Scotstown
Encyclopedia
Scotstown is a village in the townland
of Bough in north County Monaghan
, Republic of Ireland
. Scotstown is located in the parish
of Tydavnet
, along the River Blackwater
, Scotstown being the village closest to the river's source. Scotstown is centered in the townland
of Bough, but extends into Carrowhatta, Teraverty, Drumdesco and Stracrunnion townlands.
A couple of theories exist around the origin of the English name, either deriving from the fact that a lot of Scots were located there during the Ulster Plantation, or it may have been named after a local landowner, George Scott in the 1660s. Older documents, including Thom's Irish Almanac of 1862 alternate between referencing the village as Scottstown and Scotstown, that suggest the latter as the source of the name.
With regard to the Irish Gaelic names, the traditional name of an Bhothach comes from the townland
of Bough, where the village is centered, with the likely meaning of tent or hut, suggesting humble origins for the village. This is the name appearing on signs as you enter the village. On Ordnance Survey
maps and road signs, the village also carries the name Baile an Scotaigh, which literally means 'town of the Scots'. This is a comparatively rare occurrence of the Irish Gaelic form being a translation of the English form (and in this case, possibly, an erroneous one), as opposed to the Irish form being the original. Locals, to the extent they use the Irish form at all, favour the name an Bhothach or an Bhoth.
in the local Hollywood lake was the headquarters of Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon. In 1591, Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam
broke up the MacMahon lordship in Monaghan when "The MacMahon", hereditary leader of the sept, resisted the imposition of an English sheriff
; he was hanged and his lordship divided. Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon became one of the independent leaders of the divided MacMahon lordship. The MacMahons generally fought amongst themselves during most of the Nine Years War
(1594–1603), and Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon, along with other MacMahon leaders, ultimately surrendered to Baron Mountjoy
in 1601. Although the MacMahon's retained most of their land after the war, unable to raise taxes they would eventually give up their land as payment for those taxes.
A Catholic
church was built in the neighbouring townland
of Drumdesco in 1785 (rebuilt in the 1820s), referred to locally as Urbleshanny Chapel
, but officially dedicated to St Mary. Church registers go back to 1835 for births and 1825 for marriages. It is one of the three catholic churches in the Parish of Tydavnet. St. Mary's has an adjoining cemetery
with graves dating back to the late 18th century. Urbleshanny chapel served as a pro-cathedral
for the Catholic Diocese of Clogher from 1801 to 1824, while Dr. James Murphy
was bishop. At the time it was noted to have no ceiling, no boards on the floor, and only partially fitted with pews. A tradition in Urbleshanny after weddings was to hold a race for a bottle of whiskey, and there is still a place near the chapel called Whiskey Hollow were these races were said to have taken place. Another Presbyterian cemetery exists close to the village center, but is no longer in use.
The village national school is also called Urbleshanny and is located in Carrowhatta. Urbleshanny National School is thought to be the earliest Catholic school in the Diocese of Clogher
, having been set up in 1791, just after the penal laws were repealed.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the lowlands surrounding Scotstown were favored by the landed classes, and as a consequence, they have left some ornamental woodland behind, including Hollywood and Mullaghmore.
During the 18th century, Scotstown developed as a small market center and by the 1830s, Scotstown was known to have a thriving fair, which centred on the village green
, and the green is still an open space today. Records show that traders came to sell calico
, printed and course linens, stockings, socks, combs, brushes, cutlery and other hardware. Also in the 18th century, Scotstown served as a depot for quarried stones coming from a number of locations in the Sliabh Beagh
mountains.
In October 1878 five thousand "Fenian's" attended a rally at Scotstown under "Green and Gold banners" demanding the release of "Fenian" prisoners, "ownership of the soil by the toillers" and an end to the parliamentary road to home rule. The first branch of the Land League in Monghan was established by John Dillion in Scotstown in 1880.
It is on record in 1938 as having a blacksmith
. Scotstown also had a Royal Irish Constabulary
(RIC) barracks, with probably 4 officers stationed here. Electric power first arrived in Scotstown in 1948.
In the 1970s and 80s, Scotstown and the rural community around were known for having a number of active members of the Provisional IRA
. One of these, Seamus McElwain was killed close to Roslea in 1986, and his funeral at Urbleshanny chapel was a significant media event, drawing an estimated 3000 people to the village.
(GAA) football club, which has had some success in the past, and is currently ranked 3rd in towns winning the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
. Its last victory was in 1989. Seán McCague
a native of Scotstown, was also GAA president from 2000-2003.
, a pharmacy
and several other small retail outlets.
In October, Scotstown also hosts a traditional music festival, Scoil Cheoil na Botha, which features workshops, concerts and sessions.
Each summer, the Tydavnet Parish Show is held near Scotstown in the townland of Drumshevra.
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Bough in north County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Scotstown is located in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
of Tydavnet
Tydavnet
Tydavnet is a small village and townland in northern County Monaghan, Ireland, and also the name of the parish in which the village sits. Both the Church of Ireland and Catholic church have Tydavnet named as a parish and in both cases, the geographical area is almost identical.-Origins:The origin...
