Tynan

EDITED EXTRACTS FROM THE PARLIAMENTARY GAZETTEER OF IRELAND, PUBLISHED IN 1846

TYNAN, a parish, partly in the barony of Armagh, but chiefly in that of Tiranny, County Armagh.

The barony of Armagh section contains the village of Killylea; and the Tiranny section contains the villages of Tynan and Middletown.

The parish contains 17,646 statute acres, whereof 80¾ are under water, being the small lakes of Nelligan, Hanslough, and Kiltubbrid, which discharge their superfluous waters into Glaslough, County Monaghan.

The quoad sacra parish of Tynan is exclusive of the perpetual curacy of Killylea.

The surface of the quoad civilia parish extends along the western margin of the county, from the vicinity of Archfield House on the south to a point on the river Blackwater 2¼ miles below Caledon Bridge on the north.

It is traversed, over nearly three-quarters of its length, from the northern extremity southward, along the west, by the Ulster Canal; and, in a general view, it consists of good land, and possesses a very considerable aggregate of demesne ground and pleasant scenery.

The southern part of the eastern district was formerly in a half-waste condition, but is now improved and almost wholly profitable.

The lands on one side of the village of Middletown are low, flat, and marshy; but those on the other side are hilly and tolerably good.

The land around the village of Tynan, and eastward thence towards Armagh, possesses a fertile limestone soil, and presents a comparative profusion of wood and other decoration.

The lands of the parish are divided among several proprietors in fee: ten townlands belong to the Provost and Fellows of Trinity College, Dublin; eight to the trustees of Bishop Sterne's charities [John Sterne, Bishop of Clogher]; and the remainder to Lord Gosford, Lord Caledon, SIR JAMES STRONGE Bt, and several others.

The circumstance of a great number of resident gentlemen spending their incomes in the improvement of their property and in the diffusion of comfort and useful information throughout the district, has tended much to the prosperity of all classes , the existence of which is apparent in the highly improved culture of the land, the exterior of the farmhouses and cottages, and the general appearance and demeanour of the population.

The most remarkable seats are TYNAN ABBEY, the handsome seat of the Stronge Baronets, ¾ of a mile south-west of the village of Tynan; FELLOWS HALL; Woodpark, of the ST GEORGE family; Mount Irwin, of the Irwins; Bondville; Ashford; Portnelligan; and DARTAN.

The principal antiquities, additional to those at the villages, are the ruins of Ardconnell Castle, on the western border, 1 mile south-west of Middletown; and the ruins of another castle, 4 miles south of Killylea.

The roads from Caledon and Monaghan to Armagh pass across the interior.

This parish is a rectory, a prebend, and a separate benefice, in the diocese of Armagh.

One of the schools, at Enagh, was partly supported by the Rector; one, at Derryane, was partly supported by subscription.

In 1843, a national school at the village of Tynan had on its books 75 boys and 26 girls.

Tynan, 1922 (Image: Belfast Telegraph)

TYNAN is in the parish of Tynan, barony of Tiranny, County Armagh.

"This town, which is situated on an eminence," says Sir Charles Coote, in his Statistical Survey of the County of Armagh, "is inconsiderable as the number or neatness of its houses; but it has an excellent church with a handsome steeple."

"Without the churchyard is a relic of antiquity, an oblong stone of about 18 inches square and 4 feet long, set upon a large block stone, and capped with another, which is square, having its faces concaved, and this covered with a smaller stone."

"I could not discover any characters on this relic."

"The oblong stone is divided into square compartments, and had the vestige of some sculpture - probably a cross had formerly crowned it; it is, however, certain, that it has been mutilated."

"The ruins of an antique castle are situated about 1 mile from this town."

The village contains a Roman Catholic chapel, two schools, a post-office, a dispensary, a small sessions house, and a constabulary barrack.

HERE was formerly an extensive forest, known by the name of the Bondville wood, consisting chiefly of oak, ash, and fir, and extending over several hundred acres; but it was all cut away during a period in which the estate was under litigation.

The Ulster Canal, connecting loughs Neagh and Erne, passes through the parish.

First published in April, 2021.