Drumcrow (, ) is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the north of the parish with the Moyola River running along its northern boundary. It is bounded by the townlands of; Drumballyhagan, Drumballyhagan Clark, Drumconready, Kirley Lisnamuck, Moneyshanere, and Moybeg Kirley. It was apportioned to the Vintners company.
The townland was part of Tobermore electoral ward of the former Magherafelt District Council, however in 1926 it was part of Tobermore district electoral division as part of the Maghera division of Magherafelt Rural District. It was also part of the historic barony of Loughinsholin.
Etymology Drumcrow is suggested to derive its name from the Irish Droim Cró, meaning "bloody ridge". This is based upon the context of earlier forms of the name, which suggested the use of the noun cró, which means "blood, gore". An early Irish poem makes mention of a Droim Cró (now Drumcree) in County Westmeath, which was the site of a battle with the editor remarking that the final element of the name meant "blood, gore". Ridges where an ideal defence-attack position, where the defender could rain missiles upon an enemy that had to climb uphill, and quickly take up an offensive position with a downhill charge.
History
+ PopulationYearPop. 1841 37 1851 33 1861 45 1871 39 1881 30 1891 26 1901 23 1911 25 1926 16
+ Size (acres, roods, poles) Year a, r, p 1851 108, 0, 23 1881 108, 0, 23 1901 108, 0, 23 1926 110, 2, 5
+ Earlier recorded forms Year Form 1613 Drum Crowor 1622 Drom Crow 1654 Drumcrow 1659c Drumcrow 1661 Half Dromcrow 1663 Drumero 1813 Half Drumcro
See also Kilcronaghan List of townlands in Tobermore Tobermore
References HistPop; County and County Borough of Londonderry, 1926, page 27 HistPop; County of Londonderry, 1851, page 241 HistPop; Area, population and number of houses, Vol. III, Ireland, 1881, page 698 Place Names NI - Drumcrow Notes on the Place Names of the Parishes and Townlands of the County of Londonderry, 1925, Alfred Moore Munn, Clerk of the Crown and Peace of the City and County of Londonderry Toner, Gregory: Place-Names of Northern Ireland, page 121. Queen's University of Belfast, 1996,
HistPop; Area, houses, and population, Vol. III [Part 2], Ireland, 1901 Page 35