Gortahurk, Tomregan civil parish

Gortahurk (from Irish: Gort an Choirce, meaning "field of the oats"), is a townland in the civil parish of Tomregan, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It was also part of the foerm barony of Knockninny. The oldest surviving mention of the name is in a grant dated 1620 where it is spelled ‘Gortkorky’. Spellings in later grants are 1659 – Gortecorke.[1]

It is bounded by the townlands of Tonymore, Gortaree, and Knockateggal and borders County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland to its west. Its chief geographical features are Slieve Rushen mountain on whose eastern slope it lies reaching to an altitude of 359 metres above sea-level and some mountain streams.

History

Gortahurk covers an area of 390 statute acres. The townland formed part of the ballybethagh of Calvagh in medieval times. At the beginning of the 17th century it was owned jointly by Bryan McPhilip O’Reyly and Edward Rutlidge but was confiscated by the Crown in the 1609 Ulster Plantation and it formed part of the half-territory of Aughrin which was granted to Sir Hugh Culme in 1610. Culme later relinquished his claim to the Crown, perhaps because there was confusion at the time as to whether the townland formed part of County Fermanagh or County Cavan. By an order of the Lord Deputy dated 14 October 1612 the townland was granted, inter alia, to Lady Margaret O’Neill, the widow of Sir Hugh Maguire deceased. In 1641 and also in 1670 it was owned by Sir William Balfour (general). The population of the townland in the 1841 census was 107. Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists thirty-eight occupiers in the townland.[2] In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are eight families listed in the townland.[3]

The only historic sites in the townland are some old freestone quarries.

References

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