, along the River Blackwater
River Blackwater, Northern Ireland
The River Blackwater is a river in County Armagh and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, as well as County Monaghan and County Cavan in Republic of Ireland, which has its source to the north of Fivemiletown, County Tyrone...
, Scotstown being the village closest to the river's source. Scotstown is centered in the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Bough, but extends into Carrowhatta, Teraverty, Drumdesco and Stracrunnion townlands.
A couple of theories exist around the origin of the English name, either deriving from the fact that a lot of Scots were located there during the Ulster Plantation, or it may have been named after a local landowner, George Scott in the 1660s. Older documents, including Thom's Irish Almanac of 1862 alternate between referencing the village as Scottstown and Scotstown, that suggest the latter as the source of the name.
With regard to the Irish Gaelic names, the traditional name of an Bhothach comes from the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Bough, where the village is centered, with the likely meaning of tent or hut, suggesting humble origins for the village. This is the name appearing on signs as you enter the village. On Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
maps and road signs, the village also carries the name Baile an Scotaigh, which literally means 'town of the Scots'. This is a comparatively rare occurrence of the Irish Gaelic form being a translation of the English form (and in this case, possibly, an erroneous one), as opposed to the Irish form being the original. Locals, to the extent they use the Irish form at all, favour the name an Bhothach or an Bhoth.
History
A crannogCrannog
A crannog is typically a partially or entirely artificial island, usually built in lakes, rivers and estuarine waters of Scotland and Ireland. Crannogs were used as dwellings over five millennia from the European Neolithic Period, to as late as the 17th/early 18th century although in Scotland,...
in the local Hollywood lake was the headquarters of Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon. In 1591, Lord Deputy Fitzwilliam
William Fitzwilliam (Lord Deputy)
- Early life :FitzWilliam was born at Milton, Northamptonshire, the eldest son of Sir William and grandson of William Fitzwilliam , alderman and sheriff of London, who had been treasurer and chamberlain to Cardinal Wolsey and who purchased Milton in 1506...
broke up the MacMahon lordship in Monaghan when "The MacMahon", hereditary leader of the sept, resisted the imposition of an English sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
; he was hanged and his lordship divided. Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon became one of the independent leaders of the divided MacMahon lordship. The MacMahons generally fought amongst themselves during most of the Nine Years War
Nine Years' War (Ireland)
The Nine Years' War or Tyrone's Rebellion took place in Ireland from 1594 to 1603. It was fought between the forces of Gaelic Irish chieftains Hugh O'Neill of Tír Eoghain, Hugh Roe O'Donnell of Tír Chonaill and their allies, against English rule in Ireland. The war was fought in all parts of the...
(1594–1603), and Patrick Mac Art Moyle MacMahon, along with other MacMahon leaders, ultimately surrendered to Baron Mountjoy
Charles Blount, 1st Earl of Devonshire
Charles Blount , 8th Baron Mountjoy and 1st Earl of Devonshire was an English nobleman and soldier who served as Lord Deputy of Ireland under Queen Elizabeth I, then as Lord Lieutenant under King James I.-Early life:...
in 1601. Although the MacMahon's retained most of their land after the war, unable to raise taxes they would eventually give up their land as payment for those taxes.
A Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
church was built in the neighbouring townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Drumdesco in 1785 (rebuilt in the 1820s), referred to locally as Urbleshanny Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
, but officially dedicated to St Mary. Church registers go back to 1835 for births and 1825 for marriages. It is one of the three catholic churches in the Parish of Tydavnet. St. Mary's has an adjoining cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
with graves dating back to the late 18th century. Urbleshanny chapel served as a pro-cathedral
Pro-cathedral
A pro-cathedral is a parish church that is temporarily serving as the cathedral or co-cathedral of a diocese.-Usage:In Ireland, the term is used to specifically refer to St Mary's Pro-Cathedral in Dublin, the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin since the Reformation, when Christ Church...
for the Catholic Diocese of Clogher from 1801 to 1824, while Dr. James Murphy
Bishop James Murphy
James Murphy was the Roman Catholic Bishop of Clogher from 1801 to 1824.Born in Drumshevra near Scotstown, County Monaghan, Ireland, he was ordained a Catholic priest in the Diocese of Clogher in 1768...
was bishop. At the time it was noted to have no ceiling, no boards on the floor, and only partially fitted with pews. A tradition in Urbleshanny after weddings was to hold a race for a bottle of whiskey, and there is still a place near the chapel called Whiskey Hollow were these races were said to have taken place. Another Presbyterian cemetery exists close to the village center, but is no longer in use.
The village national school is also called Urbleshanny and is located in Carrowhatta. Urbleshanny National School is thought to be the earliest Catholic school in the Diocese of Clogher
Diocese of Clogher
The Diocese of Clogher is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction recognized by the Church of Ireland and Roman Catholic Church:*Diocese of Clogher *Diocese of Clogher See also...
, having been set up in 1791, just after the penal laws were repealed.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, the lowlands surrounding Scotstown were favored by the landed classes, and as a consequence, they have left some ornamental woodland behind, including Hollywood and Mullaghmore.
