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Cornonagh

Location

Cornonagh a townland of 547 statute acres 2 roods and 20 perches. It is about three miles from Crossmaglen on the Creggan-Ballsmill road. It is bounded on the north by Drumbally, Cregganbane and Lurgancullenboy, on the east by Mounthill, on the south by County Louth and on the west by Coolderry. The Tithe Applotment Books records the total area as 315 acres 1 rood and 20 perches (Plantation Irish measure).

Name of townland

Corr Abhna, "The high hill of whins" (1)

There is no other townland in Ireland with that name.

There are two articles about Cornonagh in "Creggan", the Journal of the Creggan Local History Society, both by Len Gourd-

  • "The Cornonagh Evictions" No 9 - 1999/2000 page 94
  • "Cornonagh in 1901" No 10 - 2001/2002 page 86

Ordnanace Survey Name Books: Creggan Parish (2)

CORNOONAGH (OSNB ii 8): This is very high land of a very light inferior quality and rough in its general appearance. A good part of it is bog, uncultivated and water. It is under tillage rented in small portions. The dwellings are numerous but very poor. A bye road runs thro' it with connecting lanes but no main road of any significance.
It contains 547..2..20 of which 59..3..35 is uncultivated and Bog, & 0..2..16 water.

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 1828 1837 1851 1864 1871 1881 1891 1901 1911 1926 1935 1952 1957 1974
Valuation £206.08 £246.55 £201.55 £210.10 £210.50 £207.50 £207.25 £207.25 £213.40 £221.15 £275.25 £271.50 £113.25 £127.00

The 1837 Townland Valuation recorded only houses worth £5 or more a year. There were none in the townland.

Griffiths Valuation records the owner of the townland as mostly Rev. Edward J. Hamilton with the exception of 231/2 acres belonging to Samuel Gilmore and George Griffin. In addition to the land they owned, Samuel Gilmore and George Griffin also leased an additional 21 acres.

Census of Ireland 1901

The Census enumerated 193 people in 48 households, a ratio of 4 people per household.

Native Irish Speakers

Of the 48 households enumerated in the Census, 26 contained at least one native Irish speaker - 38 in all. Since theirs was the last generation to have been born into a predominently Irish speaking environment, their names are recorded here. All were born in Co. Armagh, with the exception of Mary Donaghy, Edward Hearty and Rose Conlon - born in Co. Louth and Mary Quinn, Co Monaghan.

  • Mary Donaghy, farmer, widow, 65
  • Michael McKeown, retired farmer, 75
    Father of Patrick McKeown
  • Mary Donaghy, farmer, widow, 70
  • Michael Morgan, farmer, 70
  • Peter McShane, farmer, 54
  • Edward Hearty, farmer, 65
  • Thomas Duffy, farmer, 62
    and his wife Anne, 60
  • Mary Faughy, farmer, 80
  • Thomas Eastwood, farmer, 60
    and his wife Ellen, 45
  • Peter Conlon, farmer, 70
    his wife Rose, 50
    and his brother-in-law, Michael Matthews, ag. labourer, 48
  • John Kiernan, farmer, 78
  • Patrick McGeeney, farmer, 62
  • Bridget Traynor, farmer's wife, 46
  • Mary Quinn, farmer, widow, 90
    and her daughter Rose Gogarty,50
  • James O'Hagan, farmer, 66
    and his wife Rose, 58
  • Patrick McCooey, farmer, 63
  • Rose McGuirk, seamstress, 45
    and her sister Bridget, seamstress, 60
  • Laurance Hughes, labourer, 58
  • Patrick McCooey, farm labourer, 57
    and his wife Catherine, housekeeper, 51
  • Rose Morris, farmer, widow, 70
  • Patrick Hughes, farm labourer, 60
    and his wife Catherine, 59
  • Edward Martin, farm labourer, 60
    and his wife Ellen, 42
  • Alice Hughes, farmer, 57
  • Patrick Hearty, farmer, 65
    and his wife Catherine, 56
  • Matthew Hearty, farmer, 52
  • Bernard Duffy, farmer, 67
    and his wife Rose, 62
* The average age of the Irish speakers was 61; the oldest 90, the youngest 42.

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 97 99 85 82 76 66 48 46 40 45 31
People 505 455 374 329 297 267 193 185 131 129 109
People per house 5.2 4.6 4.4 4.0 3.9 4.0 4.0 4.0 3.3 2.9 3.5

In the period of 110 years, the number of households reduced by 68% and the population by 78% - more than three quarters. The reduction continued steadily until the 1920s, after which the rate of decline slowed.

