Bawnboy and Templeport
History Heritage Folklore
by Chris Maguire

 
 

THE MAGAURANS OF TULLYHAW

 

A very important and powerful dynasty, the Ui Briuin occupied mid-Roscommon during the 7th century. At that time they moved from their homeland, one section of them, the Ui Bruin Breifne moving north to occupy north Leitrim. They over-ran the Calraige, Masraige and the Dartraige of that region and took possession of the land. During the following two centuries they moved into West Cavan and through time took possession of almost all of the present counties of Leitrim and Cavan.

Magauran’s Castle

Magauran’s Castle, Ballymagauran built by Phelim Magauran in about 1609. He died 20th January 1622.
His son Brian inherited the Bawn of Sods which contained a stone house.
The ruins are still there.

This movement resulted in a strong O Rourke Dynasty in County Leitrim, and an equally strong O’Reilly kingdom in East Cavan. In between were two minor-septs, the Magaurans in Tullyhaw and the McKiernans in Tullyhunco. The Magauran territory in which we are most interested stretched from Lough McNean to the River Graine, and its people though subject to O Rourke and paying a yearly tribute to him were to a great extent masters of their own territory.

The following genealogical table will show the origin of the ancient distinguished families of Breifne.

Eochy Moyvahain, R. Hiberniae Supremus the most noble monarch of Ireland in the 4th century, had a son called Brian, who begat Duach, who begat Eoghan, who begat Muireadhach, who begat Fergus, who begat Duach of the Copper Tongue, King of Connaught and Brian, from whom all the Hy-Briuin Breifne are descended. This Brian was fostered and educated by the great Saint Columb, and was given the name Feargna which means Man of Wisdom.

Brian Feargna, had a son Breanainn, who begat Baoithin, who begat Maonach, who had issue Eochaidh. This Eochaid became the father of a numerous tribe, who from him took the name of Teallach Eochy, and because a civilised English tongue found it difficult of utterance it was barbarised to Tully-Haw instead of Tellach-Eochy. A few generations lower in the pedigree appears Samhradhan, pronounced Sauran, who living, during the reign of Brian Boru, was obliged to impose it as an injunction upon his sons, grandsons and posterity that they should thenceforward take name from him, an injunction imposed on all the other chiefs and strictly adhered to throughout Ireland in general, as well as at the foot of Slieve Anieran. Now it so happened that some families preferred the prefix Mac to O, the former meaning son and the latter grandson and among these who assumed the Mac were the descendants of this Sauran, who thenceforward became Mag-Saurans which among the Normans would sound Fitz-Saurans; but as in the Irish language the genitive case of a man’s name most generally (but not always) suffered aspiration, the S dwindled to a faint sound of H and the whole of the name became Mag-hauran, and in later ages when people are becoming fond of tidy short monosyllabic names an attempt has been made to anglicise it to Magauran-which is still (as a member of the family told John O Donovan), a very ugly name to go to church with. Throughout Meath this family anglicise their name Govern, which is certainly a powerful cognomen worthy of Brian Boru.

Shane More O Dugan, Bard of Hy-Many in his topographical poem composed before the year 1370, finds Magauran the chief of Teallach Eachdhach. O Donovan gives his very words as well as they can bear translation:-

High King of Breifne of lasting power
Is O Rourke to whom the tribute of Connaught is due,
Around whom these chiefs are found:
Mac Tiernan (McKiernan) of the lordly soul
Prop of the genuine Gaels,
Liberator of the clergy and their friend,
Rules o’er , Teallach Doncha   (*1)
Magauran, a tie of strength,
Sways over illustrious Teallach Eochy
His country is not rendered ugly by the wind,

(*1) Now barbarised to Tullahonoho and Tullyhonco;    

In 1256 the Magaurans joined with the O Rourkes to defeat the O Reillys of East Breifne at the battle of Magh Sleacht near Glan Gap. Two years later, Brian Magauran, Lord of Tullyhaw was slain by the O Connors. Over the next two hundred years or more the Magaurans attacked, or were attacked by the armies of the surrounding kingdoms, such as O Connors, Maguires, McKiernans and O Reillys. Ballymagauran was burned four times during the second half of the 15th century and Feilim Magauran, Chief of Tullyhaw was drowned in Loch Crannoige, Killywillin where the Magaurans had an important residence. Whether Loch Crannoige of Coill O’ Mhuillinn was the Baile Mhic Shamhrain or Ballymagauran of the 15th century is still a puzzle. The townland known today as Ballymagauran was in the 15th-16th century known as Dromcorck, and was granted to Phelim Magauran about 1610. It was in Dromcorck that Phelim built his castle by the lake shore, under the terms of the Ulster Plantation.

