TEMPLEMORE.
The parish of Templehoee, sometimes called Temple Derby [Teccmpulo *Ohoifie], and more anciently Debet [*Ooip.e],
or Debet Coltjmbkille [T>oip.e
Chottmii Citte], derives its first and most usual name— Templemore—from the Irish cecrnipuLL moil, or "great church"—reccmpuii [temphim] being derived from the Latin, like most other Irish words expressive of Christian edifices, offices, rites, and ceremonies.
This name -was originally applied, in a popular sense, to the cathedral, or "great church" of Deny, in contradistinction from the smaller churches in its immediate vicinity; and, after the cathedral had become the parish church, its popular name—Templemobe—was in a similar manner transferred to the parish.
There is every reason, however, to believe that the use of this name is not of very ancient standing; for it appears from the Irish annals that the cathedral, or Templemore, was not erected till 1164, and it is probable that it was not used as a parish church till some centuries later.
Its more ancient appellation—Derry—would therefore still be the more correct one, and it is generally so called in ecclesiastical records down to recent times.
The most ancient names of the district in which this parish [Templemore] is situated were Farran Neid— •peccfionn tlei-o, or the land of Neid,—and Tir Ely—'Op, CCiti§, or the country of Aileach.
Of these names the former is derived by Irish writers from Neid Mac Indai, a provincial king of the Tuatha-de-Dananns, who had his palace on the hill in Inishowen, now called the Grianan, or Grianan Ely, and anciently CdLeccc "Meiti,—and the latter name was derived from the palace of that monarch.
At the commencement of the 5th century, when, a large portion of Ireland was partitioned by the monarch Niall (called of the Nine Hostages,) among his twelve sons, this district became the patrimony of his son Eogan, or Owen, from whom it received the name of Inishowen.
—Imp e-ogcan, or Owen's Island—being nearly insulated by the two arms of the sea, called Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly.
The ancient and natural southern boundary of this peninsula extended from Castleforward— anciently called Ciut-inac-an-rp.eoin—on
Lough Swilly, by Lough Lappan, now Port Lough, to Carrigins, on the Foyle, and included the whole of the present parish of Derry, or Templemore.
After the erection of the abbey at Derry, by St.
Columbkille, a portion of this ancient district, lying immediately adjacent to it, was given as a support to that establishment; and hence the territorial boundary of Inishowen, as a temporal lordship, became changed so as to exclude the island of Derry and the other church-lands.
This change appears evident from the Inquisition taken at Derry, in 1609, before a jury composed of resident English, and of Irish natives of the principal ancient septs of the district, who were impannelled to ascertain among other matters the extent of the possessions of Sir John O'Doherty and his son Sir Cahir, as lords of Inishowen.
Their return was, "that the auntient and knowue meares of the countrey of Inishowen, als ODoghertie's countrey, to the south and southeast, are and have bene tyme out of mynde as followeth, viz.
from the pte or braunch of Loughswilly on the west and southwest pte of Birt thorough the midst of a bog which extendeth to Loughlappan [O'Lappan's Lake], and soe thorough the midst of that lough, and soe alongst the midst of a small river, fallinge into Loughlappan, from a well or springe uppon Mullaghknockeniona, and from the topp of that mountayne the meare extendethjhorougk a small bogg which runeth alonge the topp of the hill of Ardenemahill, and soe to the top of the hill of Knockenagk, uppon the east pte of which hill ariseth the streame of Altbally W Eowertie which runneth ameare betweene Bally Mc Rowertie in flnishowen and pte of the lands of the Derry and Garrowgarle, to the cawsy, under Ellogh, and soe down thorough the bog to Loghswilly, and from the foresaid cawsy the meare of Inishowen aforesaid is thorough the midst of the bo<>g to Loughfoile."
Thus it appears certain that Sir John O'Doherty was in possession of all the townlands within the parish, the churchlands excepted, as belonging to his territory of Inishowen.
These townlands were Ballyarnett, Ballymac-grorty, Ooshquin, Laharden, and.
Elaghmore—all which were upon a surrender confirmed to him by letters patent in the 30th Elizabeth.
In 1599 Sir John O'Doherty rebelled, and forfeited all Inishowen; but it was afterwards regranted to his son, Sir Cahir, " the said quarter of Ballyarnett, the half quarter of Laharden, on which the said castle of Ooolemore is built, together with three hundred acres of land to the said castle allotted and apperteyuinge, only excepted."
In 1608 Sir Cahir also rebelled, and, his letters patent therefore becoming "null and voide," his whole property was granted to Arthur, Lord Chichester, of Belfast, by letters patent bearing date the 20th of November, in the 19 th James I.
It appears from au Inquisition, taken at Donegal in 1625, that Lord Chichester, being thus seized of these possessions, leased them to Faithfull Fortescue, Knt.,
Arthur Usher, Tristram Berrisford, and Charles Points, and to their heirs and assigns.
The townlands belonging to the abbey of St.
Columbkille were Ballougry, Ballymagowan, Ballynagard, Bally-nashallog, Gree.vagh,
Killea, Mullennan, Termonderry (now Londonderry), and Termonbacca.
These, with the exception of Ballynagard and Ballynashallog, formed the Fifteen Hundred Acres, or Quarter Lands.
The quarter of Craggin and Drumniurny, and the half-quarter of Courneglogh—both which seem to be included in the present townlands of Grrggan and Edenballyinore.—belonged
to the bishop ; and the townland of Bullyna-galliagh, as its name imports, was a part of the property of the nunnery of Deny.—(See
Inquisition, taken at Derry in 1609.)
It has not been discovered whether the townland of Skantallow was ecclesiastical or temporal property, as the name does not occur in the Inquisitions.
The remaining rural townlands—Gloughglass, Pennybum, Sheriff's Mountain, Springhill, and Springtown—are only modern subdivisions of earlier denominations.
The ancient topography of the district being thus pointed out, the next most important object of statistic research is the investigation of the orthography and etymology of the names of the townlands, into which the parish is now divided : and, as several of their constituent terms are of constant occurrence in Irish topography, it will be expedient to dilate on them when they first occur, especially as the view here taken of their origin differs in some important instances from that usually adopted.
It may also be necessary to premise that the term townland is now applied in a more general sense than anciently.
The Irish .designation
bccite bioxcce—victuallers', or farmers' town—originally denoted a tract of land, which constituted the thirtieth part of a cfiioccc cetro, or barony,—and all the lesser divisions were known by the various appellations of quarters, half-quarters, ballyboes, gneeves, tates, &c.
In the Ordnance Maps, however, in accordance with the prevailing usage, all these names of subdivisions are discarded, and the term townland is applied to every such denomination, whether great or small.
The boundaries of the townlands laid down on the Ordnance Maps having, in accordance with the act 6 George IY.
c.
99, been shewn by the local government, guided by the present usage in collecting the grand jury rates and.
cess, it will often happen that boundaries, so laid down on the Maps, do not exactly coincide with those of earlier denominations, and new subdivisions will sometimes occur.
A great diversity is also found in the manner of spelling the early names of townlands, and their subdivisions, used in various authentic documents.
The consideration of the etymology of these early names, and their collation with the most approved spelling in modern use have therefore been a subject of anxiou3 care, and the endeavour has been to adopt, as far as modern usa»e would permit, such a, mode of spelling as would preserve the greatest identity with the best authorities; andfas a further aid in this identification, the various modes of spelling, with the authorities on which they rest, are given with the respective names.
