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drummuckavall

Location

Drummuckavall (288 acres 3 roods 36 perches) as its name implies (McCowells ridge), occupies a large drumlin on the Co Louth border two miles south of Crossmaglen. It is bounded on the north by Sheiland, on the east by Drummuck and Clarnagh, on the south by Courtbane in County Louth and on the west by Moybane. In the Tithe Applotment Books - 1828 - the area is shown as 158 acres 1 rood 39 perches (Plantation Irish measure).

Name of townland

Druim Mhic Cathmhaiol, "McConville's ridge or McCawell's ridge".

In 1664 it the townland was "Drumwalle"; in 1766 "Drumackevall"; since then "Drummuckavall". There is no other townland of that name in Ireland.

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish (2)

DRUMMUCVKAVALL (OSNB ii 17): There is a lake on the W. of this td. called Drummaghavawl Lake & considerable patches of bog & uncultivated land. The road from Dundalk to Crossmaglen runs thro' its S.W. side. Distant about 11/2 miles from Crossmaglen. The land is high and of very inferior quality producing indifferent crops. There is a small fort centered in the td.
It contains 286..3..1 of which 37..0..30 is uncultivated and Bog, & 1..0..32 water.

Rev LP Murray, in his "History of the Parish of Creggan in the 17th and 18th Centuries" in The Journal of the County Louth Archaelogical Society (Vol VIII 1934 No 2) comments -

"A very interesting name is Brian Sonna of Drummackewall - represented today by numerous families who call themselves Lucky."

ED: "Sona" is the Gaelic for 'fortunate', 'lucky'.

Griffiths Valuation records that the land was owned by Thomas P. Ball. Of the 25 land holdings, 13 were of less than 10 acres, eight were between 10 and 20 acres and four were of 20 or more acres.

Census of Ireland 1901

The Census enumerated 94 people in 20 households, a ratio of 4.7 people per household. The households occupied a total of 54 rooms; a ratio of 2.7 rooms per household and 1.7 people per room. Seven of the households had 2 rooms, nine had 3 rooms and four had 4 rooms. 17 of the houses were thatched.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 20 households enumerated in the Census, 7 contained at least one native Irish speaker - 11 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 Margaret Kirk, born Co. Louth and Anne Byrne, born Co. Monaghan.

  • Mary Luckie, farmer, widow, 43 and her brother Edward Morris, boarder maintained by interest, 33
  • John Luckie, farmer, 56
    and his wife Anne, 58
  • Mary Devlin, sister of Patrick Devlin, widow, 54
  • Thomas Daly, farmer, 68
    and his daughter Annie, housekeeper, 28
  • Margaret Kirk, farmer, widow, 48
    and her brother-in-law John Kirk, farm servant, 55
  • Owen McEneny, farmer, 56
  • Anne Byrne, housekeeper, widow, 79
* The average age of the group was 53; eldest 79, youngest 28
* Of the group, nine could both read and write and four could read only.

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 29 30 28 28 25 24 20 19 19 17 14
People 165 149 139 116 115 111 94 79 81 57 47
People per house 5.7 5.0 5.0 4.1 4.6 4.6 4.7 4.2 4.3 3.4 3.4

In the period of 110 years, the number of households halved but the population dropped by 72% - almost threequarters. The largest drop (43%) was in the 60 years from 1841 to 1901 reflecting the continuing effects of the Great Famine and lack of rural employment opportunities. The decline continued through the first half of the 20th century.

Family Connection

My Great Grandfather Patrick Devlin lived in this townland. I am not yet sure whether the Patrick Devlin in Griffiths is he, or if the Patrick Devlin in the 1901 Census is my grand uncle.

Names of House and Land Holders

All the Valuation records identify separately those with houses in the townland and those who leased or owned land these while living elsewhere. The Census enumerated only those with households in the townland. The Table below sets out this information accordingly.

Although the data is not strictly comparable since the information was gathered for different purposes and used varying criteria, the details provide a comparison of the names of house and land holders who were listed in the Townland at the different periods. While we can not discern the direct lines of descent it is clear that many are from the same families.

