Rakeelan
Rakeelan is a townland in the Parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw, County Cavan, Ireland.
Etymology
The townland name is an anglicisation of the Gaelic placename "Rath Caolain" which is usually given as ‘Keelan’s Fort’ but a more likely explanation is Rath Caolán, meaning the Fort of the Little Narrow Place, as the townland is squeezed between The Shannon–Erne Waterway on the east side and Slieve Rushen on the west side. The oldest surviving mention of the name is in the 1609 Ulster Plantation map where it is spelled Rakellan.[1] The 1652 Commonwealth Survey spells the name as Rakeelane. The 1790 Cavan Carvaghs list spells the name as Rakillan.[2]
Geography
It is bounded on the north by Gortawee townland, on the east by Annagh townland, on the south by Doon (Tomregan) townland and on the west by Mucklagh townland. Its chief geographical features are the Shannon-Erne Waterway which flows north along its eastern boundary and a foothill of Slieve Rushen mountain reaching to 228 feet (69 m) above sea-level. Rakeelan is traversed by the R205 road (Ireland) and Mucklagh lane. The townland covers 89 statute acres, including 1-acre (4,000 m2) of water.
History
It formed part of the Manor of Calva which was granted to Walter Talbot in 1610 as part of the Plantation of Ulster. The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as belonging to Captain Gwilliams (i.e. the landlord of Ballyconnell, Captain Thomas Gwyllym) and the tenant as Daniel McDonaghy (who also appears as tenant of the adjoining townland of Mucklagh). The Hearth Money Rolls of 1664 list the occupiers of Rakeelan as Brian O’Tumony and Margaret MyGwire.
The Tithe Applotment Books for 1827 list the following tithepayers in the townland- Faris, Bedel, McAvinue, Reilly, Hyland, McDaniel, Roe, Sturdy, Plunkett, Benison, McGuire, Montgomery, Fitzsimons, Adbort.[3]
The Ordnance Survey Name Books for 1836 give the following description of the townland- Rath Caoláin, 'Keelan's fort'. Rathkillan. In old times considered part of Gortawee. East of parish. Property of Montgomery. Road North to South. Soil arable and gravelly.
The 1841 Census of Ireland gives a population of 43 in Rakeelan, of which 17 were males and 26 were females, with 7 houses.
The 1851 Census of Ireland gives a population of 47, of which 24 were males and 23 were females, with 9 houses.
Griffith's Valuation of 1857 lists the landlords of the townland as Benson and the Annesley Estate & the tenants as McDougall, Benson, Gilleese, Glennon, Reilly, Curry, Donohoe, Roe, Clancy, Ferris and Maguire.[4]
In 1861 the population of the townland was 56, being 24 males and 32 females. There were nine houses in the townland, all were inhabited.[5]
In 1871 the population of the townland was 27, being 13 males and 14 females. There were eight houses in the townland, all were inhabited (page 297 of census).[6]
In 1881 the population of the townland was 30, being 12 males and 18 females. There were seven houses in the townland, of which one was uninhabited.[7]
In 1891 the population of the townland was 27, being 12 males and 15 females. There were six houses in the townland, all were inhabited.[8]
In the 1901 census of Ireland, there are seven families listed in the townland.[9]
In the 1911 census of Ireland, there are five families listed in the townland.[10]
In the Dúchas School's Collection at [11] an account by Mr. J. Coleman, Rakeelan in 1938 states that a long time before that there was a blacksmith's forge in Rakeelan owned by Michael Mills and it was the only one in the district.
Antiquities
There are no historic sites in the townland.
References
External links