Names of House and Land Holders (3)

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.


1664 1766 1828 1854 1901 1935 1957 1969

    Households &c Households Households Households Households Households
Patt O'Lawell Bryan Callaghan Lennox Bigger Esq. James Brennan Rose Callaghan Henry Comisky James Conlon Brendan Conlon
Philip O'Lawell Bryan Casey James Brianan Peter Brennan Patrick Conlon Patrick Comiskey M. Conlon M. Conlon
Turlagh O'Lawell Thomas Connelan Patt Brannan Jun Sarah Brennan Peter Conlon Thomas Conlon Patrick Conlon Patrick Conlon
James O'Mullaghan Owen Donnelly Patt Brannan Sen Michael Casey James Cummiskey Charles Donaghy Bridget Donaghy Bridget Donaghy
Patt O'Mullaghan Isaac Donnely Patt Brannan Sen James Conlon Michael Cummiskey Mary Donaghy Catherine Donaghy Catherine Donaghy
  Patrick Donnely James Conlon Michael Conlon Thomas Cummiskey Mary Donaghy Margaret Donaghy Margaret Donaghy
  Peter Donnely Thomas Conlon Patrick Conlon Mary Donaghy Thomas Donaghy Thomas Donaghy Owen Donaghy
  Richard Evers Edward Cummiskey Edward Cumisky Mary Donaghy Julia Donnelly Patrick Donnelly Patrick Donnelly
  Cormick Herety Michael Cummiskey Reps Edward Cumisky Michael Donnelly Owen Duffy Owen Duffy Patrick Duffy
  Michael Herety Patt Cummiskey Michael Cumiskey Peter Donnelly John Hannon John Hannon Thomas Flynn
  Bryan Hughs Peter Cummiskey Bridget Denahy Bernard Duffy Edward Hearty Jun. Laurence Hearty Margaret Hearty
  John Hutcheson Patt Donaghy Peter Denaghy Thomas Duffy Felix Hearty Matthew Hearty Michael Hearty
  Andrew Keane Peter Donaghy Anne Devlin Thomas Eastwood Kate Hearty Michael Hearty Patrick Loy
  Denis Keane Owen Donnelly Michael Donnelly Bryan Faughy Mary Hearty Thomas Hearty Bridget Mallon
  Edmund Keene Cormick Duffy John Dubbs Mary Faughy Matthew Hearty Mary Kane Hugh Martin
  Laurence Keane Owen Duffy James Duffy Edward Hearty Michael Hearty Mary Loy Michael McGeeney
  Widow Keane Owen Duffy Jun Patrick Duffy Matthew Hearty Pater Hearty Bridget Mallon Patrick McGeeney
  Daniel Kieran James Eastwood James Eastwood Patrick Hearty Reps. Owen Hughes Hugh Martin James McKeown
  Hugh Lamb Edward Hearty Hugh Fahy Patrick Hearty Hugh Martin P. Martin T.McKeown
  Neese McElterny John Hearty James Fahy Alice Hughes John McCooey Arthur McCooey Michael McShane
  Phelemy McEnalty Patt Hearty Mary Golligly Lawrance Hughes Patrick McCooey Michael McGeeney Michael McShane
  James McGaw Owen Hearty Arthur Harty Patrick Hughes Michael McComiskey T.McKeown P.J. McShane
  Art McGeeny Arthur Hughes Hugh Harvey John Kiernan Michael McGeeney Tkomas McKeown Mary Traynor
  Edmund McGinisse Lawrence Hughes Reps. Edward Hearty Thomas Lavell Peter McGeeney Michael McShane Nicholas Traynor
  Edmund McGraw Peter Hughes Laurence Herty Edward Martin Rose McGurk P. McShane Patrick Traynor
  John McInvine Thomas Hughes Matthew Herty Patrick McCooey James McKeown P.J. McShane Patrick Traynor
  Art Murphy Thomas Kernaghan Nicholas Herty Patrick McCooey Patrick McKeown John Morgan Patrick Woods
  Joseph Powell Henry Kirk Arthur Hughes Patrick McGeeney John McShane James Traynor  
  John Quinn Manus Kirk Bryan Hughes Peter McGeeney Michael McShane Nicholas Traynor Land
  Edmund Roundtree Peter Kirk Denis Hughes Rose McGuirk John Morgan Patrick Traynor  
  Peter Tool Bryan Lavell James Hughes Patrick McKeown Michael Morgan Patrick Woods J. Campbell
    Edward Lavelle Judith and Rose Hughes John McShane Peter Morgan   Michael Conlon
    Hugh Lavelle Laurence Hughes Peter McShane Patrick Morris Land John Daly
