Uí Tuirtri
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Loughinsholin () is a
barony Barony may refer to: * Barony, the peerage, office of, or territory held by a baron * Barony, the title and land held in fealty by a feudal baron * Barony (county division), a type of administrative or geographical division in parts of the British ...
in
County Londonderry County Londonderry (Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry (), is one of the six Counties of Northern Ireland, counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty-two Counties of Ireland, count ...
,
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
. Its southeast borders the northwest shore of
Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...
, and itself is bordered by seven other baronies: Dungannon Upper to the south; Strabane Upper to the west; Keenaght and
Coleraine Coleraine ( ; from , 'nook of the ferns'Flanaghan, Deirdre & Laurence; ''Irish Place Names'', page 194. Gill & Macmillan, 2002. ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, No ...
to the north; Kilconway, Toome Upper, and Toome Lower to the east. It was formed largely on the extent of the northern part of the medieval Irish
túath ''Túath'' (plural ''túatha'') is the Old Irish term for the basic political and jurisdictional unit of Gaelic Ireland. ''Túath'' can refer to both a geographical territory as well the people who lived in that territory. The smallest ''túath ...
of Uí Tuirtri. The
Sperrin Mountains The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains () are a mountain range in Northern Ireland. The range stretches from Strabane and Mullaghcarn in the west, to Slieve Gallion and the Glenshane Pass in the east, in the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry. ...
rise to the west of Loughinsholin, with
Slieve Gallion Slieve Gallion () is a mountain in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is the easternmost of the Sperrin Mountains. It reaches a height of and dominates the western shore of Lough Neagh. Its prominent northeastern summit has a transm ...
and Carntogher the two most notable mountains of the range in the barony. The Ballinderry River flows along the southern boundary of the barony, with the
River Moyola The River Moyola or Moyola River (Irish language, Irish: ''Abhainn na Scríne'') stretches for approximately 27 miles from the Sperrin Mountains to Lough Neagh. The Moyola starts a small river (3-5 metres; 10' to 16') for the first few miles of ...
cutting through the middle, both emptying into
Lough Neagh Lough Neagh ( ; ) is a freshwater lake in Northern Ireland and is the largest lake on the island of Ireland and in the British Isles. It has a surface area of and is about long and wide. According to Northern Ireland Water, it supplies 4 ...
. The largest settlement in the barony is the town of
Magherafelt Magherafelt ( ; , ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,071 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county an ...
.


History


Medieval history and Uí Tuirtri

The area of land that forms Loughinsholin has changed control several times throughout history. During the first millennium, it was part of the over-kingdom of
Ulaid (Old Irish, ) or (Irish language, Modern Irish, ) was a Gaelic Ireland, Gaelic Provinces of Ireland, over-kingdom in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages made up of a confederation of dynastic groups. Alternative names include , which ...
. It would then become part of the over-kingdom of Airgialla, founded by the
Three Collas The Three Collas (Modern Irish: ''Trí Cholla'') were, according to medieval Irish legend and historical tradition, the fourth-century sons of Eochaid Doimlén, son of Cairbre Lifechair. Their names were: Cairell Colla Uais; Muiredach Colla Fo Chr ...
from their conquests in Ulster. One of the under-kingdoms of Airgialla was Uí Tuirtri, named after Fiachu Tort, son of Colla Uais (one of the Three Collas), which stretched from the River Blackwater south of
Dungannon Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...
to the River Bior (meaning water, modern day Moyola River), located half a mile north of
Tobermore Tobermore (), ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland named after the townland of Tobermore (townland), Tobermore. The village, which has a predominantly Protestant population, lies south-south-west of Maghera and north- ...
. The ''Ó Floinn'' sept () would come to prominence in Uí 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'Lynns and took up residence at "Lough Insholin". With the expansion of the
Cenél nEógain Cenél is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Cenél Conaill, the name of the "kindred" or descendants of Conall Gulban, son of Niall Noígiallach defined by oral and recorded history * Cenél nEógain (in English, Cenel Eogan) is ...
into Airgialla, the territory of Uí Tuirtri west of the
River Bann The River Bann (from , meaning "the goddess"; Ulster Scots dialects, Ulster-Scots: ''Bann Wattèr'') is the longest rivers, river in Northern Ireland, its length, Upper and Lower Bann combined, being 129 km (80 mi). The total length ...
eventually passed into the overlordship of Tír Eóghain.Ireland's History In Maps
/ref> By the 1350s, the Clandeboye O'Neills had stepped into the power-vacuum left by the collapse of the
Earldom of Ulster The Earldom of Ulster was an Anglo-Norman lordship in north-eastern Ireland during the Middle Ages, ruled by the Earls of Ulster and part of the Lordship of Ireland. The Norman knight John de Courcy invaded the Gaelic Irish kingdom of Ulaid ...
, and expanded to encompass all of Uí 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). His daughter Anne, was the second wife of last prince of Clandeboye, Shane MacBryan O'Neill of Edenduffcarrick, later known as
Shane's Castle Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Antrim, County Antrim, Antrim in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, which was mostly destroyed in 1816 by fire. The castle is situated on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh, 2.7 miles from Randalstown. Built ...
, Antrim. Brian Carrach was killed by
Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone Hugh O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone (; – 20 July 1616) was an Irish lord and key figure of the Nine Years' War. Known as the "Great Earl", he led the confederacy of Irish lords against the English Crown in resistance to the Tudor conquest of Ir ...
Tyrone's Rebellion, by Hyram Morgan in 1586. On 15 July 1591, County Tyrone was divided into eight baronies, of which one was "Loghynisolin", containing the districts of Cloncankayne (Glenconkeyne) and Kilytraghe (Killetra).


