Shercock
Encyclopedia
Shercock is a small town situated in the east of County Cavan
, Ireland
. The current population of the town is 1032 people with almost triple this amount in the surrounding areas.
Shercock is located at the intersection of the R162
and R178
regional road
s. The town is located on the shores of three lakes - Lough Sillan
, Steepleton's Lake and Muddy Lake. Lough Sillan is the largest of the three covering some 162 hectares.
, Cootehill
, and Bailieborough
- but the existing Irish
names were maintained in Shercock. The modern Irish language name is Searcoig or Searcog; either name may be translated literally as "young love", and there is no reason to believe that the name has changed in the last 400 years. Possibly the straitlaced and God-fearing Scots of the early 17th century did not realise the risque implications of the name they inherited from the local Gaelic population.
Equally strangely, the local townlands in this northern Protestant enclave almost all retain their ancient Gaelic names. For example, the townland of Lecks, on the Kingscourt road on the outskirts of Shercock, has been so named for a thousand years because of the flat-slabbed rocky landscape (leac is the Irish word for a flagstone). By contrast, townlands in the predominantly Gaelic west of Ireland very often have distinctly English names.
By the mid-19th century the village and immediate area had a population of about 5,000. However, the great famines and subsequent emigration severely affected the county of Cavan, reducing the population by 50% between 1841 and 1891.
Country", being a landscape of small hills and lakes formed at the end of the last ice age. County Cavan
borders County Fermanagh
and County Monaghan
. Together, they form the colloquially named, "Drumlin
County". Shercock lies on the border between County Cavan
and County Monaghan
.
The Shercock area's main industry for nearly 300 years was the growing of flax
for linen-making. One townland just outside of Shercock is named Miltown, after the flax mill which lies ruined at its center. The industry gradually died away with the decline of the linen industry in northern Ireland.
Nowadays the town is an attractive and prosperous place with some light industry and a small number of tourists based mainly on water sports and angling. Lough Sillan
, on the edge of the town, is a noted coarse fishing lake with thousands of metres of shore for free all-year angling. There are several smaller lakes within easy reach of the town.
County Cavan
County Cavan 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 Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, 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,...
. The current population of the town is 1032 people with almost triple this amount in the surrounding areas.
Shercock is located at the intersection of the R162
R162 road
The R162 road is a regional road in Ireland, linking Monaghan Town to Navan, County Meath. The route is long.-Route:Northwest to southeast the route starts in at a junction with the N54 in Monaghan, County Monaghan...
and R178
R178 road
The R178 road is a regional road in Ireland. It runs from Dundalk, County Louth via Carrickmacross, County Monaghan and Bailieborough to Virginia, County Cavan.-References:* – Department of Transport...
regional road
Regional road
A regional road in Ireland is a class of road not forming a major route , but nevertheless forming a link in the national route network. There are over 11,600 kilometres of regional roads. Regional roads are numbered with three digit route numbers, prefixed by "R" A regional road in Ireland is a...
s. The town is located on the shores of three lakes - Lough Sillan
Lough Sillan
Lough Sillan is a lough located near the town of Shercock in County Cavan, Ireland.-Facilities:There is a mobile home park as well as a well-equipped playground on the lake, a few hundred metres along the Cootehill Road out of Shercock...
, Steepleton's Lake and Muddy Lake. Lough Sillan is the largest of the three covering some 162 hectares.
History
The town was founded in the early 17th century as a Plantation village to accommodate mainly Presbyterian British settlers who colonised this part of County Cavan. Usually these new settlers gave their towns English or Scottish names - near neighbours are KingscourtKingscourt
Kingscourt, historically known as Dunaree , is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is located near the Cavan-Meath border and has a population of over 3,000 making it the fourth largest town in Cavan. The town was founded near the site of the old village of Cabra, by Mervyn Pratt, towards the end...
, Cootehill
Cootehill
Cootehill, known before the Plantation of Ulster as Munnilly , is a prominent market town in County Cavan, Ireland.-History:Cootehill was established as a market town in 1725 when a charter was obtained to hold markets and fairs, and developed strong ties to the Irish linen industry...
, and Bailieborough
Bailieborough
Bailieborough or Bailieboro is a medium-sized town in the townland of Tanderagee, County Cavan, Ireland.Bailieborough is a thriving town in co cavan and is also experiencing a large population increase, its population now stands at 3,908+ which makes it the second largest town in Cavan.The town is...
