County Monaghan - Parish Currin
c1850 -CURRIN, a parish,
partly in the barony of COOLE, county of FERMANAGH, but
chiefly in the barony of DARTRY, county of MONAGHAN, and
province of ULSTER, 3 miles (S. W.) from Clones, on the
road to Ballyhaise and Stradone ; containing, with the town
of Drum and the village of Scotshouse (each of which is
separately described), 7180 inhabitants.
This parish comprises, according to the Ordnance survey,
11,372 statute acres, of which 10,987 are in Monaghan, and
385 in Fermanagh. The land is chiefly arable ; there are
about 200 acres of woodland, but little bog, and fuel is
very scarce. There are several lakes in the parish, of
which those contiguous to Drum, and to the Hilton demesne,
are the most extensive. In addition to agricultural labour,
the chief occupation of the inhabitants is the linen
manufacture. Hilton Lodge, the beautiful residence of Col.
Madden, is situated on the confines of Fermanagh, and
commands a fine view of the neighbouring mountains ; the
demesne, which is several hundred acres in extent, is well
furnished with fine timber, and has a well stocked deer
park. The other seats are Minore, that of Captain Cottnam ;
and Laurel Hill, the property of George Moore, Esq.
The living is a rectory and vicarage, in the diocese of
Clogher, united by episcopal authority to part of the
rectory and vicarage of Drumkrin, together forming the
union of Currin, in the patronage of the Bishop. The tithes
amount to £400, and the gross tithes of the benefice
to £584. The glebe, which was erected by a gift of
£380. 15. from the late Board of First Fruits, in
1828, comprises 60 acres of profitable land, valued at
£100 per annum. The parochial church, at Scotshouse,
is a neat modern structure in good repair ; there is also a
chapel of ease at Drum. On the next avoidance it is
provided by acts of council, dated Jan. 7th, 1804, and
March 6th, 1806, that the union be dissolved, when the part
of Drumkrin will be attached to the parish of Drummully.
The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the
Established Church : the chapel is at Scotshouse. There are
two Presbyterian meeting-houses in Drum, one in connection
with the Synod of Ulster, of the third class ; and one for
Seceders, of the second class. There are schools at
Scotshouse, Tattenaghcake, Carnagarry, Aghrea, Mockla,
Carne, Laurel Hill, Killefargy, and Drum, in which are
about 530 boys and 330 girls. There are also three private
schools, in which are about 40 boys and 20 girls ; and six
Sunday schools.
Along with Armagh and Louth, Monaghan
was originally part of the Gaelic kingdom of Oriel which dates from
around 330 AD. The McMahons were the dominant family in the Monaghan
area and, together with the McKennas, remained so until the
mid-seventeenth century. Although a part of Ulster, the county was not
included in the great Plantation which began in 1610. It was only after
the failure of the rebellion against Cromwell later in the century, and
the subsequent confiscations, that some settlement by the English and
the Scots took place.
Like Armagh and Louth, Monaghan was one of the most densely populated
areas of Ireland in 1841. Accordingly, its people suffered greatly in
the Famine. The population dropped by almost a third between 1841 and
1851, and went on falling as emigrants flooded out of the county over
the following decades. By 1961, there were only 47,000 inhabitants left,
less than a quarter of the total 120 years before.
Currin-Killeevan-Aghabog:- Originally three separate parishes, Currin and Killeevan were later united as one and, later still, Aghabog was added to the triumvirate. Scotshouse village is the main centre in Currin, a parish that gave Co. Monaghan the Moore family, prominent teachers, historians, writers and footballers. Newbliss is the epicentre of Killeevan and the parents of Irish patriot, revolutionary and 1916 leader, James Connolly, came from this area. The ‘Black Pig’s Dyke’ winds its way through this parish and in recent years some archeological excavations have been carried out. The great McMahon clan once had one of their major strongholds here while, in more recent times, Patrick Whelan led the local '1916' Volunteer Movement’ and also became very prominent in Monaghan and Ulster GAA circles. The Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annaghmakerrig is now an artists' centre
