Carn (Irish derived place name, Carn meaning 'A cairn of stones or a burial-mound'.) is a townland in the civil parish of Kildallan, barony of Tullyhunco, County Cavan, Ireland.
Geography Carn is bounded on the north by Ballyhugh and Greaghrahan townlands, on the west by Aghavoher, Breandrum, Tullyhunco and Killygreagh townlands, on the south by Kildallan townland and on the east by Kilnacross and Listiernan townlands. Its chief geographical features are Carn Lough, small streams and a wood. Carn is traversed by minor public roads and rural lanes. The townland covers 228 acres.
History
The townland was occupied from prehistoric times as is evident from the megalithic structure therein. From medieval times up to the early 1600s, the land belonged to the McKiernan Clan. Their lands were divided into units called a ballybetagh. A survey conducted in 1608 stated that one of these was named Ballencharne containing 14 polls or townlands, which was centered on Carn townland. The chief of the McKiernans in 1290 was Sithric Carrach in Cairn Mág Tighearnán and his nickname indicates he lived in Carn before he was made chief. On 30 April 1604 King James VI and I granted a pardon to Daniel McKernan of Carne, for fighting against the King's forces.
The 1609 Plantation of Ulster Map depicts the townland as split into two sub-divisions-Tughtreagh and Cortonny. A grant of 1610 spells the names as Tagheagh and Carrotouny. A lease of 1611 spells the names as Tutreagh and Carontonie. An inquisition of 1629 spells the names as Tooterenigh and Carrotoney. The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells it as Carne.
In the Plantation of Ulster the townland was confiscated from the McKiernans and King James VI and I by grant dated 27 June 1610, granted the Manor of Keylagh, which included one poll in each of Tagheagh and Carrotouny, to John Achmootie, a Scottish Groom of the Bedchamber. His brother Alexander Achmootie was granted the neighbouring Manor of Dromheada. On 16 August 1610 John Aghmootie sold his lands in Tullyhunco to James Craig. On 1 May 1611 James Craig leased, inter alia, 1 poll each of Tutreagh and Carontonie to Ferrall Oge McKernan. On 29 July 1611 Arthur Chichester, 1st Baron Chichester and others reported that-John Auchmothy and Alexander Auchmothye have not appeared at the lands awarded to them. James Craige is their deputy for five years, who has brought 4 artificers of divers sorts with their wives and families and 2 other servants. Stone raised for building a mill and trees felled, a walled house with a smith's forge built, 4 horses and mares upon the grounds with competent arms. An Inquisition held at Ballyconnell on 2 November 1629 stated that the poll of Tooterenigh contained seven sub-divisions named Laenedarragh, Moyngaroutragh, Moyngareightragh, Tawnehellan, Knockecanny, Knockedroe and Reighen and that the poll of Carrotoney contained nine sub-divisions named Lahenvoulty, Lahenvalli, Corvanekuren, Lahenderrigg, Taghermorasie, Cavangallie, Knocknegriffe, Cargeteriffe and Lyssegarren. Sir James Craig died in the siege of Croaghan Castle on 8 April 1642. His land was inherited by his brother John Craig of Craig Castle, County Cavan and of Craigston, County Leitrim, who was chief doctor to both King James I and Charles I.
The 1652 Commonwealth Survey states the owner was Lewis Craig but this was incorrect as at some date between 1626 and 1640 Martin Baxter purchased Carn from Sir James Craig. Martin Baxter was the first Protestant rector of Kildallan parish. He held the post from 1 November 1626 until March 1642 when he died of pestilential fever at Sir James Craig's besieged castle at Croaghan, Killeshandra. In a deposition dated 22 September 1642 about the Irish Rebellion of 1641 in Cavan, Martin Baxter's son, William Baxter, stated, inter alia- Local tradition states that during the siege, the McKiernans ran barefooted from Croghan to Carn for a secret store of weapons.
About the year 1640, Ambrose Bedell, the youngest son of William Bedell, the Anglican Bishop of Kilmore from 1629 to 1642, being then twenty two-years of age, married Mary, only daughter of Peter Hill, Sheriff of Down, and his wife the sister of Randall, first Earl of Antrim. Peter Hill was the eldest son of Sir Moyses Hill, the second son of Sir Moyses being Arthur of Hillsborough, the ancestor of the Marquis of Downshire, and of the late Viscount Dungannon. Mary, the only daughter of Sir Moyses, was the wife of Sir James Craig, of Croghan Castle, near Kilmore. On the occasion of Ambrose's marriage, his father bought part of the lands of Carne from the Rev. Martin Baxter, Vicar of Kildallan, for the use of Ambrose and Mary his wife during their lives, and for the heirs of their bodies and right heirs of Ambrose Bedell for ever.A True Relation of the Life and Death of the Right Reverend Father in God William Bedell, Lord Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland archive.org Bishop Bedell in his will dated 15 February 1640 stated, inter alia,- . On 26 October 1642 the aforesaid Ambrose Bedell made a deposition about the Cavan rebels in the Irish Rebellion of 1641. After this Ambrose Bedell served in the Royal Army in Ireland as a captain in the regiment of his wife's uncle Colonel Arthur Hill, until 1649. He was thus one of the "Forty-nine Officers". On 30 April 1661 Ambrose Bedell bought adjoining lands from Thomas Richardson. In the Hearth Money Rolls compiled on 29 September 1663The Hearth Money Rolls for the Baronies of Tullyhunco and Tullyhaw, County Cavan, edited by Rev. Francis J. McKiernan, in Breifne Journal. Vol. I, No. 3 (1960), pp. 247-263 there were four Hearth Tax payers in Carne- Ambrose Bedell, Tirlagh Brady, Hugh O Roddan and David Ellis. Bedell had four hearths, which indicated a large house, while the rest had one hearth each. Ambrose Bedell was the High Sheriff of Cavan in 1668. In 1682, having first made his will, Capt. Ambrose Bedell went to London to be touched for the King's Evil or scrofula, as appears by a letter from Archbishop Francis Marsh, of Dublin, previously Bishop of Kilmore, to Archbishop Sancroft of Canterbury, dated August 12, 1682- Recommending Capt. Ambrose Bedell to his Grace's assistance to get him touched by the King; Capt. A. Bedell being, observes His Grace of Dublin, grievously afflicted with the evil. In the letter from Capt. Ambrose Bedell to the Archbishop of Canterbury (Tanner Collection xxxv. 121) dated November 1, 1682, given in the preface, he speaks as if his health had been fully restored, and returns humble and hearty thanks to his Grace. However, the King's touch notwithstanding, Captain Ambrose Bedell died the following year, 1683, at Cavan, aged sixty-five. Ambrose Bedell, appears to have had a child or children before his father's death, but they were dead before him, as he left no issue. In his will, dated June 20, 1682, and proved in Dublin October 20, 1683, Captain Ambrose Bedell directed that he should be buried in the churchyard of Kilmore beside his father. He devised his lands in Carne and Listiernan, Dromheriffe and Uragh, Killerolyn with the two mills, Antner, Ardue, Clony, Clonachatige, and Greaghrahen, first to his nephew James Bedell and his heirs male; and failing such to his nephew Ambrose Bedell (James Bedell's next brother) and his heirs male; and, failing such, to his (the testator's) heirs next in blood to his father William, late Lord Bishop of Kilmore.
John Faris of Carn was a witness in a bribery case relating to the Irish Parliament election of October 1783.
The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the townland name as Carne.A list of the several baronies and parishes in the county of Cavan Cavan Library
Ambrose Leet's 1814 Directory spells the name as Carn.
The 1825 Tithe Applotment Books list six tithepayers in the townland.
The Carn Valuation Office books are available for 1838.Ireland Census National ArchivesIreland Census National Archives
Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists thirteen landholders in the townland.
In the 19th century Carn was mostly owned by Captain Bedel Stanford, a descendant of the aforesaid Ambrose Bedell. The Stanford Estate papers are in the National Archives of Ireland.
Census
Year Population Males Females Total Houses Uninhabited 1841 81 38 43 14 0 1851 59 27 32 9 0 1861 41 17 24 10 1 1871 50 27 23 8 0 1881 34 17 17 8 0 1891 42 21 21 8 0
In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are fourteen families listed in the townland.
In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are fourteen families listed in the townland.
Antiquities
An earthen enclosure. It is described in the ‘Archaeological Survey of County Cavan’ as- Situated on a knoll at the bottom of the NW-facing slope of a N-S drumlin ridge. This is a raised subcircular, grass-covered platform (dims of top 46.7m N-S; 41m E-W) that slope down slightly from E to S and W. It is defined by scarps (Wth 4.8-5.2m normally to 7m at E; H 1.2-1.3m normally to 1.8m at E), with slight traces of a berm (Wth 2m) at the base of the scarp at E. There is no visible bank, fosse or entrance, although the perimeter is poorly defined ESE-SSE (L 18m) and an entrance may have been at this point. It is clearly visible on Bing images (2013). An earthen enclosure. It is described in the ‘Archaeological Survey of County Cavan’ as- Located in improved pasture on top of a natural hillock, which is nestled in a low-lying landscape with higher drumlins all around NE-S-NW, and Carn Lough is c. 240m to the N. The interior of the stepped barrow (CV014-061001-) slopes down slightly to the N and there is an enclosure inside the perimeter at S. This is a penannular area (dims c. 12m E-W; c. 11.5m N-S) defined by a slight scarp ENE-SE (Wth 2.2m; H 0.05m) and SW-WNW (Wth 1.9m; H 0.3m), but the perimeter is incorporated into that of the platform SE-SW and is absent elsewhere.