Moville.Records

Other.Information

Old photographs Old photos of Moville and the surrounding areas.

Maps Old maps of the two parishes in Moville.

Books Read a history of Moville, and see other references to the area.

Lewis' Topographical Dictionary Extracts from the Topographical Dictionary published in 1837

FHC Records Family History Centre (LDS) film references for Moville records

Moville.Records

Moville from Carrickarory Pier

Inishowen.It's History, Traditions, & Antiquities

Chapter XVI - Upper Moville.

The parish of Upper Moville is contiguous to the former, and is traversed by the road from Derry to Greencastle. It contains 19,081 acres : population, 4,207. The land rises gradually from the shores of the lough to the summits of the mountains of Crucknanonian, Crunlieve, Drung, and Leemacrosson. Nearly one-half of it, therefore, is mountainous, and through the rest are detached patches of bog land. The soil is tolerably rich near the shore, and in a fair state of cultivation. Excellent sandstone is to be found near Whitecastle, with indications of coal, and convenient to Whitecastle there is a very extraordinary whin dyke. The produce of the land is chiefly corn and flax.

At the northern boundary of the parish a pier has been constructed, which is called Carrickarory Pier. Carrickarory means the knoll or rock of Rory. There is a tradition among the people that a friar, named Roger or Rory Hegarty, once lodged here. When a sick call came to him, and when inquiry was made for the priest, the answer generally was, "he is walking around the rock." It was said he had also another brother a priest, some say two. At Drung are the remains of an ancient cromleach ; and terraces and remains of ancient buildings may be traced near Redcastle, Whitecastle, and at Castlecarey. As before remarked, the Trench writer, Feller, says that Redcastle was the birthplace of that misguided genius, John Toland, but in compliance with traditions and local information received by me, and which I believe to be accurate, I have set down the parish of Clonmany as the place where he was born, and where he lived to the age of twelve or thirteen years.

Near the church of Cooley stands a lofty handsome stone cross. We believe there are few places in Ireland of the same extent so rich in stone crosses, as Inishowen, an few whose workmanship bespeaks a more remote origin and higher degree of art; the wonder is how so many have been preserved up to the present time. Dr. Reeves, in a lecture which he delivered a few years ago, speaks in strong terms of the vandalism that was practised on Irish crosses and other works of art in Down and Antrim, and elsewhere. It appears some were broken in fragments by the disciples of M'Adam, and strewn on the public highway; others were used as lintels of doors, others as chimney-stones, and some in building fences.

It is really creditable that such vandalism has not been practised in Inishowen; still there are exceptions, for that cross of Cooley has its' history. Probably it can date its origin to the time of St. Finian, who was abbot of that celebrated monastery, and patron of the parish, or perhaps even to the time of St. Patrick, by whom the monastery was first founded. It has its religious memories and its old associations. The good monks of Cooley often knelt and prayed before it; the stranger, who was hospitably received at the door, and lodged for the night within Cooley's walls, knelt before it in the morning ere he departed from the monastery gate. When the monastery was destroyed during the civil wars of 1688, the cross survived the wreck, and in the dark days of persecution, when religion was proscribed and its ministers banished, the descendants of the old Celtic race who inhabited these mountains and preserved the faith of their fathers, reverenced that cross and paid it a passing visit.

In the beginning of the present century a new road was to pass by Cooley — the cross was in its way, and hence it must be tumbled; so, at least, said a magistrate, and some of the surrounding gentry. The good Dr. Callaghan, however, who was at that time pastor of Moville, thought otherwise. The power of a magistrate and of the gentry was great in those times; the influence of a priest was insignificant indeed. Who dare gainsay what the lords of the soil would determine? Yes, Dr. Callaghan did oppose them, and opposed them effectually. The labourers were at work, the gentry stood by, the old cross was about to fall, but the worthy parish priest, backed by his people, rushed to the rescue, and preserved it as its stands up to the present day. We admire the heroism of the Roman, Horatius Codes, defending the bridge till the last plank was cut, and then flinging himself, amid showers of darts, into old father Tiber, and swimming to the opposite shore; we admire the courage of the stalwart blacksmith of Limerick, quitting his forge, seizing a sledge hammer, and rushing to the defence of Limerick's walls; but far more noble the Christian heroism of the good old priest who rushed to the rescue of this time- honoured and hallowed symbol of man's redemption.

The living is a rectory, in the patronage of the Bishop of Derry; Rector's net income, £270 per annum. The glebe house was built in 1775, at a cost of £590. The glebe contains 74 Cunningham acres, valued at £66 12s per annum. In the Roman Catholic divisions this parish is united to Lower Moville. There is a small chapel at Drung, on a commanding eminence on the shore of the lough. The building is 'a plain unpretending edifice. Some years of the present century elapsed before it was built; previous to this there was a little altar near the same spot, and on a Sunday morning the good people of the district might be seen tripping along the mountains and across the fields to the Sunday mass, which was celebrated in the open air, a broad stone for an altar, and the blue vault of heaven for its covering; and on a cold day in winter one could hardly imagine a more dreary and exposed locality.

