Killycluggin
Killycluggin () is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish area of Templeport and the barony of Tullyhaw. Geography. Killycluggin is bounded on the north by Tonyhallagh townland, on the west by Lissanover townland, on the east by Tonyrevan townland and on the south by Bellaheady townland in Kildallan parish and by Kilnavert and Corran, County Cavan townlands. Killycluggin's chief geographical features are a stream, a stone quarry and a gravel pit. Killycluggin is traversed by the R205 road (Ireland), minor roads, rural lanes and the disused Cavan  and Leitrim Railway. The townland covers 76 statute acres. History. In medieval times the McGovern tuath of Tullyhaw was divided into economic taxation areas called ballibetoes, from the Irish "Baile Biataigh" (Anglicized as 'Ballybetagh'), meaning 'A Provisioner's Town or Settlement'. The original purpose was to enable the farmer, who controlled the baile, to provide hospitality for those who needed it, such as poor people and travellers. The ballybetagh was further divided into townlands farmed by individual families who paid a tribute or tax to the head of the ballybetagh, who in turn paid a similar tribute to the clan  chief. The steward of the ballybetagh would have been the secular equivalent of the erenagh in charge of church lands. There were seven ballibetoes in the parish of Templeport. Killycluggin was located in the ballybetagh of "Bally Cooleigie" (alias 'Bally Cowleg'). In Irish this was "Baile Cúl Ó nGuaire" meaning "The Town of Guaire's Corner", or possibly "Baile Cúl Ó Gabhair", meaning "The Town of the Goats' Corner". Until the 1652 Cromwellian Settlement of Ireland, the modern townland of Tonyrevan formed part of the townland of Killycluggin. The 1609 Ulster Plantation Baronial Map depicts the townland as "Killcloggin". A  1610 grant spells it as "Kilclogen". A 1630 Inquisition spells it as "Kilcloghan". The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the name as "Killerluggin". The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as "Killycraggan". Killycluggin was the site of the pre-Christian pagan god of Ireland Crom Cruach, the Killycluggin Stone, situated in a stone circle on Bannon’s farm in the townland. In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 23 June 1610, along with other lands, King James VI and I granted two polls of "Kilclogen" to Hugh Culme, esquire, as part of the Manor of Calva. Culme then surrendered his  interest in Killycluggin to Walter Talbot of Ballyconnell. Walter Talbot died on 26 June 1625 at Ballyconnell and his son James Talbot succeeded to the Killycluggin lands aged just 10 years. An Inquisition held in Cavan Town on 20 September 1630 stated that Walter Talbot's lands included two polls in "Kilcloghan". James Talbot married Helen Calvert, the daughter of George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore of Maryland, USA, in 1635 and had a son Colonel George Talbot who owned an estate in Cecil County, Maryland which he named Ballyconnell in honour of his native town in Cavan. George Talbot was  appointed Surveyor-General of Maryland in 1683. In the aftermath of the Irish Rebellion of 1641, James Talbot's estate in Ballyconnell was confiscated in the Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 because he was a Catholic and he was granted an estate in 1655 at Castle Rubey, County Roscommon instead. He died in 1687. The Talbot lands in Killycluggin were distributed as follows- The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as belonging to "Captain Gwilliams" (i.e. the landlord of Ballyconnell, Captain Thomas Gwyllym) and the tenants as "Edward Rely & Others". In the Hearth Money Rolls compiled on  29 September 1663 there were three Hearth Tax payers in- "Kilclagan- Dorby Don, John Reade and Thomas Teddy". Gwyllym later sold the land to John Blachford who was born in 1598 in Ashmore, Dorset, England, the son of Richard and Frances Blachford. He became a merchant in Dorchester, Dorset but fled to France in 1633 when facing a warrant from the Exchequer for not paying customs. He married Mary Renald from Devon and died at Lissanover, County Cavan in 1661 and was buried at St. Orvins in Dublin (probably St. Audoen's Church, Dublin (Church of Ireland)), despite wishing to  be buried back in Dorchester. His will was published on 9 January 1665 leaving his son John Blachford as his sole heir. An Inquisition held in Cavan on 21 May 1667 found that his widow Mary Blachford and his heir John were seized of, inter alia, "the land of Killeclogine alias Killecragan". He had sons John, Thomas, Ambrose and William (who became a Major) and daughters Mary and Frances. Major William Blachford was born in 1658 and died at Lissanover on 28 March 1727. The Blachford family gravestones in Templeport Church read as follows- This monument was erected by MAJOR  WILLIAM / BLASHFORD of Lisnover in 1721 to the memory of / his father, JOHN BLASHFORD, late of the same Esqr. but / from Dorchester in Dorsetshire, the place of his / nativity, who in his lifetime chose this for a burying / place, for himself and family, but died in Dublin / was buried in St. Orvins Church but his wife, MARY / RENALD of a Devonsheire family is buried here / as also three sons and two daughters, viz JOHN / AMBROSE AND THOMAS; MARY AND FRANCES / Here likewise lies buried two wives of MAJOR WILLIAM BLASHFORD, son to the said JOHN BLASHFORD viz / MARY MAGHEE of  an ancient Family in Lincolnsheire. CORNET CHIDLEY BLACHFORD, son to MAJOR WILLIAM BLACHFORD, leys buried here who dyed August ye 29th, 1722. This aboue MAJOR WILLIAM BLACHFORD. / That erected this monument, died the 28th of March 1727, aged 69 years. A deed dated 10 May 1744 spells the name as "Killiclogan". The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the name as "Kilclogan". The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list four tithe payers in the townland. The Killycluggin Valuation Office Field books are available for 1839-1841. Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists sixteen landholders in the townland. Killycluggin School. In 1833  a lease of one acre in Killycluggin was given by the landlord William Blackford to the Anglican Rector of Templeport, Rev. William Bushe, for the purpose of setting up a school for Church of Ireland children. It was still in operation in August 1860 as the then rector, Rev. John Brougham, wrote a letter to his archbishop stating- "Two schools in his Parish, one partly and the other wholly, supported by the Archbishop. These are in poor repair and have no supplies of maps, books, etc. The teachers are both good but are getting discouraged at the lack of materials  and the poor state of the schools. Asks for financial assistance". Killycluggin school came under the auspices of the Irish Church Education Society. Census. In the 1901 census of Ireland, there were ten families listed in the townland, and in the 1911 census of Ireland, there were only nine families listed in the townland.