Tradition in Templeport, associates the Magaurans with the following places in particular, Bawnboy, Lissanover, Coologe, Derrycassan, Killywillin, and Ballymagauran. In the Annals of Ireland only Killywillin and Ballymagauran are mentioned. The traditional stories about the Magaurans of Lissanover are incredible and we find the same barbaric tales about the Blachfords who were given these lands in the 17th century.

In 1586 Sir Richard Bingham, Governor of Connaught wrote to Lord Deputy, Perrot-
“I am hardly dealt with at O Rourke’s hand for the Queen’s rent, for he will not pay it to me…..I beseech your lordship let me have your favour to repair towards his country to fetch the same. I beseech your Honour that it may not displease you that I repair to that most bad man McGlannakie (MacGlancy of North Leitrim) and suppress and put down the castle, the which he is now fortifying. From whence I will also go to Magauran, lying between O’Rourke and Maguire, and cause him to submit himself, and yield composition for his land, or else I will give him a wipe of a thousand cows!"

By 1593, Maguire, Prince of Fermanagh was already in arms against the English when Edmond Magauran, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, arrived. Maguire accompanied by the Primate, entered Connaught ready for battle. Bingham, sent a task force against him but they were routed by the Fermanagh men. Unfortunately, however the Primate was killed by some English that were retreating.

Magauran Clansmen who received grants of land on the plantation of Ulster are as follows-
Felim Magauran, 1000 acres in the townlands of Dromcorck, Killemullan, Errenagh, Kilcroghan, Camagh, Derricassan, Shroughagh, Gortnaleck, Killmoriertagh, Boely, Portnerilinchy and Ballymagerrill.
Cormac Magauran, 175 acres.
Donough Magauran, 75 acres
Hugh McManus Oge Magauran, 150 acres.
Breen Oge Magauran, 200 acres

In 1621 Eugene Magauran was titular Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.

A.D. 1642 Extract from a deposition by Arthur Culme, captain of Loch Uactair Castle, in the county of Cavan. “Hee saw Charles Magauran bear arms, and hee was at the castell several times where I was, with severall rebells attending him, and hee hath beene crediblie informed that hee, the said Charles Magauran, Gillemu Magauran, and the most of that sept are notorious rebells. They live in the halfe barronie of Tullaghaw, countie of Cavan.”

A.D. 1646 Magauran, of Templeport, brought some fighting men to assist at the battle of Benburb, and how heroically did they fight, on 5th June when General Munroe’s Anglo-Scottish forces of 6800 were routed by Owen Roe O Neills’ troops, numbering 5500 all told..

A.D. 1649-’54. Muster of Ulster Horse and Foot, at Clonmel, against Cromwell. Captain Philip Magauran and his company were there to help.

A.D. 1730 The grandfather of Hugh Magauran now residing at West Port in Ballyshannon came from Ballymagauran to Ballyshannon in this year. He had just saved the life of a priest who was tied up with ropes and sentenced to death for celebrating Mass.

1815 A..D. The Rt. Rev. James Magauran was elected bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise by propaganda on 6th March. He had been P.P., V.F., Ballinamore, Co. Leitrim. Dr. Magauran , born in Glangevlin was educated at Salamanca and died 3rd June 1829. The Very Rev. Dean (Terence) Magauran P.P. Templeport 1877-1895 was a nephew of the late bishop.

Peter Magauran a brother of the aforementioned bishop was in his time nominated King of Glan by the general consensus of the clansmen; his sister Elizabeth was made ‘Queen of Glan’, since the election of the lords or chieftains had ceased- the tribe kept up its kingly origin by electing a King and Queen. They were the last elected, and the custom was abolished; all matters in dispute were referred to them, and their judgements were never called in question or an appeal made to any other tribunal.

Magauran’s Castle with cattle
Magauran’s Castle (with cattle).
'That Chieftain of old could he now behold his lordly palace a shepard's pen'.

 

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