    James Mageeney Peter Hughes Margaret Morgan Patrick Murphy J. Campbell Mary Daly
    Peter Mageeney Thomas Kiernan Michael Morgan James O'Hagan Michael Conlon (Thomas) Patrick Duffy
    Thomas Mageeney Henry Kirk Patrick Morgan Richard O'Hagan Thomas Conlon Arthur Hamill
    Patt Maginnis John Kirk Rose Morris Peter Quinn Patrick Duffy Richard Hamilton
    Bryan McArdle Patrick Larkin Francis Murphy Ellen Robb Arthur Hamill Laurence Hearty
    Widow McArdle Thomas Lavill James O'Hagan John Smith Richard Hamilton Mary Kane
    Arthur McBride John Loey Mary Palmer Bryan Traynor Felix Hearty Peter Kane
    Hugh McBride Arthur Mageany Mary Quinn James Traynor Reps Owen Hughes James Keenan
    John McCabe Reps Edward Mageany Peter Robb Michael Traynor Peter Kane Patrick J. King
    Thomas McCave Laurence Mageany John Smith Patrick Woods J. Keegan Patrick Larkin
    James McCooey Michael Mageany Bryan Traynor James Keenan J. Mallon
    Owen McCooey Edward Magennis Patrick Traynor Land Patrick Larkin John Mallon
    Michael McDaniel Felix Magennis Patrick Traynor Thomas Eastwood   Michael McGeeney
    Patt McDaniel James Magennis Michael Woods Anne Faughey Thomas Magill Michael McKeown
    Roger McDaniel Patrick Maguirk [illegible] McShane Maggie Faughey J. Mallon Patrick McQuillan
    James McDonnell Bryan McArdle   Arthur Hamill Michael McGeeney Patrick John McShane
    James McEntegart Michael McCabe   James Keenan Michael McKeown Patrick McShane
    Owen McFagy Eliza McCoy   Patrick Larkin Patrick John McShane Ellen Morgan
    Edward McGeeney Mary McCoy   Arthur McCooey Patrick McShane Patrick Murphy
    Henry McKeown Mary McCoy   Patrick McKeon Ellen Morgan Daniel Murray
    Michael McKeown Patrick McCoy   Thomas McKeown James Morgan Michael Traynor
    James McMahon John McDonnell   Owen McShane Patrick Murphy  
    John McShane Rose McDonnell   Ellen Morgan Daniel Murray  
    John Morgan Felix McKeon   James Morgan Annie O'Hagan  
    Owen Morgan Michael McKeon   Patrick Morgan Mary J. Palmer  
    Patt Morgan Thomas McKeon   Thomas Morgan Bernard Traynor  
    Thomas Morgan John McKeown   Daniel Murray James Treanor  
    Hugh Morris Michael McShane   Bernard Traynor Michael Traynor  
    Thomas Morris Owen McShane   Richard Hamilton    
    Francis Murphy Edward Morgan        
    Michael Murphy Edward Morgan Jun        
    Terence Quinn Michael Morgan Jun        
    Thomas Robb and Son Thomas Morgan        
    Eleanor Treanor Arthur Morris        
    Patt Treanor Hugh Morris        
    Thomas Treanor James Murphy        
    Michael Woods Patrick Murphy        
    Patt Woods Bryan Myers        
    Thomas Woods Edward Quinn        
      Mary Quinn        
      Richard Quinn        
      Thomas Robb        
      Peter Toole        
      Bryan Traynor        
      Owen Traynor        
      Thomas Traynor        
      Michael Woods        
      Owen Woods        
               
      Land        
      Owen Donnelly        
      Samuel Gilmore        
      George Griffin        
      Mary Hughes        
      Mary Keenan        
      Owen Lamb        
      Neill Murphy        
      Edward Richard Quinn        
      Michael Traynor        
      Patrick Traynor        

Note:
1. Hugh Macauley, "Creggan", Journal of Creggan Local History Society, No.6 1992 p.36
2. G. Jarvis (up to 1835) as compiled by A.J. Hughes in Seanchas Ard Mhacha Vol 15 No 1 1992 pp 97 - 112.
3. See Appendix 2

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Last Updated on 8 February 2006
Email: pdevlinz@btinternet.com

© Patrick Devlin 2006