Sruhagh

Sruhagh townland, Templeport, County Cavan, looking eastwards.

Sruhagh (from Irish: Sruth meaning 'A river') 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

Sruhagh is bounded on the north by Derryragh and Gorteen, Templeport townlands, on the west by Ballymagauran townland and by Woodford Demesne townland in County Leitrim, on the south by Derryniggin townland in County Leitrim and on the east by Derrycassan townland. Its chief geographical features are Ballymagauran Lough, Derrycassan Lough, the Shannon–Erne Waterway and forestry plantations. Sruhagh is traversed by a public road and several rural lanes.

The townland covers 325 statute acres.[1]

Etymology

The earliest know name of the Shannon–Erne Waterway was the River Gráinne (Sruth Gráinne in Irish). Sruhagh townland lies on the north shore of that part of the river which connects Ballymagauran and Derrycassan lakes and it derives its name from that situation. The earliest surviving mention of the townland name is in a poem (Poem 2, verse 29) composed about 1291 A.D. in the Book of Magauran which gives the name as Sruth Gráinne-

The Gráinne River, that clear and fairest of streams,

never ceases its moaning as it flows through the wood.

Sruth Gráinne ar a ghuth ní ghabh

Sruth glan áille tre fhiodh.[2]

History

The townland also appears in an interesting list of the rents due to the McGovern Chief, Maghnus 'Ruadh' Mág Samhradháin about 1400 A.D.[2] It reads as follows-

This is the portion of Sruagh- 18 kegs of butter and 50 measures of milk and a band of butter every Sunday from Mayday to Michaelmas and 3 portions of raw meat each year and a gallon of butter in summertime and 8 cakes each year.[3]

From this list we see that in 1400 the main type of farming carried on in Sruhagh was milk and beef cattle together with oats.

The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the townland as Shroghagh.[4][5] The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as Shreagh.[6]

In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 29 April 1611, along with other lands, King James I granted the two polls of Sroogagh to the McGovern Chief, Phelim Magawran, but it is probable that the lands had been in the possession of the McGovern clan for several hundred years before this and it was just a Surrender and regrant confirming the existing title to the McGoverns.

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

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

In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1662 there were two people paying the Hearth Tax in Sruanagh- Hugh Oge O Multully and Hugh Relly

A grant dated 30 January 1668 from King Charles II to John Davies included the two cartrons of Shreagh containing 37 acres at an annual rent of £2-5-11.

A grant dated 7 July 1669 from King Charles II to John, Lord Viscount Massareene included 20 acres in Shreagh.

The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list fifteen tithepayers in the townland.[7]

Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists twelve landholders in the townland.[8]

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are nine families listed in the townland.[9]

In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are eight families listed in the townland.[10]

Antiquities

The chief structures of historical interest in the townland are-

  1. An earthen ringfort.[11]
  2. A crannóg in Ballymagauran Lough, 190 metres from the Sruhagh shore.[12]
  3. A late Bronze Age bronze Class 2 scabbard chape was found in Sruhagh and is now in the National Museum of Ireland (reference No. 1580)

References

  1. ↑ "IreAtlas". Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 L. McKenna (1947), The Book of Magauran
  3. ↑ Leabhar Méig Shamradháin, the MacGovern Poembook by Nollaig Ó Muraíle, in "Culture and society in early modern Breifne/Cavan", Dublin 2009.
  4. ↑ National Archives Dublin
  5. ↑
  6. ↑ Trinity College Dublin: The Down Survey of Ireland.
  7. ↑ Tithe Applotment Books 1827
  8. ↑ - Sruhagh
  9. ↑ Census of Ireland 1901
  10. ↑ Census of Ireland 1911
  11. ↑ Site number 1446 in “Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan”, Patrick O’Donovan, 1995
  12. ↑ Site number 1602 in “Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan”, Patrick O’Donovan, 1995

External links

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