O Maoilseachliann, Kings of Meath

In the Inquisitions of 1609 Manus McMelaghlin (a mistake for McLaughlin) appears as the herenagh of Carrigcooley (now the townland of Cooley) in Moville Parish in the Inishowen peninsula. In the same parish there is a reference to the "half a quarter of free land named Taivennegallon in the tenure of the McLaughlins." In Clonca Parish the "Clanloughlangrilles" or McLaughlins appear as one of three herenagh families, holding the "seven quarters called Crellagh (Greallagh)."

That branch of the McLaughlins holding the herenagh lands of Derry are represented by the following references:

"Finding: That the Bishop of Derry is seized in fee, in right of his See, time out of mind, of a house or castle, and a garden plot on the south of the cathedral near the long tower in the island of Derry, and of an orchard or park on the east side of the great fort there, paying thereout yearly to the herenagh Laghlina 10 white groats ....."

That the dean of Derry is seized, in like manner, of a small parcel of land in the said island - that within the said island is the herenagh Loghlina in Derry diocese and the herenagh O'Derry in Raphoe diocese ...."

That O'Donnell's castle, within the lower fort of Derry City was bought by O'Donnell from the herenagh Laghlinagh for 20 cows as part of his herenagh, and built by O'Dougherty for O'Donnell's use ...."

According to Col. Colby, superintendent of the "Ordnance Survey of County Londonderry, 1834" the McLaughlins were herenaghs of one-half of the church lands of Derry.

In the Civil Survey of 1654 Donnell MacBrian Oge McGloghlin is named as an "Irish Papist" holding the one-half quarter of Clare in Moville Parish as a freehold, probably the same freehold described in the Inquisition of 1609 at Lifford as "Taivennegallon" in the tenure of the McLaughlins. This small freehold consisted of 55 acres of land, 25 of them arable, 5 acres of "Redd Bogg" and 10 acres of mountains. It was forfeited to the English Crown in the Cromwellian settlements of 1657 in which Donnell MacBrian Oge McLaughlin appears as a forfeiting proprietor.

Although politically insignificant in later centuries, the McLaughlins were still considered a "family of standing" in the Inishowen peninsula as large landholders and herenaghs of church lands, a highly respected and influential position on the local level in Irish society. Most of the herenaghs, according to Col. Colby, were scholars, could speak Latin and functioned as the custodians of culture and learning in the villages of Ireland. As the highest civil official at the local level in Irish society, they also were the determiners of all civil questions and controversies arising among their neighbors.

A sept could receive its herenagh lands in one of two ways. The position was an inherited one, but if the appointed herenagh sept died out, a new sept was chosen to take its place. Or a landholding sept could donate its lands to the church, receiving them back as "herenagh" lands, exempt from despoliation in times of war, in return acting as the lay official of the church, responsible for the repair and maintenance of the church. The herenagh families also paid an annual rent to the church, of livestock and produce. Because herenagh land was traditionally spared by marauding armies, many septs in the Inishowen peninsula, including the McLaughlins, donated their lands to the church to protect their livestock and possessions from the armies of the O'Donnells and the Ó Neills.

1659 Census Leitrim County Baronies of Drumaheir and Rosclogeer; Principle Irish Names: McLoghlen 32, Gloghlen 05.

In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 the McLaughlins still appear most prominently in their old strongholds of Moville, Culdaff and Clonca Parishes in the Inishowen peninsula and down the Foyle shore into the Parish of Temple Mor near Derry (now the Parishes of Muff and Burt and Inch). No McLaughlins appear in the "Rent Roll of Derry," dated 15 May 1628 or in the Muster Rolls of 1630 for Co. Donegal. The Census of 1659 records the surnames of four McLaughlin families living in or near the Liberties of the City of Londonderry and many McLaughlin births, marriages and deaths appear in the Temple Mor Parish records of the Derry Cathedral, 1642-1703, many of whom are named as "of this parish" or from Clendermot Parish in Londonderry County. In the Census of 1659 19 McLaughlin families appear in the nearby Barony of Terkerin in Londonderry County and 30 in the Barony of Kenaght, indicating those McLaughlins holding the herenagh lands of Derry were probably largely dispersed into these areas after 1608. Curiously, the surname does not appear in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 for Londonderry County.

In the Census of 1659 the McLaughlin surname also appears for the first time in the Barony of Noylagh and Bonagh in the west of Co. Donegal; and in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 in the Baronies of Kilmacrenan and Raphoe, indicating that members of this sept were displaced into these areas as well. As evidenced by the Griffith's Evaluation of Tenements beginning in 1854 the McLaughlin surname by that date was to be found in nearly every parish in the Inishowen peninsula and occurred generally throughout both Donegal and Londonderry, if in lesser numbers.

