Barony of Loughinsholin
Loughinsholin (from the Irish Loch Inse Ui Fhloinn, meaning "lough of O'Lynn's island"[1]) is a barony in the south part of County Londonderry.[2] Its southeast is on the northwest shore of Lough Neagh, and the barony is itself is bordered by seven other baronies:[2]
- In Londonderry:
- In Tyrone:
- Dungannon Upper (to the south)
- Strabane Upper (to the west)
- In Antrim:
The Sperrin Mountains rise to the west of Loughinsholin; here Slieve Gallion and Carntogher are the two most notable mountains of the range in the barony.[1] The Ballinderry River flows along the southern boundary of the barony, with the River Moyola cutting through the middle, both emptying into Lough Neagh.
History
The area of land that forms Loughinsholin has changed control several times throughout history. During the first millennium, it was part of the kingdom of Ulaidh. It would then become part of the kingdom of Airgialla, founded by the Three Collas from their conquests in Ulster. One of the under-kingdoms of Airgialla was Ui Tuirtri, named after Fiachu Tuirtri, son of Colla Uais (one of the Three Collas), which stretched from the River Blackwater south of Dungannon to the River Bior (meaning water, modern day Moyola River[3]), located half a mile north of Tobermore.
The Ó Floinn sept (O'Lynn) would come to prominence in Ui Tuirtri, with their power-base situated on a crannog just outside the modern village of Desertmartin. The lake this crannog lay in became known as "Lough Insholin" and was preserved as the name of the barony of Loughinsholin upon its creation. Centuries later, Shane More O'Hagan, once owner of Calmore Castle within the parish of Kilcronaghan in the barony, later married a lady from these O'Lynn's and took up residence at "Lough Insholin".[4]
With the expansion of the Cenél nEógain into Airgialla, the territory of Ui Tuirtri west of the river Bann eventually passed into the overlordship of Tir Eóghain.[5] By the 1350s, the Clandeboye O'Neills had stepped into the power-vacuum left by the collapse of the Earldom of Ulster,[6] and expanded to encompass all of Ui Tuirtri.
The last recorded lord of Loughinsholin was Brian Carrach O'Neill from a branch of the Clandeboye O'Neills. Brian Carrach's residence along the border of the parishes of Kilcronaghan and Ballynascreen became known as Dún Tí Bhriain (preserved as the townland of Duntibryan).[7] His daughter Anne, was the second wife of last prince of Clandeboye, Shane MacBryan O'Neill of Edenduffcarrick, later known as Shane's Castle, Antrim. Brian Carrach died in 1586.[4]
Charter of Londonderry
The barony of Loughinsholin upon creation was originally part of County Tyrone, and in the survey of 1609, the map for the area shows it divided into two sections; the first of which contains the ancient Irish districts of "Killetragh" (Killetra), "Tomlagh", "Tarraghter", and "Melannagh" (Melanagh). The second of which contained the ancient districts of "Glanconkeyne" (Glenconkeyne) and "Clandonel" (Clandonnell).[8]
In 1613, as part of the Charter of Londonderry, most of the old barony except for the south-western portion consisting of Tarraghter and Melanagh, was incorporated into the new county of Londonderry. The remainder, which remained in Tyrone, along with the barony of Mountjoy was amalgamated with that of Dungannon.[9][10]
Towns and villages
There is but one town in the Barony of Loughinsholin and several noteworthy villages:[1]
Town
Villages
Civil parishes
The civil parishes of Loughinsholin are:[11]
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References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Logainm - Barony of Loughinsholin Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "Logainm" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2.0 2.1 PRONI Baronies of Northern Ireland
- ↑ Magherafelt Parish
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Statistical Reports of Six Derry Parishes 1821, John MacCloskey
- ↑ Ireland's History In Maps
- ↑ Medieval Ireland: An Encyclopedia. Editors Seán Duffy, Ailbhe MacShamhráin, and James Moynes
- ↑ Mr. John O'Donovan's Letters from County Londonderry (1834)
- ↑ The Conquest of Ireland - County Londonderry Lands and Families in Northern Ireland, page 388, Rev. George Hill
- ↑ - A New History of Ireland, pages 111-112
- ↑ Map depicting the baronies that were part of the Plantation of Ulster
- ↑ Map of the baronies and civil parishes of County Londonderry
