee is bounded on the north by
Derrynaslieve and
Derryvella (Corlough) townlands, on the south by
Muineal townland, on the west by
Clarbally and
Knockmore, County Cavan townlands and on the east by
Derryconnessy townland. Its chief geographical features are small streams and dug wells. Tonlegee is traversed by the
R202 road (Ireland)
The R202 road is a regional road in Ireland linking Dromod in County Leitrim to Swanlinbar in County Cavan. En route it passes through Mohill and Ballinamore.
Connections
The R202 road links with the N87 in Swanlinbar and then runs to ...
and rural lanes. The townland covers 134 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
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 ...
in charge of church lands. There were seven ballibetoes in the parish of Templeport. Tonlegee was located in the ballybetagh of Ballymackgonghan (Irish = ''Baile Mac Eochagain'', meaning 'McEoghan's Town').
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 24 February 1614, 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, ''one pole of Clonmeoun to Phelim McHugh O'Reyly, Bryan McHugh O'Reyly and Cahir McHugh O'Reyly, the sons of Hugh Reyly, late of Ballaghaneo, County Cavan''. Ballaghaneo is now the townland of Ballaghanea in Lurgan Parish, County Cavan, on the shores of
Lough Ramor
Lough Ramor () is a large natural lake of 741 hectares situated near Virginia, County Cavan. From early records ''Vita Tripartita'' identified as being in the territory of Cenal Muinreamhair. The literal meaning of the term Muinreamhair is 'fat ...
, so the O'Reillys were removed a long way from their home by the Plantation. Hugh Reyly was the great-grandnephew of the chief of the
O'Reilly
O'Reilly () is a common Irish surname. The O'Reillys were historically the kings of East Bréifne in what is today County Cavan. The clan were part of the Connachta's Uí Briúin Bréifne kindred and were closely related to the Ó Ruairc ( ...
clan, Eoghan na Fésóige mac Seoain, who ruled
East Breifne
The Kingdom of East Breifne or Breifne O'Reilly (; , ) was an historic kingdom of Ireland roughly corresponding to County Cavan that existed from 1256 to 1607 in Ireland, 1607. It took its present boundaries in 1579 in Ireland, 1579 when East Br ...
from 1418 to 1449. The O’Reilly lands in Tonlegee were confiscated in the Cromwellian
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 ...
and were distributed as follows-
The 1652 Commonwealth Survey depicts the townland as ''Clanmoyn'' with the proprietor being ''Captain Payne''.
In the Hearth Money Rolls compiled on 29 September 1663 there was one Hearth Tax payer in ''Tonage- Cahell McGawran''.
A lease dated 31 January 1718 from
Morley Saunders
Morley Saunders (1671-1737) was an Irish politician, barrister and landowner. He followed in his father's footsteps by becoming a member of the Irish House of Commons and Prime Serjeant-at-law. He is mainly remembered today as the builder of Sa ...
to John Enery of Bawnboy includes the lands of ''Tonlegee''.
A lease dated 10 December 1774 from William Crookshank to John Enery of Bawnboy includes the lands of ''Tonlegee'', as does a further deed by John Enery dated 13 December 1774.
The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the name as ''Tonlegee''.
A map of the townland drawn in 1813 is in the National Archives of Ireland, Beresford Estate Maps, depicts the townland as ''Tonlagee'' and the proprietor as ''John Ennery''.
A lease dated 17 September 1816 John Enery of Bawnboy includes ''Tonlegee''.
The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list eight tithepayers in the townland.
The Tonlegee Valuation Office Field books are available for October 1839.
In 1841 the population of the townland was 55, being 25 males and 30 females. There were nine houses in the townland, of which one was uninhabited.
In 1851 the population of the townland was 58, being 32 males and 26 females. There were eight houses in the townland, all were inhabited.
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 seven landholders in the townland.
In 1861 the population of the townland was 55, being 31 males and 24 females. There were seven houses in the townland and all were inhabited.
In 1871 the population of the townland was 45, being 27 males and 18 females. There were seven houses in the townland and all were inhabited.(page 296 of census)
In 1881 the population of the townland was 48, being 29 males and 19 females. There were seven houses in the townland, all were inhabited.
In 1891 the population of the townland was 41, being 21 males and 20 females. There were seven houses in the townland, all were inhabited.
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 eight families listed in the townland,
and in the
1911 census of Ireland, there are nine families listed in the townland.
Folktales from Tonlagee are available a
Antiquities
# There are stones inscribed in Irish in the stream dividing the eastern part of Tonlagee from Derryconnessy townland. The 1930s Dúchas Folklore collection give the following accounts of a battle fought there- (1) ''A battle was fought in Crocán na gCamps, Derryconnessy; Corlough. Co. Cavan. It is supposed to have been fought between the Gael and Danes. When the cavalry were coming to Crocán na gCamps they had a row and fought a battle. The fought in Tullyvella and Conspud. It is not known which side won the battle, but they are still supposed to fight, at certain times of the year at night, and it is thought to be a bad sign of disturbance when dead people come back to fight. There are Ogham stones at Crocán na gCampa.'' (2) ''Long ago, when the early colonists came into this country, they had a big battle on the land now owned by Mr. Francis McGovern, Tonlagee, Corlough, Bawnboy, Co. Cavan. The field in which one army pitched their campaign is now called Cnocán na gCampa which means 'The little hill of the campus'. It is a pretty field with grass much greener than that in the neighbouring fields. Beside it, is the field where the battle was fought. It is a grey field covered with large stones which are said to be monuments to the men who fell in the battle and are buried under them. It is said that if the field was dug up, the bones of the dead would be found in it. A stream runs by the battle fields, and touches it on the two sides. The stream is almost choked up by big stones, and there are two stones among them, with old Irish writing on them. This is all the information that is available, about the battle in this district. It is not known exactly, what tribes had the battle, but it is known that it took place thousands of years ago. The fields are along the main road from Swanlinbar to Ballinamore''.
References
External links
The IreAtlas Townland Data Base
{{coord missing, County Cavan
Townlands of County Cavan