Charter of Londonderry

The barony of Loughinsholin upon creation was originally part of
County Tyrone County Tyrone (; ) is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the thirty-two traditional counties of Ireland. Its county town is Omagh. Adjoined to the south-west shore of Lough Neagh, the cou ...
, 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 A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
of "Killetragh" ( Killetra), " Tomlagh", " Tarraghter", and "Melannagh" ( Melanagh). The second of which contained the ancient districts of "Glanconkeyne" ( Glenconkeyne) and "Clandonel" ( Clandonnell). In 1613 however as part of the Charter of Londonderry, most of the 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 County Tyrone, along with the barony of Mountjoy was amalgamated with that of
Dungannon Dungannon (, ) is a town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the second-largest town in the county (after Omagh) and had a population of 16,282 at the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2021 Census. The Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Counci ...
.


Proportions

Prior to 1613 and the creation of County Londonderry, the barony of Loughinsholin, like that of Coleraine, Keenaght, and Tirkeeran, was divided up into "proportions" for the survey carried out in 1609. The names and extent of these proportions were recited in the grant of the new county to The Honourable The Irish Society. The estates of three of the great twelve London livery companies had their centres in the barony: the Drapers' Company in present-day Moneymore; the Salters' Company in
Magherafelt Magherafelt ( ; , ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,071 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county an ...
; and the Vintners' Company in Bellaghy. In most instances each proportion lay within one of the ancient territories that consisted the barony, in which each proportion consisted of a number of townlands.


Killetra

*Ballinemanagh - A middle proportion consisting of 1,500 acres, besides glebe land. *Drumrott - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres, besides glebe land. *Tirnafessy - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres, besides glebe land.


Clandonnell

*Gortconra - A great proportion consisting of 2,000 acres, besides glebe land. *Ballymacrossy - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres.


Glenconkeyne

* Moysaden - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres. * Cohoire - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres, besides glebe land. * Cynah - A small proportion consisting of 1,000 acres, besides glebe land.


Tomlagh

*Balleletrim - A great proportion consisting of 2,500 acres, besides glebe land.


Other proportions

* Corramony - A small proportion split between Clandonnell and Glenconkeyne consisting of 1,000 acres, besides glebe land. *Lackah - A small proportion split between Killetra and Tomlagh consisting of 1,000 acres. *Tyrassan - A small proportion consisting of 420 acres. *Lands in Killetra that in all make up two proportions consisting of 420 and 560 acres respectively.


List of settlements

Below is a list of settlements in Loughinsholin:


Towns

*
Maghera Maghera ( ; ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,235 in the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Formerly in the Barony (Ireland), barony of Loughinsholin within the historic County ...
*
Magherafelt Magherafelt ( ; , ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,071 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county an ...


Villages

*
Ballyronan Ballyronan () is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on the north western shore of Lough Neagh. The village is from Magherafelt and from Cookstown. It is situated within Mid-Ulster District. History The village w ...
* Bellaghy * Castledawson * Clady * Curran * Desertmartin * Draperstown * Inishrush *
Kilrea Kilrea ( , ) is a village, townland and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It gets its name from the ancient church that was located near where the current Church of Ireland is located on Church Str ...
* Knockloughrim * Moneymore * Swatragh * Tamlaght * The Loup *
Tobermore Tobermore (), ) is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland named after the townland of Tobermore (townland), Tobermore. The village, which has a predominantly Protestant population, lies south-south-west of Maghera and north- ...
* Upperlands


Hamlets and population centres

*Ballinderry Bridge * Ballymaguigan *Ballyneese *Churchtown *Glen *Herveyhill *Tamlaght O'Crilly *The Six Towns


List of civil parishes

Below is a list of civil parishes in Loughinsholin: * Arboe (split with barony of Dungannon Upper) * Artrea (split with barony of Dungannon Upper) * Ballinderry (split with barony of Dungannon Upper) * Ballynascreen *
Ballyscullion Ballyscullion () is a small village and civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 census it had a population of 291 people. The civil parish of Ballyscullion covers areas of County Antrim as well as County Londonderry. T ...
(split with barony of Toome Upper) * Derryloran (split with barony of Dungannon Upper) * Desertlyn * Desertmartin * Kilcronaghan * Killelagh *
Kilrea Kilrea ( , ) is a village, townland and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It gets its name from the ancient church that was located near where the current Church of Ireland is located on Church Str ...
* Lissan (also partly in barony of Dungannon Upper) *
Maghera Maghera ( ; ) is a small town at the foot of the Glenshane Pass in Northern Ireland. Its population was 4,235 in the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. Formerly in the Barony (Ireland), barony of Loughinsholin within the historic County ...
*
Magherafelt Magherafelt ( ; , ) is a town and Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 9,071 at the 2021 United Kingdom census, 2021 census. It is the biggest town in the south of the county an ...
* Tamlaght (split with barony of Dungannon Upper) * Tamlaght O'Crilly (split with barony of Coleraine) * Termoneeny


References

{{Coord missing, County Londonderry County Londonderry Clandeboye