At last the good priest of the district made an appeal to the people, but the appeal was for the most part unheeded; he appealed again, and with no better effect. On a cold day in February, and while the wind blew a perfect hurricane, the people knelt around the rude altar, and the priest read the morning prayer, previous to which the good man made a third appeal for subscriptions to raise a chapel, but, as before, without effect. He was a venerable old man, his locks were as white as the snow that fell thickly around him, his tremulous hands were pinched with cold, and there knelt his flock around him— the old, the decrepid, the infirm, as well as the strong and stalwart. They, too, felt the excessive rigour of the cold; it was a good opportunity, and the priest did not allow it to pass.

"How long" said the venerable old man, "shall ye continue to worship God in the open air? Time was when ye were not allowed to build a church; fortunately that time has passed away. T have appealed to you before, I appeal to you now again."

The words of the good priest produced their effect, a subscription was organised, and the church, as it now stands, was built. I may observe, however, that as this church is found inadequate for the accommodation of the people, another is about to be built in its place, and there is a large sum of money on hand for the purpose.

Passing by that little chapel of Drung reminds me of an old story ... Click here to read more.

There is a neat Presbyterian Meetinghouse at Claar; and another very elegant one has lately been erected on Greenbank, at Paul's Strand, on the shore of Lough Foyle. A third one stands near the town of Moville. These Meeting houses are in connexion with the General Assembly; and the latter has been erected for the accommodation of the members of the Presbyterian religion resident in Iskaheen, and the southern limits of the parish of Upper Moville.

The National Schools are at Terryroan, Ballylawn, Carrickmaquigley, Drung, and Cabry.

The principal seats are Carrownaff, the residence of William Haslett, Esq., J.P. The grounds are embellished with terraces and flower gardens, skilfully and tastefully arranged. Redcastle, the residence of R. Doherty, Esq., M.D., J.P.; the Cottage, the residence of Mrs. Sheil Doherty. Mrs. Doherty's maiden name is Sheil; she is a native of Ballyshannon, and her mother was a sister of the late O'Connor Don, of Roscommon. She is also a relative of the M'Dermotts, the princes of Coolavin, a name rendered so famous by the graphic pen of the late Lady Morgan. Whitecastle, Foyleview, the residence of R. Lepper, Esq., J.P.; Beech Cottage, of A. L. Carey, Esq., J.P.; Ballylawn, Greenbank, and the Glebe House.

Moville, in the Annals of the Four Masters, is written Maghbile. It appears that St. Finian was not the only saint that parish produced, for we find from the same source that St. Sillan, Bishop and Abbot of Maghbile, died on the 25th August, CIS. We may observe that the territory known as Bradach Glen, comprised about one-half of the eastern half of Inishowen. John Colgan, in his celebrated work, "Trias Thaum," alludes to the river that flows through this glen in the following terms :— "Breadach est fluviolus peninsulae de Inis-Eoguin qui in sinum de Loch Fabhuil apud Maghbile exoneratus."

At Quigley's Point, the junction of the Carndonagh and Moville lines with the Derry road, there is a Constabulary Station and a Coastguard Station. There are here, too, a Penny Post-office and Dispensary. At Carrickmaquigley, a village near Redcastle, fairs are held on the 1st of January, 14th February, 13th March, 17th April, 1st June, 12th August, and 13th of November. Peter, one of the ill-fated Magennises, fled to Connaught, because he fired a gun at a man named Gallagher, in Carrickmaquigley, by which he lost his eyes.

As we pass Quigley's Point and enter on Paul's Strand, I am reminded of an incident that occurred not far off, nearly 20 years ago. During the famine years of 1847 and 1848, many of the peasantry of Inishowen were obliged to abandon country and home, and seek an asylum in a foreign land, and, consequently, many farms remained unoccupied.

An old man belonging to the county Derry sold his farm .... Click here to read more.

During the penal times, Mass was celebrated in the parish of Moville, at Ballinacray, Carrickarory, Summerhill, and Drung.

The Rev. Henry O'Crilly became parish priest of Moville in 1721, and died on the 13th December, 1756, aged 78 years. He was, therefore, for 35 years P.P. of Moville ; he is buried in Cooley. We have not been able to ascertain who his successor was. The Rev. Eugene O'Callaghan became parish priest in 1771, and died on the 27th September, 1815, aged 75 years. He is buried in Cooley.

Dr. O'Callaghan was a native of the parish of Donagh. He was succeeded by the Rev. Gerald Doherty, who exchanged in 1823 for Culdaff, where he died in 1825 ; he is buried in the churchyard of Drung. In the same grave are also buried Friar M'Closkey, and the Rev. Mr. O'Kane. The grave occupies the spot where mass was celebrated before the chapel of Drung was built. He was succeeded by the Rev. Mr. O'Kane. Mr. O'Kane was succeeded by the Very Rev. Wm. M'Cafferty in 1829, who was transferred to Donagh in 1838, and was succeeded by the Right Rev. John M'Laughlin, who selected it as his mensal parish. He was succeeded by the Rev. George Doherty, on whose death the Right Rev. Dr. Kelly selected it as his mensal parish.

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