Drumcask (Irish derived place name ''Droim Cásca'', meaning the ‘Ridge of Easter’) 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 ...

of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw,

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 ...

. It is close to the site of a medieval church in Killaghaduff townland, which might explain the meaning of the name. L1024, Drumcask (geograph 3597204)

Geography

Drumcask is bounded on the north by

Knockranny Knockranny (Irish derived place name, ''Cnoc Raithní'', meaning ‘The Hill of the Ferns’) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. Geography Knockranny is bounded on the south by Knockroe (Ki ...

townland, on the west by

Gubrawully Gubrawully (Irish derived place name either ''Gob a Raith Bhuailidh'', meaning the 'Headland of the Dairy Fort' or ''Gob an Mhullaigh'', meaning the ‘Headland of the Summit’) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, ...

, Knockroe (Kinawley) and Sralahan (Kinawley) townlands and on the east by

Cornalon Cornalon (Irish derived place name ''Corr na Lon'', meaning ‘Round Hill of the Blackbirds’) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. Geography Cornalon is bounded on the north by Gorteennaglo ...

and

Derryrealt Derryrealt (Irish derived place name ''Doire ar Alt'', meaning ‘Oakwood at the Ravine’) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. Geography Derryrealt is bounded on the south by Drumcullion t ...

townlands. Its chief geographical features are the River Cladagh (Swanlinbar), small rivulets, river islands, forestry plantations, a gravel pit, spring wells and dug wells. Drumcask is traversed by the local L1024 road, minor public roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 298 statute acres.

History

In medieval times Drumcask was owned by the McGovern Clan and formed part of a ballybetagh spelled (variously) Aghycloony, Aghcloone, Nacloone, Naclone and Noclone (Irish derived place name ''Áth Chluain'', meaning the ‘Ford of the Meadow’). The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the ballybetagh as ''Naclone''. In the

Plantation of Ulster The Plantation of Ulster ( gle, Plandáil Uladh; Ulster-Scots: ''Plantin o Ulstèr'') was the organised colonisation (''plantation'') of Ulstera province of Irelandby people from Great Britain during the reign of King James I. Most of the sett ...

by grant dated 29 April 1611, along with other lands, King

James VI and I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

granted one poll of ''Dromcaske to Mulmore McTirlagh O'Reily, Gentleman''. The said Maelmordha O'Reilly was related to chiefs of the O'Reilly clan, which is why he received a grant of land. His great-grandfather was Maolmhordha O'Reilly who was chief from 1537–1565. He was a grand-nephew of both Aodh Connallach O'Reilly who was chief from 1565–1583 and of Emonn O'Reilly who was chief from 1596-1601. He was a first cousin once-removed of Sean O'Reilly who was chief from 1583–1596. He was also a first cousin once-removed of Donill Backagh McShane O'Reyly who was also granted lands in

Burren (townland) Burren is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland. It lies in the Roman Catholic parish of Templeport and barony of Tullyhaw. Geography Burren is bounded on the north by Derrycassan and Coologe townlands, on the w ...

and of Cahell M'Owen O Reyly who received lands in Gowlagh South townland and of Cahir McOwen O'Reily, who received lands in Kildoagh townland. In the

by grant dated 26 June 1615, King

granted, inter alia, ''The precinct or parcel of Nacloone otherwise Aghcloone to Sir George Graeme and Sir Richard Graeme to form part of the Manor of Greame'', but the townland of ''Dromkaske'' was specifically excluded from this grant. However Sir Richard Graeme later bought the townland from the aforementioned Mulmore McTirlagh O'Reily, as an Inquisition held at Cavan Town on 31 October 1627 found that ''Sir Richard Greames of Corrasmongan died on 7 November 1625 seized of, inter alia, one poll of Drimcaske. His son and heir Thomas Greames was aged 40 (born 1585) and married''. A history of Richard and George Graham is viewable online. The Grahams took part in the

Irish Rebellion of 1641 The Irish Rebellion of 1641 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1641) was an uprising by Irish Catholics in the Kingdom of Ireland, who wanted an end to anti-Catholic discrimination, greater Irish self-governance, and to partially or fully reverse the plantatio ...

and their lands, including Drumcask, were confiscated after the rebellion and distributed as follows. The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the townland as ''Dromcaiske'' with the proprietor being ''Mr Henry Crafton'' and the tenants being ''Donogh Magwire & others''. The townland then formed part of the Crofton estate until the late 19th century. The Crofton Estate papers are in the National Library of Ireland, MS 20,773-20,806 & D 26,886-27,010. The 1790 Cavan Carvagh list spells the name as ''Dromcask''. The 1825 Tithe Applotment Books spell the name as ''Drumcask''. The Drucask Valuation Office Field books are available for August 1838.

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 twelve landholders in the townland.

Census

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are fifteen families listed in the townland. In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are seventeen families listed in the townland.http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/pages/1911/Cavan/Kinawley/Drumcask/ ''Census of Ireland 1911''

Antiquities

# Drumcask Post Office # Drumcask National School. The 1836 Ordnance Survey Namebooks state- ''There is a small school house in the north end of the townland established in 1831''. Michael O'Hara was the teacher. He charged £0-0-10d per pupil per quarter.

References

External links

The IreAtlas Townland Data Base
{{coord, 54, 10, N, 7, 44, W, display=title, region:IE_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki Townlands of County Cavan