Owengallees

Geography

Owengallees is bounded on the north by Gortnacargy in Corlough parish and Newtown, Templeport townlands, on the west by Drumlougher and Stranadarragh townlands, on the south by Boley townland and on the east by Gowlagh South, Mullaghmore, Templeport and Lakefield townlands. Its chief geographical features are Bunerky Lough, Lakefield Lough, the River Blackwater, County Cavan, a forestry plantation, a spring well, some dug wells and some stone quarries. Owengallees is traversed by minor roads and rural lanes.

The townland covers 470 statute acres.

History

Up until the 19th century Owengallees also included the modern townland of Drumlougher as a subdivision. Another name for Owengallees was Cunnoocenanare and Cossaunnanare (Irish Cnuas-na-ngadhar meaning 'the gathering of the hounds' and Casan na ngadhar meaning "the path of the hounds")[10]

The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the townland as Owngalles. The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as Owneganlis. William Petty's 1685 map depicts it as Owenganlis.

On 12 November 1590 Queen Elizabeth I of England granted a pardon (No. 5489) to James O Doylan, of Ownygalleise, horsekeeper for fighting against the Queen's forces.

In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 4 June 1611, King James VI and I granted two polls of Owingallis to Breene Og Magauran, gentleman. An Inquisition held in Cavan Town on 24 October 1631 found that the said Brian Óg McGovern by deed of trust dated 20 November 1614 granted the lands of Lissconnaught, comprising 2 polls in Owengallees, 2 polls in Teeboy townland in Corlough parish and a half poll in Bartonny, to the use of himself and his wife Mary O'Birn and after their death for their son Edmond McGovern, born in 1616. The said Brian Óg McGovern died on 1 October 1631.

The McGovern lands in Owengallees 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 three people paying the Hearth Tax in Owengallis- Cormucke McEdegany, Daniell Magawran and Donell McEdegany.

A grant dated 3 November 1666 from King Charles II of England to Sir Tristram Beresford included, inter alia, lands of Owengally. By grant dated 11 September 1670 from King Charles II of England to said Sir Tristram Beresford, the lands of Owengally were included in the creation of a new Manor of Beresford.

In the Templeport Poll Book of 1761 there was only one person registered to vote in Owengallees in the Irish general election, 1761 - Louther Kirkwood, who lived in the townland and owned a freehold there. He was entitled to cast two votes. The four election candidates were Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont and Lord Newtownbutler (later Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough), both of whom were then elected Member of Parliament for Cavan County. The losing candidates were George Montgomery (MP) of Ballyconnell and Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham. Kirkwood voted for Newtownbutler and Coote. 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 Owengallees.

In 1804 the aforesaid Lowther Kirkwood of Mullinagrave, parish of Templeport, Co. Cavan, gentleman made the following will-

2 July 1804. To his grandnephew Lowther Brien, city of Dublin, attorney, and his heirs his lands of Awengallis, Ballylenan, Ballymagirill, Stranadarragh, Carnagimlie, Cullagh, Drumleden, Leitry [Leitra], Corlagh, Lananleragh [Lannanerriagh], Gowlanlea and Drumlogher, Co. Cavan, held under lease from the Beresford family. He had begun a suit in Chancery, Ireland, against John Brien, late of Salvon, Co. Fermanagh, deceased, for setting aside a fradulent deed obtained by said John Brien, which suit against the representatives is to be continued by said Lowther Brien, his sole exor. Witnesses: John Johnston and Andrew Rutledge, both of Ballymagiril, and Thos. Stephenson, Drumleaden, Co. Cavan, gent. Memorial witnessed by: said Andrew Rutledge, and John Balfour, city of Dublin, attorney.

The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list thirty three tithepayers in the townland.

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

On 6 July 1857 the Incumbered Estates Commission published the following notice-

In the Matter of the Estate of James Brien, Geo. Brien, Edward Brien and Francis Brien, Owners. Exparte by Isabella Crummer, Petitioner. The commissioners having ordered a Sale of the Lands of Shanadaragh and Curnagunlogh, Cullegh, Drumlohgher, Drumledin, Sananaragh, and Drumledin, and Corlough, situate in the Barony of Tullyhaw, and County of Cavan, held under lease dated the 10th April, 1718, from the Bishop Raphoe, for lives renewable for ever, and which Lands are included in the denominations of Ballymagord, Owngally, Gortneglough, Drumedin or Ballylennin, in said lease mentioned:

A deed dated 10 June 185 now in the Cavan Archives Service (ref P017/0096) is described as-

Notice issued by the Landed Estates Court, Ireland, to tenants and adjoining owners and occupiers, informing them of the sale of part of the lands of Owengallees (Owen Gallows otherwise Owen Galles otherwise Owen Gallils), barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, containing 397 acres, 2 roods and 16 perches, the property of Henry George l'Estrange. Document incorporates rental and map of the lands to be sold.

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

In the 1860s George L'Estrange published monthly weather reports from Owendoon House in Owengallees in Symons's monthly meteorological magazine.[11]

The author Mrs Augusta Wardell, née Hunt, was a native of the townland. She published a book in 1912 entitled "Folk Tales of Breffny" under the pen name 'Bunda Hunt'.

Antiquities

The chief structures of historical interest in the townland are:

1. An earthen ringfort.
2. A crannóg 100 metres from the shore in Lakefield Lough.
3. A Bronze Age bronze axe in the National Museum of Ireland was found in Owengallees in 1927. [12]
4. A bridge on the River Blackwater
5. Owendoon House, now known as Jampa Ling Buddhist Retreat [13]
6. A boathouse