Tomregan

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Tomregan civil parish straddles the international border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The chief town of the parish is Ballyconnell, County Cavan. Most of Tomregan's constituent townlands are situate in County Cavan, with the remainder in County Fermanagh. The Roman Catholic parish of Tomregan was split up in the early 18th century, with the County Fermanagh townlands being assigned to the parish of Knockninny while the County Cavan townlands were united with the parish of Kildallan. The total area of the civil parish is 10,600 statute acres.

The townlands

The Fermanagh townlands in Tomregan civil parish are- Aghindisert, Carickaleese, Cloncoohy, Derrintony, Derryart, Garvary, Gortahurk, Gortaree, Gortineddan, Gortmullan, Knockadoois, Knockateggal, Tonymore and Ummera.

The Cavan townlands in Tomregan civil parish are- Agharaskilly, Aghavoher, Annagh, Aughrim, Berrymount, Carrigan, Carrowmore, Cavanagh, Clifton, Cloncollow, Corranierna, Cranaghan, Cullyleenan, Derryginny, Doon, Fartrin, Gortawee or Scotchtown, Gortoorlan, Moher, Mucklagh, Mullaghduff, Mullanacre Lower, Mullanacre Upper, Mullynagolman, Rakeelan, Slievebrickan, Snugborough, Sralahan (also called "The Common").

History

The earliest mention of the name in the annals of Ireland is in the Annals of the Four Masters for 1342 B.C.-"These were the battles that were fought, and the plains that were cleared, by Eochaidh Faebharghlas: the battle of Luachair Deadhadh; the battle of Fosadh Da Ghort; the battle of Comar Tri nUisge; the battle of Tuaim Drecon, in Ui Briuin Breifne; the battle of Druim Liathain. These are the plains: Magh Smeathrach, in Ui Failghe; Magh nAidhne, Magh Luirg, in Connaught; Magh Leamhna, Magh nInir, Magh Fubhna,and Magh Da Ghabhar, in Oirghialla."

The parish was famous in ancient Ireland as the site of the University of Túaim Drecain, also called the College of Masree by Geoffrey Keating, (Sites number 1641 & 1689, Mullynagolman townland, “Archaeological Inventory of County Cavan”, Patrick O’Donovan, 1995, pp. 195 & 205).

Two saints are associated with the parish, Saint Dallán Forgaill and Saint Bricín.

Etymology of the name

The name Tomregan is a corruption of the original gaelic name Túaim Drecain, which means literally "tumulus/hill/mound/tomb of (a) dragon", similar to Loch Bel Dracon now Lough Muskry in the Galtees, County Tipperary (The lake of the dragon's mouth). P.W.Joyce in 'Irish Local Names Explained' suggests that in this particular case it means a man's name or nickname "Drecon's burial mound".[1] Drecain is also the plural of dracon and is used to figuratively mean 'warriors', similar to the French language where 'dragon' also means a cavalry soldier which passed into English as 'dragoons'. So Tomregan means either "The burial mound of Drecon" or "The burial mound of the warriors". Edmund Hogan's Onomasticon Goedelicum give the following variants of the name which occur in old Irish manuscripts- "Tuaim Dracon (al. T. Drecon): Ll. 360; ¶ in Ui Briúin Breifne, Sb. 4 a, Lec. 63; ¶ al. Tuaim Dreccon; ¶ Tuaim Drecon in Uí Briúin Breifne, Lg. 91, Mi., Mr., Fg., Tp.; ¶ T. Drecain, Ls., F., Fg., Tp., Mm.; ¶ in breifne Ui Raghallaig, Md.; ¶ Tuaim Dreagain, K. 131 b; ¶ now Tomregan p., which is in cc. Cavan and Ferm., in which there is a schoolhouse at Tomregan, Pgi. iii. 376.". The 'D' is aspirated and the medial "c" in "drecain" is pronounced /g/ which gives its present pronunciation 'Toom Regan'.[2] & [3]

