No. VI.

PARISH OF

ERRIGALL-KEROGE,

(Diocese of Armagh, and County of Tyrone.)

BY THE REV. JOHN GROVES.

1. Name of the Parish, Situation, Extent, &c.

IN the grant of the advowson of this parish, by Name. King James I., to Sir Thomas Ridgeway, who was then Treasurer at War for Ireland, and afterwards Lord Londonderry, the name is spelled, Errigall-keroge. It has since been also called Ballinasaggart, from the name of the townland in which the present church stands. By either of these names it is always known among the gentlemen and clergy of the country, but the farmers and country people universally call it Errigall-kieran, and really greater appearance of propriety is in their favour. Tradition says, that the former church, the ruins of which yet remain, was built by St. Kieran; while the other epithet, Keroge, seems to have no relation to any thing ecclesiastical; it signifies that species of beetle which is vulgarly called a black clock. But the authority of a record ought to be preferred to tradition, however specious. The former part of the name is the

S

Situation.

Extent.

Irish for a relic, and the additional part seems to have been put to it to distinguish this parish from the adjoining parish of Errigall-treugh, in the county of Monaghan.

The parish of Errigall-keroge is situated wholly in the county of Tyrone, and barony of Clogher. It belongs to the diocese of Armagh; but the advowson, and right of presentation, is the property of John Corry Moutray, of Favour Royal, Esq. It is a rectory and vicarage, unconnected with any other benefice. As to its topographical circumstances, the shape nearly resembles a lozenge; its longer dimension extending, north and south, above seven miles, Contents, and the shorter, from east to west, about four. By a return, made purposely for this survey, it appears, that it contains 6181 Irish acres, of arable, meadow, and pasture; and 3716 of profitable mountain. This latter, in some instances, is held by itself; but, in most cases, the tenant holds a portion of mountain attached to his farm. The whole profitable part, therefore, amounts to 9897 acres yielding rent; but there are also large tracts of unprofitable mountain, so that Errigall-keroge may be said to contain from Boundaries 10,500 to 11,000 acres of ground. On the north, it is separated from the parish of Termonmaguirk by a branch of that stream, which, passing through Omagh, and receiving others in its course, forms the river Strule. On the west, it is separated, generally, by an imaginary line from Cloghermy and Clogher On the south, the river Blackwater divides it from Errigall treugh. One half of the eastern side is separated from Aghalow by a considerable stream, which falls into the Blackwater, but is known by no name,

except that of the townlands through which it passes; the rest of this side adjoins the parish of Killeshill, from which it is separated only by a line. The church is situated in 54° 23' north latitude, and in 7° 22' longitude west of London. Several streams intersect the parish, which serve to turn mills, but are not otherwise deserving of notice. Indeed, they are not distinguished by names, except occasionally, from the places through which they flow. There are some pools among the mountains, but the only piece of water, that deserves the name of a lake, is Lake. Martray Lough, on the east side, through the middle of which runs the mearing next Aghalow.

Errigall-keroge is divided among three manors, Divisions. but does not contain any one entirely. The church lands, or, as they are called, The Nine Towns of Errigall, belong to the manor of Donoughmore. This manor holds pleas to a considerable amount: £100 is generally said to be the highest sum, but there is reason to believe that it is unlimited. The townlands to the south of these compose part of the manor of Portclare or Ballykirgir, as it is named in the charter of James the First, by which it was erected. It is now known by the name of Ballymackley; but why, or when, the name was thus changed, no account can be given. The northern townlands all belong to the manor of Moynah, otherwise Moyenner, or Ballygalin, as it is named in Pynnar's Survey. It is now called Ballygawley, from the court being usually held in that town. The extent of the jurisdiction of these two last is limited to forty shillings. The benefit of such courts to the country is very questionable, since the recovery of

1

Divisions. small debts has been removed from the assizes to the quarter sessions, and the demands for wages can be determined by two Magistrates. The little legal information generally possessed by the person who sits as judge, and the inferior rank of those who attend as jurors, induce a probability, that erroneous decisions must occur much oftener than could be wished. The sum in question is always small in itself, but it is considerable to the poor man whose right is concerned in the decision. Beside, it seems more consistent with the spirit of national jurisprudence, that all the branches, into which its operations are divided, should proceed as directly as possible from the root.

These two manors originally composed two grants of forfeited lands, made early in the reign of King James the First; and for some time they continued entire. That of Moinah, or Ballygawley, was granted to Wm. Turvin, of whom no more than the name is known; how it passed from him to Sir Gerard Lowther, to whom it belonged when Pynnar made his survey, cannot be ascertained. There was then in Ballygawley no more than a bawn of earth and stone, with two flankers eight feet high. It was rented by a Mr. Pringle, who made a return of twenty tenants, but without particularising their holdings. From Sir Gerard Lowther, or his representatives, the manor seems to have passed to Hugh Hamilton, Lord Baron of Genawley, or Glenally, as the title is sometimes spelled; who is found purchasing, in the year 1672, the adjoining lands of Tullynavern. His only son dying a minor, his two daughters inherited the property. Upon a partition made, the barony of Finah, more usually called the Sixmilecross Estate, except