School: Taobh Breac (roll number 15227)

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1. James Mc Loughlin, Tievebrack, Poet, The Counsellor (continued)

   

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   plantations of the Finn Valley, he suddenly popped the remarks: ‘you seem to think that all the good land and houses are along the river, and the property of Presbyterian and Protestant families. How is it that we have so many families of these denominations in the mountains, under unfavourable [sic] conditions like ourselves?” This was indeed a poser, but I waited to hear his theory. It came and was rather a good solid one,

   “You’ll notice that the Presbyterians and Protestants, the latter especially have lands and houses along a line, stretching across the bog and mountain from the Castlefin area into Castlederg, (Co Tyrone) where again you have the rich Mourne and Derg lands and a prosperous community of Protestant land owners. These houses were along a highway and a connecting link between the different ‘planted areas.’ In this way they kept up communication and safeguarded themselves against such outlaws as “Francy Dubh”

   He told me an interesting story of the Gallaghers who once held Castlefin for the ODonnells. It seems at one time the ODonnells were busy defending their territory on three fronts against the ONeills i.e. Lifford Castlefin and Killygordon. The largest ONeill Contingent were intent on crossing the Finn at Castlefin. ODonnell sent a messenger from the

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. genre
      1. poetry
         1. folk poetry (~9,504)
   2. agents (~1)
      1. historical persons (~5,068)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Donnachadh E. Mac Congáile

   Gender

   Male

   Occupation

   Múinteoir