- but the existing Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
names were maintained in Shercock. The modern Irish language name is Searcoig or Searcog; either name may be translated literally as "young love", and there is no reason to believe that the name has changed in the last 400 years. Possibly the straitlaced and God-fearing Scots of the early 17th century did not realise the risque implications of the name they inherited from the local Gaelic population.
Equally strangely, the local townlands in this northern Protestant enclave almost all retain their ancient Gaelic names. For example, the townland of Lecks, on the Kingscourt road on the outskirts of Shercock, has been so named for a thousand years because of the flat-slabbed rocky landscape (leac is the Irish word for a flagstone). By contrast, townlands in the predominantly Gaelic west of Ireland very often have distinctly English names.
By the mid-19th century the village and immediate area had a population of about 5,000. However, the great famines and subsequent emigration severely affected the county of Cavan, reducing the population by 50% between 1841 and 1891.
Industry
The area is "DrumlinDrumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
Country", being a landscape of small hills and lakes formed at the end of the last ice age. County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan 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 Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
borders County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
and 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...
. Together, they form the colloquially named, "Drumlin
Drumlin
A drumlin, from the Irish word droimnín , first recorded in 1833, is an elongated whale-shaped hill formed by glacial ice acting on underlying unconsolidated till or ground moraine.-Drumlin formation:...
County". Shercock lies on the border between County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan 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 Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
and 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...
.
The Shercock area's main industry for nearly 300 years was the growing of flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
for linen-making. One townland just outside of Shercock is named Miltown, after the flax mill which lies ruined at its center. The industry gradually died away with the decline of the linen industry in northern Ireland.
Nowadays the town is an attractive and prosperous place with some light industry and a small number of tourists based mainly on water sports and angling. Lough Sillan
Lough Sillan
Lough Sillan is a lough located near the town of Shercock in County Cavan, Ireland.-Facilities:There is a mobile home park as well as a well-equipped playground on the lake, a few hundred metres along the Cootehill Road out of Shercock...
, on the edge of the town, is a noted coarse fishing lake with thousands of metres of shore for free all-year angling. There are several smaller lakes within easy reach of the town.
Arts
The annual Shercock Drama Festival one of the highlights of the cultural calendar in the region and patrons flock to the venue to enjoy the unique atmosphere. It celebrated its 23rd year in 2010. The festival is usually held in March each year with drama groups from around the country participating in the event.People
- The family of playwright Richard Brinsley SheridanRichard Brinsley SheridanRichard Brinsley Butler Sheridan was an Irish-born playwright and poet and long-term owner of the London Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. For thirty-two years he was also a Whig Member of the British House of Commons for Stafford , Westminster and Ilchester...
(The School for Scandal) had an estate in Shercock; Lewis' Topographical Dictionary of Ireland cites Shercock as Sheridan's birthplace, though most sources say Dublin.http://www.libraryireland.com/topog/s.php
- Patrick KavanaghPatrick KavanaghPatrick Kavanagh was an Irish poet and novelist. Regarded as one of the foremost poets of the 20th century, his best known works include the novel Tarry Flynn and the poems Raglan Road and The Great Hunger...
's 1948 novel Tarry FlynnTarry FlynnTarry Flynn is a novel by Irish poet and novelist Patrick Kavanagh, set in 1930s rural Ireland. The book is based on Kavanagh's experience as a young farmer in Monaghan. The novel however is set in Cavan...
is nominally set in the countryside around Shercock. although based on characters from his native InniskeenInniskeenInniskeen, officially Inishkeen , is a small village and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. It is located about 17 km from Dundalk and 12 km from Carrickmacross and 5 km from Crossmaglen...
.
- The great-grandfather of U.S. Rep. John MurthaJohn MurthaJohn Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
, also named John Murtha, was born in Shercock c. 1858, moving to the United States in 1882. http://home.nyc.rr.com/jkn/johnmurtha.html
- John McCaul - comedian and writer of the recently published 'Ode to Corduff - A poetic Odyssey'.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- Market Houses in IrelandMarket Houses in the Republic of IrelandMarket houses are a notable feature of many Irish towns with varying styles of architecture, size and ornamentation making for a most interesting feature of the streetscape. Originally there were three, four or even five bays on the ground floor which were an open arcade. An upper floor was...