During the 18th century, Scotstown developed as a small market center and by the 1830s, Scotstown was known to have a thriving fair, which centred on the village green
Village green
A village green is a common open area which is a part of a settlement. Traditionally, such an area was often common grass land at the centre of a small agricultural settlement, used for grazing and sometimes for community events...
, and the green is still an open space today. Records show that traders came to sell calico
Calico (fabric)
Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance, it is still very cheap. Originally from the...
, printed and course linens, stockings, socks, combs, brushes, cutlery and other hardware. Also in the 18th century, Scotstown served as a depot for quarried stones coming from a number of locations in the Sliabh Beagh
Sliabh Beagh
Sliabh Beagh are mountains which straddle the border between County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The point where the three counties meet, which is also in the Sliabh Beagh, is referred to as "Three County Hollow".-Name:The name...
mountains.
In October 1878 five thousand "Fenian's" attended a rally at Scotstown under "Green and Gold banners" demanding the release of "Fenian" prisoners, "ownership of the soil by the toillers" and an end to the parliamentary road to home rule. The first branch of the Land League in Monghan was established by John Dillion in Scotstown in 1880.
It is on record in 1938 as having a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
. Scotstown also had a Royal Irish Constabulary
Royal Irish Constabulary
The armed Royal Irish Constabulary was Ireland's major police force for most of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. A separate civic police force, the unarmed Dublin Metropolitan Police controlled the capital, and the cities of Derry and Belfast, originally with their own police...
(RIC) barracks, with probably 4 officers stationed here. Electric power first arrived in Scotstown in 1948.
In the 1970s and 80s, Scotstown and the rural community around were known for having a number of active members of the Provisional IRA
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
. One of these, Seamus McElwain was killed close to Roslea in 1986, and his funeral at Urbleshanny chapel was a significant media event, drawing an estimated 3000 people to the village.
Sport
Scotstown has a Gaelic Athletic AssociationGaelic Athletic Association
The Gaelic Athletic Association is an amateur Irish and international cultural and sporting organisation focused primarily on promoting Gaelic games, which include the traditional Irish sports of hurling, camogie, Gaelic football, handball and rounders...
(GAA) football club, which has had some success in the past, and is currently ranked 3rd in towns winning the Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
Ulster Senior Club Football Championship
The Ulster Senior Club Football Championship is an annual Gaelic football club competition played between the top clubs in Ulster. The trophy awarded to the winners is the Seamus McFerran Cup...
. Its last victory was in 1989. Seán McCague
Seán McCague
Seán McCague is a former President of the Gaelic Athletic Association . McCague was born in Scotstown, County Monaghan and became the first Monaghan man to hold that prestigious office....
a native of Scotstown, was also GAA president from 2000-2003.
Today
Formely Scotstown had two furniture manufacturers, which provided a significant employment source directly within the village. It also has 3 Public Houses, a small grocery shop/post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, a pharmacy
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...
and several other small retail outlets.
In October, Scotstown also hosts a traditional music festival, Scoil Cheoil na Botha, which features workshops, concerts and sessions.
Each summer, the Tydavnet Parish Show is held near Scotstown in the townland of Drumshevra.
Places of interest
- Just outside Scotstown, is the Hollywood recreational area, centred around a lake. A local voluntary committee purchased the lake and surrounds in 1969 and since then have developed the park with the support of various funding agencies, private donations and Monaghan County Council. The lake itself is stocked with bream, ruddRuddThe common rudd Scardinius erythropthalmus is a bentho-pelagic freshwater fish, widely spread in Europe and middle Asia, around the basins of the North, Baltic, Black, Caspian and Aral seas.-Artificially introduced:...
(which locals call roach), perchPerchPerch is a common name for fish of the genus Perca, freshwater gamefish belonging to the family Percidae. The perch, of which there are three species in different geographical areas, lend their name to a large order of vertebrates: the Perciformes, from the Greek perke meaning spotted, and the...
and pikeEsoxEsox is a genus of freshwater fish, the only living genus in the family Esocidae — the esocids which were endemic to North America, Europe and Eurasia during the Paleogene through present.The type species is E. lucius, the northern pike...
. - A number of marked mountain trails are maintained in the nearby Sliabh BeaghSliabh BeaghSliabh Beagh are mountains which straddle the border between County Monaghan in the Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh and County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. The point where the three counties meet, which is also in the Sliabh Beagh, is referred to as "Three County Hollow".-Name:The name...
area. A tourism center and hotel have been opened in CorlatCorlatCorlat or Corlatt is a townland in the north of County Monaghan in the Ireland in the parish of Tydavnet. It is often referred to as part of Knockatallon, which is an adjacent townland...
as a staging point for these walks. - A commemorative "famine stone", marking the location where potato blight was first noticed in County Monaghan, can be seen in the nearby townland of SheskinSheskinSheskin , traditionally written Sheskinmore, is a townland in the north of County Monaghan in Republic of Ireland. It is in the foothills of Sliabh Beagh. Sheskin is part of the Parish of Tydavnet, situated about 3 miles from the village of Scotstown and about 8 miles from Monaghan town...
.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland