Corran, County Cavan

Geography

Corran is bounded on the north by Killycluggin townland, on the west by Kilnavert and Derrycassan townlands, on the south by Toberlyan and Toberlyan Duffin townlands and on the east by Bellaheady townland in Kildallan parish. Corran is traversed by the regional R205 road, several minor roads and rural lanes and the disused Cavan and Leitrim Railway.

The townland covers 146 statute acres.

History

The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the townland as Corran.

The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as Corran.

The earliest surviving mention of the townland name is in the Book of Magauran. Poem 31, stanza 6, written about 1344, refers to the death of Tomás Mág Samhradháin, chief of the McGovern clann from 1303-1343.

The death of the fair-skinned son of Brian has given us a distaste for levity; The departure of Corann's Flower from his body (Dul do sgaith Chorainn a curp) has punished us for our levity.

In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 27 February 1610, along with other lands, King James VI and I granted one poll of Curran to William O'Shereden, gentleman, Cheefe of his Name. William Sheridan was the chief of the Sheridan Clan in County Cavan. He was the son of the previous chief, Hugh Duff O'Sheridan of Togher townland, Kilmore parish, County Cavan. William was the ancestor of the famous Sheridan theatrical family. William died sometime before 1638 leaving two sons, Owen and Patrick (of Raleagh townland, Kildallan parish). Owen Sheridan succeeded to his father's lands and this was confirmed by a grant to him of Curran by Charles I of England dated 6 March 1637. Owen's son Denis was born in 1612 and became a Catholic priest in charge of Kildrumferton parish, County Cavan. He later converted to Protestantism and on 10 June 1634 William Bedell, the Protestant Bishop of Kilmore, ordained him as a Minister of the Church of Ireland and two days later Denis was collated to the Vicarage of Killasser in the Diocese of Kilmore. Denis had several children, including William Sheridan (Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh) 1682-1691 (his son Donald kept up the Templeport connection by marrying Mrs Enery of Bawnboy); Patrick Sheridan, Cloyne, Protestant Bishop of Cloyne (1679-1682) and Sir Thomas Sheridan (politician) Chief Secretary of State for Ireland (1687-1688).

The Sheridan lands in Corran were confiscated in the Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 and were distributed as follows:

In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1662 there were two people paying the Hearth Tax in Curran- Thomas Reade and Brian Magragh.

A grant dated 30 January 1668 from King Charles II of England to James Thornton included 98 acres 3 roods 24 perches in Corren.

In the Templeport Poll Book of 1761 there were only three people registered to vote in Corran in the Irish general election, 1761 - Michael Banagher, Robert Johnston and Thomas Jones. Only Banagher lived in Corran and also owned a freehold in Ballymagauran whereas the other two lived in Ballymagirril and Killywillin but owned freeholds in Corran. They were entitled to two votes each. Banagher voted for Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham, who lost the election, and for Lord Newtownbutler (later Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough) who was elected Member of Parliament for Cavan County. Johnston and Jones voted for Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont and for Lord Newtownbutler (later Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough) who were both elected Member of Parliament for Cavan County. Absence from the poll book either meant a resident did not vote or more likely was not a freeholder entitled to vote, which would mean most of the inhabitants of Corran.

The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list twenty four tithepayers in the townland.

Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists twenty one landholders in the townland.

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are ten families listed in the townland, and in the 1911 census of Ireland, there are only seven families listed in the townland.

Corran School

The book Bawnboy and Templeport History Heritage Folklore by Chris Maguire gives the following description of the school-

The right to teach in schools was restored to Catholics under the Relief Act of 1772 and from that time onward education progressed in the parish. The second Report from the Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry 1826 shows that eight schools were operating in the parish of Templeport, including Currin School. They were attended by a total of 670 pupils. All except one of these schools were mud wall cabins and overcrowded. Reading, writing and arithmetic were the main subjects taught. Currin was a pay school in a mud cabin. The headmaster was James Kilagher who had a salary of £18 per annum. There were 97 pupils of whom 68 were Catholic and 29 Church of Ireland. 62 were boys and 35 were girls. In 1831 a state system of primary education came into being under which the National Education Board was set up. Between 1839 and 1849 Currin was taken over under the National Board at the request of Rev. Philip Magauran P.P. CURRIN N.S. is now officially known as St. Mogue's N.S.[9] It was built in 1993 and officially opened by An Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds on 3rd June 1994

Principal Teachers of Currin N.S.: Patrick Maguire (1839-'83); Michael Maguire (1883-1923); Jack Tiernan (1923-'35); Mrs. E. Tiernan (1935-'37); Mr. Fleming (1937); William Lane (1938-'50); Mrs. E. Tiernan (1950-'60); Mrs. Margaret Dolan (1960-'68); Máirtín McGowan (1968-'94); Brendan McGowan (1994- ). Assistants : Mrs. Patrick Maguire; Mrs. Michael Maguire; Annie Kellegher; Mrs. E. Tiernan; Miss Connaughton (later Mrs. Rock); Mrs. Philomena Maguire; Bríd Flynn; Bernadette Whitney; Mrs. Betty McGowan; Teresa McCaffrey; Evelyn McManus.

Antiquities

The Ordnance Survey Namebooks of 1836 state: There is a holy well near the West side of the townland called Tubber-Patrick round which the Papists perform a station annully on Donagh-Dernagh or the last Sunday in summer. There is nothing else remarkable in the townland.

The chief structures of historical interest in the townland are:

1. An earthen ringfort.
2. Two ring-barrows or tumulus.
3. A Holy Well called Tober Patrick (meaning St. Patrick's Well) surrounded by boulders which served as stations for an annual Pattern (devotional) which was held there at the end of July. It is believed that this is the well that St. Patrick blessed the pagans after he destroyed Crom Cruach’s idols The 9th century Vita tripartita Sancti Patricii states- Patrick founded a church in that place, namely, Domnach Maighe Sleacht, and left therein Mabran Barbarus Patricii, a relative of his and a prophet. And there is Patrick's well (Tipra Pátraic), wherein he baptized many. The townland name may be an oblique reference to the nearby idol Crom Cruach.