Port, Templeport

Geography

Port is bounded on the north by Muinaghan townland, on the west by Kildoagh and Corboy Glebe townlands, on the south by Ray, Templeport and Cloneary townlands and on the east by Cor, Templeport and Kilsallagh townlands. Its chief geographical features are Templeport Lough, Inch Island, woods, streams and spring wells. The 1836 Ordnance Survey Namebooks state-

The soil is light yellow clay intermixed with sand stone...The townland is bounded on the W. side by a large lake, on the E. bank of which is situated the parish church. It is a handsome modern building to which is attached a graveyard in which nearly all the Protestant inhabitants are buried. There is an island belonging to this townland near the centre of the lake.

Port is traversed by minor public roads and rural lanes.

The townland covers 335 statute acres.

Etymology

The old name of the townland was Templeport (now shortened to Port) which is the anglicisation of the Gaelic Teampall An Phoirt ("The Church of the Port or Bank or Landing-Place"). The church referred to is the old church on St. Mogue's Island in the middle of Port Lake. This church fell into disuse in medieval times and a new church was built on the opposite shore of the lake. It was forfeited to Queen Elizabeth in 1590 and started use as a Protestant church in about 1610. It is very unlikely that the island church ever served as the parish church because there was only one boat available and it would have been extremely inconvenient if not logistically impossible for hundreds of worshipers to go to and from the church in time for mass, especially in rough winter weather. It was built firstly for the convenience of any pilgrim wishing to go to St. Mogue's birthplace and secondly as an internment or mortuary chapel for the few family members attending burials on the island.

History

The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the townland as Aghavanme.

The 1665 Down Survey map depicts it as Port.

An 1809 map of ecclesiastical lands in Templeport depicts the townland as Templeport with a subdivision in the northeast part named Portlargy (from Irish: Port Láirge meaning 'The Hillside of the Landing-Place')[8]

Saint Máedóc of Ferns, also known as St. Mogue, was born in the island of Breaghwee (now called Inch Island) in Templeport Lake about 558 A.D.[9]

The earliest mention of the name in the Vatican archives is for 2 September 1414- To the archdeacon of Kilmore. Mandate to collate and assign to Magonius Macamragan, priest, of the diocese of Kilmore, if found fit, the perpetual vicarage, value not exceeding 6 marks, of Insula Brechungy alias Tempullapuret in the said diocese, collation and provision of which, on its voidance by the death of Andrew Macgamragan, was made to him by bishop Nicholas. He doubts whether the said collation and provision of the said vicarage which, as the pope has learned, is still void as above, holds good. Dignum [arbitramur].

The earliest mention of the name in the annals of Ireland is in the Annals of the Four Masters for 1496 A.D.- M1496.17- Magauran, i.e. Donnell Bearnagh, Chief of Teallach-Eachdhach, was treacherously slain before the altar of the church of Teampall-an-phuirt, by Teige, the son of Hugh, son of Owen Magauran; and the marks of the blows aimed at him are still visible in the corners of the altar.

Port formed part of the termon or hospital lands belonging to Templeport Church and so its history belongs to the ecclesiastical history of the parish. It would have belonged to the parish priest and the erenach family rather than the McGovern chief. In the 16th century these ecclesiastical lands in Templeport were seized in the course of the Reformation in Ireland and kept first by the English monarch and then eventually granted to the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore.

An Inquisition held in Cavan Town on 20 June 1588 valued the total vicarage of Templeport at £10.

An Inquisition held in Cavan Town on 19 September 1590 found the termon or hospital lands of Templeport to consist of four polls of land at a yearly value of 4 shillings. Port was one of these four polls.

By grant dated 6 March 1605, along with other lands, King James VI and I granted a lease of the farm, termons or hospitals of Tampleporte containing 4 pulls for 21 years at an annual rent of 10 shillings to Sir Garret Moore, 1st Viscount Moore. Port was one of these four pulls.

By grant dated 10 August 1607, along with other lands, King James VI and I granted a further lease of the farms, termons or hospitals of Templeport containing 2 pulls for 21 years at an annual rent of 13 shillings to the aforesaid Sir Garret Moore, 1st Viscount Moore of Mellifont Abbey, County Louth. This grant covered the two extra polls of ecclesiastical land in the parish which had been overlooked in the previous inquisitions and grants.

