Location
Cregganbane Glebe is a townland of just over 584 statute acres in County Armagh about a mile and a half east of Crossmaglen on the road to Newry. The Tithe Applotment Books show the area to be 215 acres and 1 rood (Plantation Irish measure). It is bounded on the north by Cregganduff, on the east by Lurgancullenboy, on the south by Cornonagh and Drumbally and on the west by Urcher. The townland contains Creggan Church and Graveyard. Creggan Bridge, above the only waterfall on the Creggan river, stands at the head of an area of woodlands, known locally as "The Lawns", through which the river runs, and now known as "Poets Glen". The former manse has been demolished. The Church stands on the edge of a rocky cliff above the river and is the resting place, in a recently discovered vault, of the last of the O'Neill clan who dominated the Fews between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. The graveyard contains memorials to two of the Gaelic Poets, Patrick Mac aLiondan and Art Mac Cooey, as well as the grave of the famous poet and outlaw Seamus Mor McMurphy. There is a very active local history society; The Creggan Local History Society.
Name of Townland
John Donaldson says that "This townland, from which the parish of Creggan takes its name, is now divided into two - the one half being laid off for the glebe. The Rector's division became better cultivated than the rest of the townland, and received the name of Creggan-ban, or white Creggan; but the remaining part, now set to tenents, is equally as rocky and uncultivable as Cregganduff, or Black Creggan, the name by which the other half of the townland is distinguished." (1)
Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish (2)
CREGGAN BANE GLEBE (OSNB ii 12): This td. is the Glebe of the Parish. The village of Creggan. Church, Parsonage and school are all in it. It is the handsomest spot in the parish beside the village of Creggan.. A rapid river runs thro' a glen by the church, its banks are well wooded .... ornamental clumps giving it a very gay appearance.
Griffiths Valuation records the owner of the townland as Rev. William Barlow, with the exception of 411/2 acres belonging to Rev. Alex. H. Synge and 81/2 owned by Peter Wade. Of the 56 land holdings recorded, 41 were of less than ten acres, 11 were between ten and 20 acres and four were of 20 or more acres.
Census of Ireland 1901
The Census enumerated 206 people in 48 households; a ratio of 4.3 people per household. The households occupied a total of 144 rooms; a ratio of 3 rooms per household and 0.7 people per room. One household occupied 18 rooms, one occupied 6 rooms, two occupied 5 rooms, eight occupied 4 rooms, nine occupied 3 rooms, 24 occupied 2 rooms and three occupied one room. Nineteen of the houses were thatched.
Native Irish Speakers
Of the 48 households enumerated, 12 contained at least one native Irish speaker - a total of 16 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.
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.
In the period of 110 years, the number of households redduced by 58% while the population dropped by 73.5% - almost threequarters. The population halved between 1841 and 1901 and halved again by 1951, reflecting in the first place the continuing effects of the Great Famine and later the lack of rural employment opportunities, leading to emigration. Family Connections My family lived briefly in the townland for just over a year in 1951 and 1952 before moving to Cregganduff. The E. Devlin listed in 1957 is my father but we had been gone from there for five years. House and Land Holders All the Valuations since Griffiths identified those with houses in the townland and those who while living elsewhere leased or owned land there. The Census of Ireland enumerated only households in the townland. The following table uses this approach. 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. |
Census of Creggan | Tithe Applotment Books | Griffiths Valuation | Census of Ireland | First NI Revaluation | Second Revaluation | |
1766 | 1828 | 1864 | 1901 | 1935 | 1957 | 1970 |
Households/Land | Households | Households | Households | Households | Households | |
Bryan Garvy | Noble Armstrong | Rev William Barlow | William Beattie | Henry Begley | Henry Begley (Michael) | T.W.R. Atkins |
Daniel Garvy | Daniel Begley | William Beattie | John Begley | Margaret Begley | Patrick Begley | Henry Begley (Michael) |
James Garvy | Widow Begley | Briget Begley | Margaret Begley | Michael Byrne | Reps. Henry Begley | John G. Begley |
Owen Garvy | Bryan Burns | Daniel Begley | Michael Begley | Peter Byrne | Catherine Burke | Felix Burns |
Robert Garvy | Felix Burns | James Begley | Catherine Burns | Reps. Michael Campbell | Peter Byrne | Rev. J.J. Donnelly |
Michael Herety | Thomas Burns | John Begley | John Burns | Martha Gibson | Rosetta Byrne | Annie Hearty |
Cormick Hirety | Bryan Connolly | Michael Begley | Owen Burns | Joseph Griffin | E. Devlin | Francis Hearty |