Hearth Money Roll Census of Creggan Tithe Applotment Books Griffiths Valuation Census of Ireland First NI Revaluation Second Revaluation
1664 1766 1828 1864 1901 1935 1957 1970
    Households/Land  Households Households Households Households Households
Owen McCarney John Burns Peter Daily Thomas Agnew Patrick Agnew Patrick Agnew N. Agnew N. Agnew
Bryan McGorman Owen Burns Henry Harvasy Patrick Daly Anne Byrne Reps Laurence Early Patrick Early Patrick Early
Turlagh McIlrud Neal Callaghan Owen Harvesy Peter Daly Michael Carrol Annie Farrell Mary Anne Finnegan Mary Anne Finnegan
Teage O Boyle Owen Callaghan Patt Harvasy Patrick Devlin Thomas Daly Owen Harvey John Harvey Gerald Kelly
  Thomas Callaghan Terence Harvasy Peter Devlin Patrick Devlin Patrick Harvey Sarah Harvey John Harvey
  Widow Callaghan Lawerence Kelly Owen Early Lawrance Early Patrick Harvey Peter Lennon Sarah Harvey
  Catherine Harvassey Adam Lamb Patrick Early John Finnegan Thomas Harvey James Luckie Peter Lennon
  Patrick Harvassey Patt Leneghan John Finnegan Patrick Finnegan Peter Lennan P. Luckie James Luckie
  Owen Harvassey Art Lennon John Harvey sen. John Harvey John Luckie Michael McEneaney Mary Luckie
  John Martin Patt Lennon John Harvey jun. John Harvey Thomas Luckie Patrick McKeown Michael McEneaney
  Bryan McCave Terence Lucky Jun. Patrick Harvey Patrick Harvey Thomas Luckie Jun. Patrick McKeown Patrick McKeown
  Hugh McCave Terence Lucky Sen. Arthur Leneghan Margaret Kirk John Maguire Patrick Mulligan Patrick Mulligan
  Patrick McCace Patt McElroy Bernard Leneghan John Lenaghan Bridget McEneany P. Rooney Luke Wynn
  Phillip McCave Laurance McKave Michael Leneghan Peter Lennon Michael McEneany Luke Wynn
  Thomas McCave Owen McKeone Arthur Lennon Mary Lucky Mary McKeown
  Widow McCave Matthew Mulholin Michael Lennon John Lucky Patrick McKeown Land Land
  Owen McEnteggart Widow Shevlin Patrick Lucky Thomas Lucky Catherine Harvey Catherine Harvey
  Patrick McEnteggart Rodger Shields Terence Lucky Patrick McElroy Land John Harvey (Patrick) John Harvey (Patrick)
  Cormuck McKeone Jonathan Smith Bridget Mulholland Owen McEneny Annie Devlin Patrick Lenaghan Patrick Lenaghan
  James McKeone   Patrick McArdle Bridget McKeown William Hale Owen Loy Owen Loy
  Philemy McKeone   Patrick McCahy   John Kirk Owen Loy (Mobane) Owen Loy (Mobane)
  Bryan McShane   Patrick McElroy   John Lenaghan Thomas Luckie Jun. Thomas Luckie Jun.
  Patrick Murphy   Owen McKeown   Patrick Lenaghan James McArdle James McArdle
  Bryan Sonna   Ann Shiels   James McArdle Owen McArdle Owen McArdle
        Thomas P. Ball P. McKeown (Shop) P. McKeown (Shop)
      Land  
      John Harvey  
      Owen Harvey
James Kirk
Owen McAneny

Note:
1. Hugh Macauley, "Creggan", Journal of Creggan Local History Society, No.6 1992 p.37
2. G. Jarvis (up to 1835) as compiled by A.J. Hughes in Seanchas Ard Mhacha Vol 15 No 1 1992 pp 97 - 112.
[Back to Townlands of Creggan]

Last Updated on 10 October 2004
Email: pdevlinz@btinternet.com

© Patrick Devlin 2004