Dorsey

The townland of Dorsey has a number of divisions eg Dorsey Cavan O'Hanlon, Dorsey Hearty, Dorsey Mullaghglass, Dorsey McDonald and Dorsey McIvor, some now known by other names. The total area of these parts is about 2,500 statute acres. Dorsey McIvor, now called simply Dorsey is, at 1310 statute acres and 10 perches, the largest townland in the Parish. The other divisions are in the parish of Newtownhamilton. Dorsey lies about four miles northeast of Crossmaglen, mostly to the left of the the A29 from Newtownhamilton to Dundalk. It is bounded on the north by Tullyvallen (Tipping) East, Drumaltnamuck, Finiskin and Dorsey Cavan O'Hanlon (Roxborough), on the east by Ummericam, on the south by Carnally and Lurgancullenboy and on the west by Tullynavall.

In the 1828 Tithe Applotment Books the total area of the townland is shown as 834 acres 2 roods and 13 perches (Irish). This is the equivalent of 1351 statute acres. The Townland Valuation of 1837 gives the area as 1423 statute acres 2 roods and 15 perches. Clearly different measurement methods were used, or different areas covered.

Name of townland

The name of the townland means "The doors or gateways (to Eamhain Macha)". There is other townland of that name in Ireland.

The townland contains a large dun, or raised rampart, (The Dorsey), now much deteriorated, some parts of which have been dated to 140 BC or earlier, some of the same timescale as Navan Fort (Eamhain Macha). Many archeological investigations have been documented. According to Tempest, writing in the County Louth Archeological Journal in 1930, the Dorsey was "a fortified frontier post...of the Kingdom whose capital was Emain Macha", blocking an important historic route or pass into southern Armagh, and built at a time when Ulaidh's power was the strongest. Later threats to Ulaidh from the south may have caused the Dorsey to be incorporated into a larger defensive system known as the "Black Pig's Dyke" which stretches west from that point. The Creggan Local History Society has published two articles on the Dorsey in its Journal "Creggan" - "The Dorsey Ramparts" by Michael McShane - No 2 - 1987 page 3, and "The Dorsey since Tempest's 1930 Description.." by C.J. Lynn, No 9 - 1999/2000 page 86.

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish ⁽²⁾

DORSEY (OSNB ii 27): The remains of an Ancient Entrenchment and Rampart is partly in this td. There is also a National School in it. The road from Dundalk to N.T.Hamiton runs N. and S. thro' it with several branching bye roads. It is principally under tillage. The dwellings are very numerous but, as usual for this part, very indifferent.
It contains 1423..2..15 of which 29..2..23 is uncultivated and Bog.

Valuation

Although the decimalisation of the currency was introduced only in 1971, all of the valuations in the following table have been converted from £sd for convenience.

Year	1837	1851	1864	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	1926	1935	1952	1957	1974
Valuation	£193.50	£215.25	£265.85	£862.75	£885,75	£258.60	£255.35	£254.60	£254.10	£267.60	£282.85	£343.85	£344.85

The Townland Valuation of 1837 recorded only those houses with an annual value of £5 or more. Only two such properties were listed -

Rev. Michael Gallagher
Richard Jeffers

In Griffiths Valuation the owner of the townland was Walter McGeough Bond. There was a National School House and a Corn-mill and kiln (Richard Jeffers).

Census of Ireland 1901

In the 1901 Census, 434 people were enumerated in 97 households, an average of 4.5 people per household. The total number of rooms was 214, an average of 2.2 rooms per household, giving an average density of 2 people per room. Three households of ten people and two of 11 people each lived in two rooms. Of There were 362 oubuildings, an average of 3.7 per household. Of the 97 houses, 38 (39%) were thatched. The accommodation was comprised of 12 households with four or more rooms, 5 with three rooms, 66 with 2 rooms and 14 with a single room.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 97 households enumerated in the Census, 21 contained at least one native Irish speaker - 33 in all. Since theirs was the last generation to have been born into a predominently Irish speaking environment, their names, occupations and ages are recorded here. All were born in Co. Armagh, with the exception of Thomas Connolly, born Co. Monaghan.

Population Decline

The following table sets out the number of houses and population enumerated in the townland in each of the 11 Censuses held between 1841 and 1951.

	1841	1851	1861	1871	1881	1891	1901	1911	1926	1937	1951
Houses	166	165	147	130	122	105	97	81	75	74	71
People	984	800	732	684	569	534	452	346	289	249	263
People per house	5.9	4.8	5.0	5.3	4.7	5.1	4.7	4.3	3.9	3.4	3.7

In the period of 110 years, the number of households more than halved (57%) and the population dropped by 73%. In the ten years to 1851 (the famine years) the townland lost 184 of its people. Thereafter the population fell at a constant rate until the 1920s when the fall slowed.

Names of House and Land Holders ⁽²⁾

The following table sets of the names of those who owned or rented houses and land on the townland at the time the valuation records or population censuses were compiled.