The McQuaid County, Parish, and Town

Historical references place the origin of the McQuaid family in County Monaghan.  Narrowing the location down further brings us to Glaslough (Green Lake) very close to the border of Counties Monaghan and Tyrone.  Early McQuaid territory included Glaslough and the surrounding Civil and Roman Catholic Parish of Donagh.  Donagh Parish is located in the Barony of Trough, which covers the entire northern point of County Monaghan. 

County Monaghan was, under the old Gaelic system of land division, part of the Kingdom of Oriel and was known as “McMahon’s country” for the dominant family in the area.  The McMahons and their allies, the McKennas and the O’Connollys, maintained control of the County throughout the 12th century Norman invasion.  The County boundaries were established by the English administration in the 16th century.  In the 17th century, while much of Ulster was taken over and settled by Scottish and English families, County Monaghan was relatively untouched by this “plantation” process.  Census data indicates that, in 1659, the people of County Monaghan were still predominately of Gaelic origin, with 89 percent of the population recorded as Irish and 11 percent, English.  The census data for that year further shows that there were 11 McQuaid families in County Monaghan, which is the only Irish county for which McQuaid is listed as a principal name.

Followng are descriptions of Donagh Parish and Glaslough from an 1837 publication entitled A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, by Samuel Lewis:

DONAGH, a parish, in the barony of TROUGH, county of MONAGHAN, and province of ULSTER, containing, with the post-towns of Glasslough and Emyvale, 11,068 inhabitants. This parish is supposed to derive its name from St. Dimpna, the patron saint of the district, who is said to have conferred the virtue of preventing or curing almost all diseases (which many of the peasantry yet believe is retained) on the waters of the celebrated spring, Tubber Phadric: her silver staff is in the possession of Owen Lamb, of Knockboy, near Monaghan. In March, 1689, about 3000 of the Irish being garrisoned in the fort of Charlemont, and attempting to plunder the Protestants of the neighbourhood of Armagh, Lord Blayney had frequent skirmishes with them, in which be constantly prevailed, until the 13th of the month, when, on being informed that his castle of Monaghan was taken by the Rapparees, and that all the Protestant forces in that quarter had retreated to Glasslough, where they were closely besieged by the enemy ; and hearing that Sir Arthur Rawdon had quitted Loughbrickland, of which the Irish army, under Gen. Hamilton, had taken possession, he marched to join his friends at Glasslough, where they were relieved by the valour of Matthew Anketell, Esq., a gentleman of considerable property in the neighbourhood (which is now possessed by his immediate descendant, W. Anketell, Esq., of Anketell Grove), who had collected two troops of horse and three companies of foot. The Irish, commanded by Major McKenna, with a force of 600 men, entrenched themselves in an old Danish fort, called the fort of Drumbanagher, in a commanding situation, and from this eminence kept up a heavy fire on the Protestants who advanced against them: but Mr. Anketell, who was of undaunted courage, burst into the fort, at the head of his troops, routed and pursued the enemy with considerable slaughter, but was himself slain in the hour of victory. Major McKenna and his son were both taken prisoners, and the former was destroyed, in the moment of excitement, in revenge of the death of the spirited leader of the Protestant force. The body of Mr. Anketell was interred in the aisle of Glasslough church with great solemnity, and a plain stone with an inscription has been set up to his memory.

This parish is situated on the roads from Monaghan to Belfast, and from Dublin to Londonderry, on a small river called Scamegeragh, or the " Sheep ford river," (from which a small village in the neighbourhood takes its name), which is tributary to that of the Blackwater, which also intersects the parish. According to the Ordnance survey, it comprises 16,202¼ statute acres, of which 241¾ are under water; the land is principally arable. with a small portion of pasture; there is a considerable tract of bog, with some woodland. Agriculture is much improved, under the auspices of a Farming Society, which holds its meetings at Glasslough. Besides the great lakes of Glasslough and Emy, there are two smaller ones. There are excellent quarries of marble, used for monuments and for the ornamental parts of architecture, which is largely exported to England and to the United States; freestone quarries also abound, whence large quantities, superior to Portland stone, are procured, and the great entrance to Caledon House was constructed of this stone; there is also an extensive quarry of grey basalt. The corn and flaxmills belonging to Mr. Young, called the New Mills, about 1½ mile from Glasslough, employ about 20 persons, and at Emyvale are mills belonging to William Murdock, Esq. In addition to agricultural and other pursuits, the linen manufacture is carried on to a considerable extent. Manor courts for Castle Leslie are held on the third Saturday of each mouth; and petty sessions are held at Emyvale on alternate Thursdays. The seats and demesnes are Glasslough Castle, the beautiful residence of Mrs. Leslie; Anketell Grove, of W. Anketell, Esq.; Fort Johnston, of T. Johnston, Esq.; and Castle Leslie, of C. Powell Leslie, Esq.

