Rossnalough and Smyth ancestral territory

In 1832 John Smyth leased land in Rossnalough, Faltagh, Tonagh and Corravilla Townlands.  Townlands are not towns, but an Irish administrative unit that can be as small as an Irish acre or several thousand Irish acres.  In Aghabog Parish the Townlands are 50-60 Irish acres on average.  The following photos are scenes we saw when the Smyths hiked with us up the hill to Rossnalough fort.  The old Smyth farm was located beside the old fort.  So in the following photos I took, I identified where Rossnaglogh Townland is in relation to other Townlands around it.  Rossnaglough is where the Smyths had their ancestral cottage.

Corravilla: 
I took this photo by the house where Eddie and Peter were raised, which is in Rossnaglough.  You recall the little path we took up to the top of the Rossnaglough Fort where our ancestors used to live.    In the distance is the Edward Smyth home which is located in Corravilla Townland.  I think this is where Susan McPhillips’s grandparents lived.  We are looking east in the photograph.
Tonagh Townland: 
This photo was taken as we were walking down the path from atop Rossnaglough Fort where our Smyth ancestors lived.  The full path is in Rossnaglough.  As we walked down the country road, Peter Smyth pointed to the south and told me that is where Tonagh Townland is located and where the Smyths once farmed land.  The Smyths farmed about where the ‘T’ in “Tonagh’ is seen.  At the bottom of this hill is where Eddie and Peter were raised.  Tonagh is just across the other side of the road at the bottom of the hill.  (see below)

Faltagh Townland:
On the following page I have indicated where Faltagh Townland is located.  The Smyths may have had no more than bog land that they were leasing.  Bog land was real important because that is where you got peat, and peat was used to heat up a cottage as well as used for cooking.  There were three other Smyth families living in Faltagh in the 1800s.  At the top of the fort Eddie scanned the southern horizon and said:  “There used to be Smyths living there, and there, and there, but none are related to us.”  In the first part of the 20th century Eddie’s family had good Smyth friends living down in Faltagh.

From the location where our Smyth family once had a home, you can easily see Faltagh Townland in the near distance.  At the bottom of the hill is where I believe the bog land existed.  In 1866 John Smyth of Rossnaglough was assaulted by a Quigley from Rossnaglough over peat land.  John got beat up, Quigley stole the peat and tried squatting on Smyth’s leased peat land.  The matter was taken to Petty Court for judgment but neither party showed up.  That was not unusual.  It suggests Quigley made amends for stealing the peat, and Smyth probably got an apology.  That is how things worked back then.  This John Smyth was probably our great-great grandfather Peter’s brother.

Aghalough Townland:

I don’t think our ancestors leased land in this Townland, but it is adjacent to Rossnaglough Townland.  This photo was taken atop Rossnaglough Fort and we are looking west.  Some might recall the location as there was a closed gate on one side of the forked road, and on the other side was a path that headed down the hill lined by trees.
Eddie or Peter asked me if we were related to any of the Greenans who lived in that house.  I told him our Greenan kin came from Urcher Townland in neighboring Kilmore Parish.  I pronounced ‘Urcher’ like urchin, but got corrected.  It is pronouned ‘Ur-ker’.