Keenaght (townland)

This article is about the townland of Keenaght. For the barony, see Keenaght (barony).
Keenaght
Irish transcription(s)
 • Derivation: Caonach
 • Meaning: "Mossy place"
Keenaght

Keenaght shown within Northern Ireland

Coordinates: 54°45′54″N 6°44′06″W / 54.765°N 6.735°WCoordinates: 54°45′54″N 6°44′06″W / 54.765°N 6.735°W
Country Northern Ireland
County County Londonderry
Barony Loughinsholin
Civil parish Kilcronaghan
Plantation grant Drapers Company
First recorded 1609
Government
 • Council Magherafelt District Council
 • Ward Tobermore
Area[1]
 • Total 124.87 ha (308.56 acres)
Irish grid ref H8191

Keenaght (locally [ˌkʲiːnəx], from Irish Caonach, meaning "mossy place"[2]) is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the south of the parish on the boundary with the civil parish of Desertmartin, and it is bounded by the townlands of: Coolsaragh, Cullion, Gortahurk, Longfield, and Tintagh. It was apportioned to the Drapers company.[3]

The townland currently lies within Tobermore electoral ward of Magherafelt District Council, however in 1901 and 1926 it was part of Iniscarn District Electoral Division as part of the Draperstown dispensery (registrar's) district of Magherafelt Rural District.[4][5] As part of Kilcronaghan civil parish, Keenaght also lies in the historic barony of Loughinsholin.

Etymology

The present name of this townland, Keenaght, is very likely a reformed analogy of the neighbouring barony of Keenaght, with scribal errors adding a t to the end of anglicisations of its name such as with Tonaght in the neighbouring parish of Ballynascreen, which actually derives from Tonach.[2] It is more reasonably suggested that Keenaght derives from the synonym Coanna with the adjectival suffix -ach added to it.[2] This derivation is supported by the majority of earlier recorded forms.[2]

History

Population
Year Pop.
1841 122 [6]
1851 77 [6]
1861 82 [6]
1871 83 [6]
1881 79 [6]
1891 73 [4]
1901 65 [4]
1911 61 [5]
1926 45 [5]
Size (acres, roods, poles)
Year a, r, p
1851 311, 0, 10 [7]
1881 310, 2, 18 [6]
1901 310, 2, 18 [4]
1926 310, 3, 2 [5]
Earlier recorded forms[2][8]
Year Form
1609 + 1613 Cynagh (E.C.) (Charter)
1613 Keenah
1622 Keenat
1654 Keanaught foord
1654 Keanaugh
1657 Cyneigh, the small proportion of
1661 Keanagh
1767 Keenaght
1813 Keenagh (S.M.)
(E.C.) - Escheated Counties Map 1609
(Charter) - Charter of Londonderry 1613
(S.M.) - Sampson's Map

See also

References

  1. ↑ Northern Ireland Environment Agency. "NIEA Map Viewer". Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Toner, Gregory: Place-Names of Northern Ireland, page 126-7. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996, ISBN 0-85389-613-5
  3. ↑ Notes on the Place Names of the Parishes and Townlands of the County of Londonderry, 1925, Alfred Moore Munn, Clerk of the Crown and Peace of the City and County of Londonderry
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 HistPop; Area, houses, and population, Vol. III [Part 2], Ireland, 1901 Page 34
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 HistPop; County and County Borough of Londonderry, 1926, page 24
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 HistPop; Area, population and number of houses, Vol. III, Ireland, 1881, page 698
  7. ↑ HistPop; County of Londonderry, 1851, page 241
  8. ↑ Place Names NI - Keenaght