The living is a vicarage, in the diocese of Clogher, and in the patronage of the Bishop, to whom the rectory is appropriate: the tithes amount to £465, of which £310 is payable to the bishop, and £155 to the incumbent. There is a glebe-house, with a glebe of about 40 acres. The church is a plain edifice at Glasslough, built about 1775. The R. C. parish is co-extensive with that of the Established Church, and contains chapels at Glennin and Corraghrin. There is a Presbyterian meetinghouse, in connection with the Synod of Ulster, of the third class; also a small place of worship for Wesleyan Methodists. Five schools, supported chiefly by subscription, afford instruction to about 570 children; there are also nine private pay schools and one Sunday school. The only remains of antiquity are the old church of Donagh, and the Danish rath of Drumbanagher, where the battle was fought. Very ancient coins have been found on the estate of Mrs. Leslie; and numerous silver ornaments, helmets of brass, steel swords, druidical relics, and Gothic figures, found in the parish, are now in the possession of the Rev. H. R. Dawson, Dean of St. Patrick's.

GLASSLOUGH, a post-town, in the parish of DONAGH, barony of TROUGH, county of MONAGHAN, and province of ULSTER, 5 miles (N.E.) from Monaghan, and 7¾ (N.W.) from Dublin ; containing 812 inhabitants. It is situated on the road from Monaghan to Caledon, on the margin of a beautiful lake, whence the town derives its name, signifying "the green lake." It has a striking and attractive appearance, and contains excellent slated houses. It is favourably situated with regard to commerce and agriculture, but until a very late period had little or no trade. In consequence of the judicious modes which have been adopted by the present owner, Mrs. Leslie, its capabilities have been developed and it has shown decided symptoms of rapid improvement. It has now a weekly market for wheat and flax, and a fair on the third Friday in every month for cattle, sheep, pigs, and other agricultural produce. An extensive flour-mill has been lately built in the neighbourhood, for which an ample supply of wheat is obtained from Glasslough market; and mills are now being built for scutching and spinning flax, also a factory on a large scale for weaving linens by hand and power looms; the whole, when completed, will afford permanent employment to between eight and nine hundred individuals. The beautiful and extensive park and castle of Mrs. Leslie, which adjoins the town and contains upwards of 1000 acres of fine land well planted, adds much to the natural beauty of the situation. The mansion was originally of considerable grandeur, but in consequence of repeated alterations has lost all its antique features. The ancient castle was situated opposite to the town gate of the present house, and was a building of considerable strength, flanked with circular towers and defended by a moat and drawbridge, possessing also those indispensable requisites of feudal power, a keep and donjon. The site had been a place of strength long before its erection, and was granted to O'Bear McKenna by O'Nial of Ulster, on the conditions that he and his descendants should pay "Bonaghty," or tribute, and furnish white meat and oats to the Gallowglasses of O'Nial on certain days when they visited the holy well of Tubber Phadric, near Glennan, and never to wage war with the O'Nials. This tribute was paid at stated periods in a house built of wood and osiers, at Anaghroe, or the "Red River," now the seat of William Murdoch, Esq. Near the town is the hill and rath of Drumbanagher, where, on the 13th of March, 1688, a battle was fought between a detachment of the Irish army, on its way to join the besiegers of Londonderry, and the native Protestant forces of the district, in which the latter gained a complete victory, but with the loss of their gallant colonel; Matthew Anketell to whose memory a monument was erected in the parish church, which is still preserved. In the town is the parish church, with a tower 130 feet high: it has nothing in architectural beauty to attract notice; the interior arrangements are plain, neat, and commodious. During the erection of the tower a workman fell from the top, but escaped without suffering any material injury.

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