Daniel Hirety | Hugh Duffy | Thomas Burns | Bryan Byrne | James Hearty | Rev. J.J. Donnelly | Owen Hearty |
James Hirety | Samuel Gilmer | Bryan Byrne | Francis Campbell | Michael Hearty | Elizabeth Finnegan | Owen Hearty (Neddy) |
John Hirety | Matthew Griffin | Felix Byrne | Mary Fee | Owen Hearty (Kane) | Joseph Griffin | Patrick Hearty |
Peter Hirety | Bernard Hearty | Peter Byrne | Robert Gibson | Owen Hearty (Mason) | Alice Hearty | Peter Hearty |
Rodger McLeane | Daniel Hearty Jun. | John Callaghan | Anne Griffin | Owen Hearty (Neddy) | Annie Hearty | Patrick Hearty (Peter) |
Bryan McShane | Daniel Hearty Sen. | Bridget Connolly | Anne Hearty | Peter Hearty | Francis Hearty | Peter Hearty (Mason) |
Patrick Mulligan | Francis Hearty | James Cooke | Bryan Hearty | Peter Hearty (Carragher) | Mary Hearty (Owen) | Patrick Kelly |
Daniel Murry | Francis Hearty Jun. | William Davitt | John Hearty | Peter Hearty (Mason) | Patrick Hearty (Neddy) | Michael Largy |
Edward Murtagh | Francis Hearty Sen. | Anne Donnelly | Mary Hearty | Reps. Francis Hearty | Patrick Hearty (Peter) | Thomas Loy (Bridget) |
John (Edward) Hearty | Mary Duffy | Owen Hearty | Patrick Kelly | Peter Hearty (Mason) | John Loye | |
John Hearty (Bridge) | Michael Griffin | Owen Hearty | Michael Largy | T. Hoey | Samuel McCullagh | |
Michael Hearty | Rose Harvey | Patrick Hearty | Bridget Loy | Patrick Kelly | Bridget McShane | |
Patt Hearty | Bryan Hearty | Patrick Hearty | Mary Loy | Michael Largy | Stephen McShane | |
Patt Hearty | Edward Hearty | Peter Hearty | James Mallon | John Loy | Patrick Murray | |
Peter Hearty | Francis Hearty | Thomas Hearty | Patrick Martin | Thomas Loy (Bridget) | Catherine Sloan | |
Thomas Hearty | Michael Hearty | Thomas Hearty | Kate McArdle | Thomas Lowe | Elizabeth Wilkinson | |
Jeremiah Jeffers | Owen Hearty | Thomas Hughes | George McCullagh | Mary J. Marks | Major Michael J. Wright | |
John Jeffers | Patrick Hearty | John Jeffers | Mary McDermott | Thomas McCormack | ||
Michael Kelly | Patrick Hearty | Richard Jeffers | Thomas McGurk | George McCullagh | Land &c | |
Thomas Kelly | Peter Hearty | Samuel Jeffers | Michael McShane | James McDermott | Ellen Begley | |
Michael Largey | Bernard Hughes | Alfred Wade Johnston | Rev. John Molloy | P. McQuillan | Peter Burke | |
Owen Lafferty | Jeremiah Jeffers | Michael Kelly | Alicia Murphy | Stephen McShane | Kevin Burns | |
Patt Lennan | John Jeffers | William Kelly | Anne Murphy | Annie McShane | Thomas Campbell | |
Peter Lennan | Thomas Kelly | James Largey | Elizabeth Murray | Patrick Murray | David Gilmore | |
Phelix Loy | William Kelly | Patrick Laverty | James O'Hagan | Rev. Maurice Noel | Agnes Hearty | |
Patt McDaniel | James Laverty | John Loye | Catherine Sloan | Bridget A. Hearty | ||
Fergus McLean | Michael Loy | Thomas Loy | Land &c | Elizabeth Wilkinson | Peter Hearty | |
John McLean | Patrick Loy | Thomas Loye | Rose Duffy | Reps Frank Hearty | ||
Henry McShane | Thomas Loy | Michael McCann | David Gilmore | Land &c | Thomas Hearty | |
Thomas McShane | Michael McCann | Peter McCreesh | Reps. Ellen Harvessy | Sarah Armstrong | Anne Jeffers | |
Patt Mulligan | Fergus McClean | Anne McGurk | Francis Hearty | Ellen Begley | James Lamb | |
Rev N. Murphy | Robert McCoy | Anne McShane | John Loy | Patrick Begley | Owen Boyle | |
Henry Murry | Peter McDonnell | Michael Mulligan | Patrick Loy | J. Burns | Hugh Largy | |
Bernard Murtagh | Edward McShane | John Murtagh | Michael Mulligan | Thomas Campbell | Bridget Loy | |
James Murtagh | Hugh McShane | Mary Murtagh | Reps. Margaret Wright | David Gilmore | John Loy | |
John Short | Patrick McShane | James Murray | Agnes Hearty | John Loy (Bridget) | ||
Elizabeth Stokes | Thomas McShane | William Patton | Bridget A. Hearty | Patrick Loy | ||
Andrew Taffe | Patrick Moley | Ellen Short | Bridget Hearty | Thomas Loy (Bridget) | ||
Peter Wade | Michael Mulligan jun. | Patrick Rice | F. Hearty | John McGuinness (Monog) | ||
Robert G. Wallace | Michael Mulligan sen. | Michael Wade | James Hearty | George Stokes | ||
William Wright | Patrick Murray | Margaret Wright | Peter Hearty | Malachi Treanor | ||
Anne Murtagh | Reps Frank Hearty | James Wade | ||||
Edward Murtagh | Thomas Hearty | James Wade | ||||
Edward Murtagh | Anne Jeffers | |||||
Patrick Shane | Margaret Kellly | |||||
Patrick Short | Robert Lamb | |||||
George Stokes | Hugh Largy | |||||
John Tipping | Bridget Loy | |||||
James Wade | John Loy | |||||
Margaret White | John Loy (Bridget) | |||||
John Wright | Patrick Loy | |||||
William Wright | Thomas Loy (Bridget) | |||||
Richard Rowland (Forge) | ||||||
Leased land | George Stokes | |||||
Patrick Begley | Patrick Treanor | |||||
Samuel Gilmore | James Wade | |||||
Michael Largy | Mary Wright | |||||
Edward McGuirk | Olive & Marina Wright | |||||
Note: 1. 'Account of the Barony of Upper Fews" 1838, Note 6 p.102 2. G. Jarvis (up to 1835) as compiled by A.J. Hughes in Seanchas Ard Mhacha Vol 15 No 1 1992 pp 97 - 112. Last Updated on 6 October 2004 Email: pdevlinz@btinternet.com © Patrick Devlin 2004 |