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Townlands of The Parish of Cushendun
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The names of the land show the heart of the race They move on the tongue like the lilt of a song You say the name and I will see the place Drumbo, Dungannon, Annalong Barony townland, we cannot go wrong
You gave it the name and my quick thoughts run Through the narrow towns, with their wheels of trade to Glenballyemon, Glenaan, Glendun From Trostan down to the byaes of Layde
John Hewitt's poem - Ulster Names - opens a window of interest and information into the whole panorama of townlands across Ulster.
All the names carry a significance pointing to geographical features, farming practices, population trends, flora and fauna or simply the customs and lives of our ancestors. These names and meanings point to a way of life long gone.
The aforementioned scheme by the Post Office, to abandon the townland names and substitute them with house numbers and designated roads, was greeted with dismay in rural Ulster.
However, a campaign organised by the Federation of Local Studies eventually led to the agreement that the townland name could appear along with the house number and postcode.
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Origin of Townland Names
Sometimes townlands took their names from the topography of the area,
Others took their names from animals
Then there are the places which were named after the local plants or trees
All of these names indeed give valuable insights into the landscape and features of the Parish.
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Sometimes townlands took their names from the topography of the area,
Others took their names from animals
Then there are the places which were named after the local plants or trees
All of these names indeed give valuable insights into the landscape and features of the Parish.
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Townland Size
Townlands vary very much in size.
The boundaries of the townlands in the Parish usually follow the streams or rivers.
This can lead to confusion where the streams or rivers have altered course.
As a result a townland can be found on both sides of the river or stream.
A good example of this can be seen at Agolagh or Dromore, but in the main, townlands are on the same side of a river or stream.
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Population
An examination of the population trends shows that since 1841 there has been a dramatic fall in numbers in nearly every townland.
The number of people living in Gortacreggan in 1841 was 77 and by 1926 this had fallen to 28.
Dunourgan had 23 houses and a population of 132 in 1841. By 1926, this had been reduced to 8 houses and 22 people. However, Dunourgan is one of the few townlands where the population is now increasing.
In Ballyteerim the 1841 population was 41 with 7 houses and by 1926 there was only 1 occupied house with 2 people living in it.
There has now been a complete reversal of this situation. Today there are 4 occupied houses, all recently built, while the wallsteads of the former homes can still be seen.
Today in Glendun, there is only 1 occupied house in the townland of Drumfresky, while there is no one living in :
Unoccupied townlands in Torr include :
Among the reasons for the population decline were unsatisfactory living conditions.
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Townland Life
Houses were usually grouped closely together in clusters known as "Towns" and there were inevitable disputes about trespass, rights of way and access to water.
Furthermore, the holdings were very small and farm practices were changing.
The custom of booleying, whereby cattle were moved to the mountain pastures in summer, had almost died out.
After the famine, although it probably did not have the same drastic consequences in the Glens as in other parts of Ireland, there was a great increase in emigration, especially around the beginning of the twentieth century.
Some of those emigrants who settled in foreign lands still kept alive the memories of home, naming their property after the townland they had left, e.g. two sons of Toby McAuley called their house in America - Clady, and the McKinley family from Cushleake called their house in Australia - Culraney.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, a government scheme to build what was known as Labourers' Cottages enticed many people away from remote and overcrowded dwellings to more comfortable homes.
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Ordnance Survey
In 1830, the first Ordnance Survey was carried out and this was revised ten years later by what was known as the Griffith Valuation. His was a comprehensive scheme to put a value on lands and properties.
The enumerators took their task very seriously. Some of them even tried to learn the Irish language so that they could better understand the information they were being given by the local people.
In spite of this there were many instances where it proved to be almost impossible to get a satisfactory explanation of some of the townland names they were given.
This situation still prevails today.
In general, the meanings of the Irish names give accurate descriptions of the area.
But it is almost impossible to get total agreement on the meanings of all of them.
Academics and scholars of the Irish language still puzzle over some of the translations while some of them were probably never Irish in origin depending on the occupancy and ownership. A good example of this is Castle Park.
The debate about a definitive list of Irish Place Names and their meanings is still alive and of renewed interest to local residents through such projects as the current one in Cushendun Parish.
The inscription of the names on stone and placing of these markers throughout the parish at sites where they will be visible, will undoubtedly revive the debate.
But to return to John Hewitt:
But you have as good a right as I To praise the place where your face is Known For over us all is the self same sky The limestones locked in the strength of the bone And who shall mock the steadfast stone.
Ownership and identification with the townlands is an important part of our heritage and at least they are now going to be available to all through their inscription on this selfsame "steadfast stone".
Malachy McSparran, Cloney
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