Alternatively the Metrical Dindshenchas states that the name Tuaim Drecain is derived from the grave of Regan the Formorian- "Tell me the famous cause whence Tuaim Regain is named. Brefne, daughter of Beoan mac Bethaig, a brave soldier-woman, fell in conflict for that land with the Children of Ham, with their evil power. Regan of the Children of impious Ham, from the army of strong-smiting Balar, was a warrior of prowess and exploits, whom none could face in equal battle. Regan it was, dangerous beyond dispute, that engaged the combat; he was leader of the retinue of red-armed Oengus mac ind Oc, with all his army. The warrior went his way in good sooth, when he had slain the soldier-woman, to demand an unjust tribute from the hosts of the Gael, though an unrighteous claim. There met him, face to face, unaided, the king's son of the Gael; they fought a stern fight, hard by the rock of Asual's son. The spot where the Fomoir's head was struck off—it was a doughty deed—is called after him Tuaim Regain: I hide not from thee the cause of the name."[4]

Provisional list of the Roman Catholic Parish Priests and Curates of Tomregan

Parish Priests

Manus Blake – c.1400 to 1411 (died)

John O’Sheridan – 1411 to 1444

Thomas Colman – 1444 to 1453

Giolla na Naomh Drum – 1453 to c.1460

John MacKiernan – c.1460 to 1475

Bernard O’Farrelly – 1475 to c. 1490

(From c.1620 onwards Tomregan and Kildallan shared the same priests)

Patrick Brady – c.1670 to c.1715

Philip Shenan – c.1715 to 9 Oct. 1742 (died)

Philip O’Reilly – 1742 to 14 Jan. 1748 (died)

Charles Tully – 1748 to c.1760

John O’Reilly – c.1760 to c.1766

Hugh Fitzsimons – c.1768 to c.1771

Thomas Brady – c.1771 to 1789

Michael Gleeson – c.1789 to c.1798

James Fitzpatrick – c.1798 to c.1810

Bryan MacGorrin – c.1810 to 23 July 1837 (died)

Philip Donegan – 1837 to 1843

Peter Magauran – 1843 to 7 Jan. 1867 (died)

Terence Murray – 24 Feb. 1867 to 7 Feb. 1877

Dominick MacBreen – 7 Feb.1877 to 21 Feb. 1879

Hugh Newman – 21 Feb. 1879 to 18 Feb. 1907 (died)

Thomas Masterson – 4 May 1907 to 29 Nov. 1907 (died)

Francis MacKiernan 10 Jan. 1908 to 10 July 1915

Charles Magee – 10 July 1915 to 20 Oct. 1923

Patrick MacManus – 20 Oct. 1923 14 March 1954 (died)

Felix A. MacCabe – 17 April 1954 to 21 Aug. 1982

Thomas A.Tiernan – 21 Aug. 1982 to

Patsy Young

Eamonn Lynch

Curates

Hugh O’Reilly – c.1760 to c.1775

John Maguire – 1829 to 1838

Michael Allwell – 1838 to 15 Aug. 1854 (died)

Michael O’Reilly – 1854 to 1861

Hugh O’Reilly – 1861 to Feb. 1865

Michael Fitzpatrick – 1865 to 14 April 1867

John Gilhooly – 14 April 1867 to Sep. 1868

Luke Smith – Sep. 1868 to 26 Aug. 1872

Luke Carroll – 26 Aug. 1872 to 1879

Patrick Daly – 1879 to 17 Jun. 1887

Matthew O’Reilly – 17 Jun. 1887 to Oct. 1888

Michael O’Rourke – Oct. 1888 to 20 Jul. 1894

Patrick D. Osborne – 20 Jul. 1894 to Jul. 1896

Thomas Packenham – Jul. 1896 to 5 May 1897 (died)