A survey held by Sir John Davies (poet) at Cavan Town on 6 September 1608 stated that- the ecclesiastical lands of Templeporte were containing 6 pulls lying near the parish church and that the rectory was appropriated to the Abbey of Kells, County Meath. Port was one of these six pulls.

An Inquisition held in Cavan Town on 25 September 1609 found the termon land of Templeport to consist of six polls of land, out of which the Bishop of Kilmore was entitled to a rent of 10 shillings and 2/3rd of a beef per annum. Port was one of these six polls.The Inquisition then granted the lands to the Protestant Bishop of Kilmore.

By a deed dated 6 April 1612, Robert Draper, the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore and Ardagh granted a joint lease of 60 years over the termons or herenachs of, inter alia, 6 polls in Templepurt to Oliver Lambart, 1st Lord Lambart, Baron of Cavan, of Kilbeggan, County Westmeath and Sir Garret Moore, 1st Viscount Moore, of Mellifont Abbey, County Louth. Port formed part of the six polls in this lease.

In 1622 Thomas Moigne, the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore made a visitation to the parish. He found that the rectory was impropriate to the vicar of Templeport, John Patrick, who was not a resident, but that there was a curate resident. The annual value of the rectory was £20. The church was in a ruinous condition and the parsonage was a timber house.

By deed dated 17 July 1639, William Bedell, the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore, extended the above lease of Templepart to Oliver Lambert’s son, Charles Lambart, 1st Earl of Cavan.

Major Edward Magauran was born in Ballymagovern, County Cavan on 16 April 1746, the grandson of Colonel Bryan Magauran, the Chief of the McGovern Clan who fought in the Battle of the Boyne for King James II against William III of Orange. In his book Memoirs of Major M’Gauran, Volume I, Page 127 (London 1786), he states (about the year 1765)-

Upon my return from Luxemburg, the General wrote to Mr. John M'Gauran, of Port, in the County of Cavan, married to Ann O'Donnel, the General's cousin-german, telling him that a cousin of his, grand-son of Colonel Bryan M'Gauran, and son of Mary O'Donnel, was serving then in Loudon's regiment, quartered where he resided. Mr. M'Gauran, jealous of my prosperity, having many young sons of his own, whom he thought better entitled to the General's protection; but, notwithstanding, though he knew me to be his own near relation, wrote to the General, to inform him that I was not the son of Mary O'Donnel, but an impostor. The General shewed me the letter, and asked me the truth, which I told him, together with the motives I had for not revealing it sooner; all of which he approved, and matters seemed to be accommodated.

The 1809 map of ecclesiastical lands in Templeport depicts Port as still belonging to the Anglican Church of Ireland. The tenants on the land were- Robert Hume, Hugh Reilly, The widow of M. Kernan, John Lynch and James Hoey.[10]

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

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

According to the story The Floating Stone of Inch Island (now found in the Dúchas School's Collection at jmhttp://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/5082122/5037862) a cursing stone connected to the birth of Saint Máedóc of Ferns or Mogue on Inch Island was buried in Ray, Templeport townland in the 1880s and is probably still there.

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are fourteen families listed in the townland.

In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are only twelve families listed in the townland.

On 17 March 1943 a Royal Air Force Bristol Beaufighter JL710 crash landed beside the island in Templeport Lough.[11]

Church of Ireland clergy

The list of Anglican rectors of Templeport is viewable at-[12].

Port School

The Second Report from the Commissioners of Irish Education Inquiry dated 1826 stated that Terence McManus was the headmaster of the school which was a pay school with charges of 10d to 1/3d per annum. The schoolhouse was built of mud at a cost of 5 guineas. There were 77 pupils of which 71 were Roman Catholics and 6 were Church of Ireland. 46 were boys and 31 were girls. [13] It was closed before 1900.

Antiquities

The chief structures of historical interest in the townland are-

1. St. Mogue's ruined church on St. Mogue's Island, built about 1500 to replace an earlier church. [14]
2. Templeport Protestant Church erected 1815 to replace an earlier church built about 1400.[15]
3. Templeport House [16]
4. Two earthen ringforts.
5. A crannóg 170 metres from the shore in Templeport Lough.
6. A sandstone Beehive Quern-stone[17]
7. A Foot Bridge over the stream