Killarah
Killarah (Irish derived place name either Coill an Rátha meaning 'The Wood of the Fort' or Coill Leath Ráth = 'The Wood of the Half-Fort' or Coill Áth Ráth meaning 'The Wood of the Ford of the Rath') is a townland in the civil parish of Kildallan, barony of Tullyhunco, County Cavan, Ireland. Geography. Killarah is bounded on the west by Bellaheady, Coologe and Toberlyan Duffin townlands, on the east by Agharaskilly, Clontygrigny and Fartrin townlands, on the south by Callaghs townland and on the north by Crossmakelagher and Cormeen townlands. Its chief geographical features are Bellaheady Mountain  which rises to 328 feet, Lough Andoul (Loch an Diabhail = The Devil’s Lake), the Shannon-Erne Waterway, small streams, forestry plantations, sand pits, gravel pits and dug wells. Killarah is traversed by minor public roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 688 acres. History. Until the 1650s Killarah was paired with the townland of Bellaheady. Locals and the Ordnance Survey still refer to part of Killarah as "Bellaheady Mountain". The land was split by the river but the names of the two parts were interchangeable, being called either Bellheady, Rossbressal or Killarah. The townland was occupied in prehistoric  times as is evident from the number of cairns therein. From medieval times up to the early 1600s, the land belonged to the McKiernan Clan. About 1600 it was owned by Thomas McKiernan, along with the townlands of Ned, Coraghmuck and Doogary, all in Tullyhunco Barony. He sold the land c.1606 to Richard Tyrrell of Tyrrellspass, County Westmeath. A schedule, dated 31 July 1610, of the lands Tyrrell owned in Tullyhunco prior to the Ulster Plantation included: "Rosbressaill, one cartron" (a cartron was about 30 acres of arable land). In the Plantation of Ulster, Tyrrell swapped his lands in Killarah  for additional land in the barony of Tullygarvey where he lived at the time. The Plantation of Ulster 1609 Baronial Map depicts "Rosbrazill" on the west side of the river but does not depict the townland of Killarah on the east side, because the lands in Tullyhunco were supposed to be set aside for English servitors but Killarah was granted to an Irish native in contravention of the rules, so the mappers avoided the problem by not mapping Killarah. Thomas McKiernan died sometime before 1611 and his son Owen McKiernan inherited his lands. Owen was worried that his lands would  be confiscated under the Plantation of Ulster so he made representations to the Lords of the Council in Whitehall, London. They in turn sent the following note to Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester, the Lord Deputy of Ireland- "April 30, 1610. Recommend to his favourable consideration in the settlement of the natives, the bearer, Owen Carnan, who sued for 800 acres of land lying in the county of Cavan, which have belonged (as he informs them) to his father, uncle, & others his predecessors, time out of mind, without any attainder for matter of disloyalty". Owen McKiernan was only partly successful  in his claim as the part of Rosbrazill on the west side of the river (now the townland of Bellheady) was granted to Hugh Culme on 23 June 1610. However Owen succeeded in the rest of his claim. In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 4 June 1611, King James VI and I granted four polls of land containing 200 acres, including Killarah, Ned, Tullyhunco, Coraghmuck (alias Greaghacholea) and Doogary to "Wony McThomas McKernan" (alias Owen Carnan). In an inquisition of King Charles I held at Cavan on 20 April 1629, it stated that "Owny McThomas McKiernan, late of  Rossbressell in Co. Cavan, was seised of 2 polls of land in Rossbressell and he died on 20 October 1626. John alias Shane McKiernan, his son and heir, was then aged 30 years and married". At Cavan on 26 July 1642 Thomas and William Jones gave the names of rebel leaders in Cavan in the Irish Rebellion of 1641, including "Owen Mc William of Rosbreske, Donogh Mc Kernan of same and William Mc Kernan of same". After the rebellion concluded, the land was confiscated in the Cromwellian Settlement and the 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as belonging to Lieutenant -Colonel Tristam Beresford and by a further confirming grant from King Charles II on 6 November 1666, the lands of "Rospressell" containing 2 poles or 431 acres & 31 perches was granted to the aforementioned Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet at an annual rent of £5-16s-5d. On 11 September 1670 "Respressol" was created as part of the Manor of Beresford. The Hearth Money Rolls of 1664 list five taxpayers in the townland- "John Hakins, Philip Reilly, Philip O'Mane, Shane McLaghlyn & Tirlagh O'Cuillin". The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as "Killarah". The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as  Rossepressell. William Petty's map of 1685 depicts it as "Rosspressell". In 1739 Dean John Richardson (the rector of Annagh Parish, County Cavan 1709-1747) stated- "At Kilara in the Parish of Kildallan there are three large cairns, 30 yards diameter, vitz: Carn na mban fion, i.e., the monument of the fair woman, and Leabui Doarmud and Leabui Graniu, that is Dermot’s bed and Granny’s bed. The two last had small apartments and urns in them. In the first there was found about 40 years ago (1700) a golden chalice of considerable value by a farmer, who thinking  it to be brass made a present of it to Capt. Ellis his landlord". In the Cavan Poll Book of 1761 there was one person registered to vote in "Ballyheady" in the Irish general election, 1761 - Gore Ellis who lived in the townland but who also had a freehold in Burren (townland) . He was entitled to cast two votes. The four election candidates were Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont and Lord Newtownbutler (later Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough), both of whom were then elected Member of Parliament for Cavan County. The losing candidates were George Montgomery (MP) of  Ballyconnell and Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham. Ellis voted for Coote and Montgomery. Absence from the poll book either meant a resident did not vote or more likely was not a freeholder entitled to vote, which would mean most of the inhabitants of Bellaheady. The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the name as "Killara". The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 lists twelve tithepayers in the townland The Killarah Valuation Office Field books are available for May 1838. In 1841 the population of the townland was 95, being 44 males and 51 females. There were twelve houses in the townland , all were inhabited. In 1851 the population of the townland was 90, being 48 males and 42 females. There were thirteen houses in the townland and all were inhabited. Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists twenty-four occupiers in the townland. In 1861 the population of the townland was 66, being 42 males and 24 females. There were eleven houses in the townland and all were inhabited. In 1871 the population of the townland was 74, being 43 males and 31 females. There were twelve houses in the townland, of which one was uninhabited.(page 298 of census) In 1881 the  population of the townland was 66, being 36 males and 30 females. There were eleven houses in the townland, of which one was uninhabited. In 1891 the population of the townland was 66, being 31 males and 35 females. There were eleven houses in the townland, all were inhabited. In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are eleven families listed in the townland. In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are thirteen families listed in the townland.