Hawkswood

Hawkswood (English-derived place name. The earliest known spelling is Hawswood, meaning The Wood of the Hawthorns but the name seems to have been later corrupted to Hawkswood) is a townland in the civil parish of Kinawley, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland. The original Irish place name was Cluain Caomh meaning 'The Beautiful Meadow'. The town of Swanlinbar is partially situated in Hawkswood. According to the 1938 Dúchas collection two sub-divisions are- The Cleity (Perhaps from the Gaelic 'Cleitigh' meaning feathers or plume or quill.)- A name given to a field in a farm owned by Mr. Patrick Maguire, Hawkswood, Swanlinbar, Co. Cavan. The Rhythars - a name given to a field in a farm owned by Mr Hugh McBrien, Hawkswood, Swanlinbar.

Geography

Hawkswood is bounded on the north by Corranearty townland, on the south by Furnaceland townland, on the west by Gorteennaglogh and Monydoo (or Tonycrom) townlands and on the east by Cloghoge, Cornagran (Kinawley) and Drumconra (or Lowforge) townlands. Its chief geographical features are the River Cladagh (Swanlinbar), streams, the Mill Pond and Mill Race, a forestry plantation and a dug well. Hawkswood is traversed by the national secondary N87 road (Ireland), the Old Coach Road, minor public roads and rural lanes. The Hawkswood Loop is popular with mountain trekkers. The townland covers 178 statute acres.

History

According to the 'Life of Saint Naile', the original Christian church of Kinawley parish was in Hawkswood townland and was founded by St. Ternoc. The Life states that Naile arranged a meeting with Saint Mogue (Máedóc of Ferns) at Cluain Caomh, which was the old name for Hawkswood. While he was waiting for Mogue to turn up, he asked St. Ternoc for a drink of water but was refused. He then in anger hurled his staff three ploughlands (six tates or townlands) and where it landed a spring gushed forth and he founded his church there, where now stands the church of Kinawley and Naile's Holy Well. Oddly enough there are indeed six townlands between Hawkswood and Lismonaghan townland, Kinawley village, where St. Naile's church is situated today. The Life of Naile was composed in c. 1520 from earlier sources and is probably a reflection of what originally happened, i.e. Hawkswood church was on the boundary between Tullyhaw or Magh Slécht (where Mogue was the patron saint) and Fermanagh. The Airgíalla were moving into the area and then took the overlordship of the church occupied by Ternoc and gave it to their own priests.

In medieval times, Hawkswood was owned by the McGovern Clan and formed part of a ballybetagh spelled (variously) Aghycloony, Aghcloone, Nacloone, Naclone and Noclone (Irish derived place name Áth Chluain, meaning "The Ford of the Meadow", probably meaning the ford over the Cladagh River where the church of Cluain Caomh stood). The 1609 Baronial Map depicts the ballybetagh as Naclone.

In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 26 June 1615, King James VI and I granted, inter alia, The precinct or parcel of Nacloone otherwise Aghcloone to Sir George Graeme and Sir Richard Graeme to form part of the Manor of Greame. An Inquisition held at Cavan Town on 31 October 1627 found that Sir Richard Greames of Corrasmongan died on 7 November 1625 seized of, inter alia, one poll in Clonkye.

A history of Richard and George Graham is viewable online. The Grahams took part in the Irish Rebellion of 1641 and after the war their lands were confiscated under the Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652 and Hawkswood was given to Thomas Worsop.

The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the townland as Cloonkiow with the proprietor being Mr Thomas Worshipp and the tenants being Tiernan McHugh & others.

By a lease dated 13 February 1726 Major-General Owen Wynne (British Army officer) of Hazelwood, County Sligo, assigned the lands of Hawswood alias Swadlingbarr Towne, to William Cross, of Drummonum, County Cavan.

By a lease dated 11 August 1736 Richard Cross of Dromomuniny, County Cavan, assigned, the lands of Hawkeswood, that is from the watercourse and Dromconra, containing 28 acres, to John Mahan, Innkeeper and William Mahan, Shopkeeper, both of Swadlingbar.

In the Cavan Poll Book of 1761, there was one person registered to vote in Hawkswood in the Irish general election, 1761 - John Beahy of Swanlinbar. He was entitled to cast two votes. The four election candidates were Charles Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont and Lord Newtownbutler (later Brinsley Butler, 2nd Earl of Lanesborough), both of whom were then elected Member of Parliament for Cavan County. The losing candidates were George Montgomery (MP) of Ballyconnell and Barry Maxwell, 1st Earl of Farnham. Absence from the poll book either meant a resident did not vote or more likely was not a freeholder entitled to vote, which would mean most of the inhabitants of Hawkswood.

The 1790 Cavan Carvagh list spells the name as Clunekeen.

The 1821 Census of Ireland spells the name as "Clinceeff or Hawkswood" and states- contains 100 acres of arable land. Different applotments of it held by people who do not live on it. There stands a corn kiln & mill on same lands.

The Registry of Freeholders for County Cavan states that on 13 January 1825 there was one freeholder registered in Hawkswood- Mr D. Thompson esquire of Dublin City. He held the land in fee-simple.