Philip Smith – 11 May 1897 to 23 Mar. 1898

Philip King – 23 Mar. 1898 to 1 Oct. 1898

Michael MacTernan – 1 Oct. 1898 to 16 Oct. 1902

Patrick E. Mallon – 16 Oct. 1902 to 1905

Patrick MacPhillips – 1905 to 30 Oct. 1908

Edward MacCauley – 30 Oct. 1908 to Aug. 1914

Joseph Brady – Aug. 1914 to Aug. 1928

Francis J. Sheils – Aug. 1928 to 23 May 1930

John Gaffney – 23 May 1930 to 11 Jan. 1937

Charles MacGovern – 11 Jan. 1937 to 17 Jan. 1951

James Fay – 17 Jan. 1951 to 21 March 1953

Michael J. Kelly – 21 March 1953 to 7 Aug. 1965

Desmond Flynn – 7 Aug. 1965 to 26 Aug. 1972

Thomas Woods – 26 Aug. 1972 to 21 Aug. 1982

Philip Brady – 21 Aug. 1982 to

Pat Farrelly

Provisional list of Church of Ireland Clergy of Tomregan

Rectors & Vicars

Martin Baxter – 1 Nov. 1626 to March 1642 (Died of pestilential fever in March 1642 at Sir James Craig’s besieged castle at Croaghan, Killeshandra)

Alexander Martin – 1661 to 1662

James Spens – 1663 to 1665

John Bird – 1665 to 1669

Robert Robinson – 1669 to 1685

Charles Rossell – 1685 to 1740

George Leslie – 1740 to 1754

Walter Lindsay – 1758 to 1767

Peter Lombard – 1767 to 1773

William Cosby – 1773 to 1783

William Wade – 1783 to 1794

John Wardlaw – 1794 to 1801

Richard Brooke – 1801 to 1818

Joseph Story – 1818 to 1835

Henry Lefroy – 1835 to 1843

John Frith – 1843 to 1850

Henry James Erskine – 1850 to 1856

Decimus William Preston – 1856 to 1866

James Godley – 1866 to 1866

Orange Sterling Kellett – 1866 to 1897

Thomas Ernest Rudd – 1898 to 1900

Charles Sinclair – 1900 to 1902

Henry Gordon – 1902 to 1909

Mervyn Warren Rogers – 1909 to 1916

John Herbert Jackson – 1916 to 1925

George Kirwan Birmingham – 1925 to 1930

Alfred Birch – 1930 to 1940

Hugh Maurice Daunt – 1940 to 1960

Kenneth Edward Ruddock – 1960 to 1968

David Samuel George Godfrey – 1968 to 1972

James Robert Sides – 1973 to 1980

Cyril George Webb – 1983 to 1986

Robert Gordon Keogh – 1990 to 2002

Samuel Godfrey Wilson – 2004 to 2007

Curates

Thomas Sneyd – 1756

Francis Saunderson – 1769

Newcomen Whiteley – 1808

Robert Delap – 1829

Thomas Carson – 1831

Richard Smith – 1840

John Meade Hobson – 1841 to 1843

George Cottingham Griffith – 1889 to 1891

Osborne Chesnutt – 1891 to 1892

Robert Forsyth – 1893 to 1896

Provisional list of the Wesleyan Methodist Ministers of Tomregan

Ballyconnell Methodist Society founded 1766 by John Smith of Cootehill

1781 Rev J. Creighton

1782 Mathias Joyce

1783 The first chapel was erected in Preaching House Lane

1804 William Crook Senior

1809 George Burrows

1837 James Craig

1838 J. Glass

1869 New chapel erected Upper Main Street

1915 Rev. D. B. Hewitt

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.placenamesni.org/historicforms.php?getPnameId=20321
  3. ↑ http://www.logainm.ie/Viewer.aspx?text=tomregan&streets=yes
  4. ↑ Part 71 of The Metrical Dindshenchas

External links

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