Altbrean (Irish derived place name ''Alt Bréan'', meaning the 'Smelly Gorge’, so-called because of the decayed vegetation in the swamp at the bottom of the slope) is a

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...

in the

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authority ...

Kinawley Kinawley or Kinawly () is a small village, townland (of 187 acres) and civil parish straddling County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and County Cavan, Republic of Ireland. The village and townland are both in the civil parish of Kinawley (founded b ...

, barony of

Tullyhaw Tullyhaw ( ga, Teallach Eathach) (which means 'The Territory of Eochaidh', an ancestor of the McGoverns, who lived ) is a Barony in County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The area has been in constant occupation since pre-4000 BC. Locate ...

County Cavan County Cavan ( ; gle, Contae an Chabháin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Ulster and is part of the Border Region. It is named after the town of Cavan and is base ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Geography

Altbrean is bounded on the north by Tullydermot townland, on the south by

Altachullion Lower Altachullion Lower () is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Corlough and barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Altachullion Lower is bounded on the north by Altbrean townland ...

townland, on the west by

Aghnacollia Aghnacollia () is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Corlough and barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Aghnacollia is bounded on the north by Commas (Kinawley) townland, on t ...

and

Commas (Kinawley) Commas (Irish derived place name ''Cam Eas'', meaning either ‘The Bend in the River’ or ‘The Crooked Stream’) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. Sub-divisions of the townland are- (a) ...

townlands and on the east by

Altinure Altinure () is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Corlough and barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Altinure is bounded on the north by Altbrean townland, on the west by Alta ...

, Gubrawully and

Sralahan (Kinawley) Sralahan (Irish derived place name ''Srath Leathan'', meaning ‘The Broad River-Meadow') is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. Geography Sralahan is bounded on the north by Knockroe (Kinaw ...

townlands. Its chief geographical features are hills which rise to 752 feet above sea level, the

River Cladagh (Swanlinbar) The Cladagh River ( ga, An Chlaideach or "washing river"), Claddagh or Swanlinbar River, is a moderately large river which forms from a number of small streams rising in Commas townland on the south-eastern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain, County ...

, waterfalls, river swallowholes, a gravel pit, a spring well and dug wells. Altbrean is traversed by the local L1019 road, minor public roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 329 statute acres.

History

In earlier times the townland was probably uninhabited as it consists mainly of bog and poor clay soils. It was not seized by the English during the Plantation of Ulster in 1610 or in the Cromwellian Settlement of the 1660s so some dispossessed Irish families moved there and began to clear and farm the land. The 1825 Tithe Applotment Books spell the name as ''Altbrean''. The 1836 Ordnance Survey Namebooks state- ''As it is merely a track of mountain, it is free from county cess and tithe''.

Griffith's Valuation Griffith's Valuation was a boundary and land valuation survey of Ireland completed in 1868. Griffith's background Richard John Griffith started to value land in Scotland, where he spent two years in 1806-1807 valuing terrain through the examinati ...

lists nine landholders in the townland. The landlord of the townland in the 19th century was the Hassard estate.

Census

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are six families listed in the townland. In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are seven families listed in the townland.

Antiquities

#Stone bridges over the river, including Commas Bridge, a single-arch sandstone bridge, built c.1860 over the Claddagh River.http://www.buildingsofireland.ie/niah/search.jsp?type=record&county=CV®no=40400701 # Stepping-stones over the river

References

External links

The IreAtlas Townland Data Base
{{County Cavan Townlands of County Cavan