The 1825 Tithe Applotment Books spell the name as Hawkswood.

The Hawkswood Valuation Office Field books are available for 1838-1840.

Griffith's Valuation lists forty-two landholders in the townland, including the town of Swanlinbar.

Folklore from Hawkswood and Swanlinbar is found in the 1938 Dúchas collection.

Notable residents

The grandmother of the painter John Butler Yeats was Grace Armstrong of Hawkswood. She was a grand-niece of John Armstrong (British Army officer).

Census

That part of Hawkswood lying outside Swanlinbar Town (for the town census, see Swanlinbar).

Year Population Males Females Total Houses Uninhabited 1841 11 5 6 5 3 1851 9 3 6 3 0 1861 28 13 15 7 2 1871 20 11 8 4 0 1881 16 5 11 7 0 1891 9 4 5 5 1

In the Census of Ireland 1821 there were four households in the townland outside of the town of Swanlinbar but there were separate entries for the town itself.

In the 1901 census of Ireland, there were four families listed in the townland outside of the town of Swanlinbar but there is a separate entry for the part lying in the town itself.

In the 1911 census of Ireland, there were four families listed in the townland outside of the town of Swanlinbar but there is a separate entry for the part lying in the town itself.

Antiquities

Foot-bridges over the streams. A 19th-century Corn-mill and Corn-Kiln. A 19th-century leather tannery A water-hydrant erected c. 1880. The website www.buildings ofireland.ie describes it as- Freestanding cast-iron water hydrant, erected c.1880. Fluted shaft on ogee-moulded base, with roll-moulded necking and capital, fluted domed cap with acorn finial. Lion mask spout overlaid on necking, recent tap fitted to rim of capital. Set into tarmac on public footpath with base partially beneath surface. Appraisal- This water hydrant is of technical and social heritage interest, dating from the period before public mains water supply when clean drinking water was provided at a communal source. Its survival in its original context enhances its interest. This hydrant is one of a set of three in the locality of Swanlinbar. It is also of design interest, demonstrating the high aesthetic quality of functional cast-iron work in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A water-hydrant erected c. 1880. The website www.buildings ofireland.ie describes it as- Freestanding cast-iron water hydrant, c.1880, still in use. Fluted shaft on ogee-moulded base, with roll-moulded necking and capital, fluted domed cap with acorn finial. Lion mask spout overlaid on necking, recent tap fitted to rim of capital. Set into concrete on public footpath in line of sandstone kerbing. Appraisal- This water hydrant is of technical and social heritage interest, dating from the period before public mains water supply when clean drinking water was provided at a communal source. Its survival in its original context enhances its interest. Set in Swanlinbar it is one of a group of three in the locality, its counterparts located outside the town. Public house built c.1870. The website www.buildings ofireland.ie describes the building as- Detached four-bay two-storey house, built c.1870, with half dormers to upper floor. Now also in use as public house with recent pub front in two southern bays. Central gabled projection to rear with later single-storey lean-to extension. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, having flat roofs and cornices to central half-dormers and pitched slate roofs with timber bargeboards to gabled half-dormers. Rendered chimneystacks to gables and centre of ridge, cast-iron rainwater goods to eaves, with replacement uPVC gutter at sill level of half-dormers. Smooth rendered walls. Square-headed windows to half dormers with one-over-one timber sash windows. Bipartite sash window to northern bay at ground level. Door opening to north with timber door and side lights. Symmetrical timber pubfront comprising glazed timber door flanked by multiple paned windows, having timber fascia with painted lettering above. Opens directly onto street. Appraisal- An eye-catching nineteenth-century building, distinguished by its long form and striking dormer windows. The house is a well-preserved example of the nineteenth-century architecture and retains much of its historic character and charm. It makes a valuable contribution to the historic character of Swanlinbar. Dwelling house built c. 1820. The website www.buildings ofireland.ie describes the building as- Terraced five-bay two-storey house, built c. 1820, with unevenly spaced openings. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, sandstone barge coping, rendered chimneystack to ridge and north party-wall, replacement metal gutters with cast-iron downpipes and hopper head to north party-wall. Ruled-and-lined rendered walls. One-over-one timber sliding-sash windows with exposed sash boxes, stone sills, and later raised surrounds. Panelled shutters with octagonal motif to interior. Slightly off centre doorcase comprising panelled Doric pilasters supporting entablature with Greek-key ornament and moulded cornice. Rectangular glazed overlight having ellipse and diagonal cross divisions over replacement glazed timber door. Opens directly on to street. Appraisal An early nineteenth-century building of unusually wide frontage, shown together with its three-bay neighbour on the Ordnance Survey map of 1836 forming the street front of a large garden of formal layout. The irregularly spaced openings contrast with the formality of the doorcase which is of an ambitious Greek Revival design. Much of the historic fabric of the building survives, including sash windows with decorative internal shutters and the moulded doorcase. The house is a well-preserved example of the nineteenth-century street architecture of the town and forms an integral part of the historic character of the town.