Three McLaughlins also appear in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 (incomplete) for Tyrone County, all in the Barony of Omagh, and may be the families referred to by J.P. Brown in his "MacLoughlins of Clan Owen" who lived in the vicinity of Glen Mournan near Strabanne and claimed to be of the "chief stock" of the family.

At the end of the 16th century, based on O'Clery's Book of Genealogies, there were three distinct branches of the McLaughlins of Tirconnell sept, each with a number of smaller branches, in all numbering perhaps one hundred men capable of bearing arms. All were descendants of Domnall MacLochlainn, slain at the Battle of Caim Eirge in 1241 A.D., through the line of his son, Murchadh (Moroch).

  • First Branch
  • Moville Parish
  • Redcastle
  • Inishowen peninsula

Descendants of Aibhne or Anthony (Uaithne) McLaughlin, through the lines of his three sons, Hugh, Brian and Niall. This is the best documented branch of the McLaughlins in English documents of the 17th century.

Descendants of this branch of the family include Hugh carragh McLaughlyn, seated at Caire MacEwlyn or Redcastle in the townland of Tullynavinn in Moville Parish in 1601, described in the State Papers as the "Chief of his sept."; The castle was forfeited to the crown at about that date because in an inquisition taken at Lifford in 1602 Hugh Carragh is named as a juror from the townland of Bullibrack, much further to the north in Moville Parish.

Other descendants include Owen gorme McLaughlin, Hugh carragh's brother, who appears in a list of native Irish holding land under Sir Arthur Chichester in the Inishowen peninsula in 1622. Also named in the same inquisition was John McDwalto McLaughlin, the son of Dubhaltaigh. He held the lands of Tevennyoes in Tullyavin in 1622. Manus murrae, an uncle, may have been the Manus MacMelaghlin described in an inquisition taken at Lifford in 1609 as the herenagh of Carrigcooley.

Several members are named in the pardon list of 1602 including John McDwalto McLaughlin, his brother, Hugh boy; Hugh carragh, Edmund McLaughlin and his son, Brian modartha. Also prominent in the pardon list is Torlogh caech, who appears "Terlie chair".

  • 2nd Branch
  • Moville Parish
  • Whitecastle
  • Inishowen peninsula

    The second branch are descended from the Eoghanaigh and Dermot galloglaigh and were seated at Whitecastle in the Inishowen peninsula, headed in 1601 by Brian oge McLaughlin, probably the last McLaughlin chief of sept. His son, Domnall or Donnell MacBrian Oge, after the loss of Garnagall Castle in 1601-1602, later held the one-half quarter freehold of Clare in Moville Parish, probably the same one-quarter freehold described in the Inquisition of 1609 as "Taivennegallon in the tenure of the McLaughlins."

    In 1657 Donnell MacBrian Oge is named as a forfeiting proprietor in the Cromwellian settlement of that year. He is also listed as holding the same one-half quarter of Clare under Chichester in 1622. In the Census of 1659 a Brian Og McGlaghlin, gent, is named as a titulado in the townland of Meaneletterbailee in the extreme north of Noville Parish. A Donnell McGlaghlin, gent., appears in the adjacent townland of Masagleen, also a titulado. These men are probably the same Brian Oge McLaughlin of Garnagall Castle, 1601, and his son, Donnell MacBrian Oge, of the townland of Clare, 1622-1657. Two of Donnell MacBrian Oge's grandsons, Phelimy and Torlogh, were later tenants of the Rev. George McLaughlin, their nephew, who inherited the lands of Glenagivenny from his father, Domnall or Daniel McLaughlin, the Rector of Clonmany.

    These three townlands, Meaneletterbailee, Massagleen and Glenagivenny form a district within Moville Parish known as "An Gleann" or "the Glens"; It appears as though members of this branch of the McLaughlins removed to this part of Moville Parish after the forfeiture of Garnagall Castle in about 1601 and that of Clare in 1657.

    The townland of Moneydarragh was divided between the parishes of Culdaff and Clonca, which explains its inclusion in both parishes in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 and the Census of 1659. A Donogh boy appears in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 in the townland of Clare and is probably the same Donaghy boy, grandson of Donnell MacBrian Oge, who died in 1697. This may also be the same Donogh boy Maghlaghlin, merchant, appointed as a burgess of the City of Londonderry in 1688. According to Amy Young, of Shane crone and his son, Daniel, nothing more is known. But a Shan m'Laughlin and a Donnell M'Laughlin appear in the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 for the townland of Moneydarragh in Culdaff Parish and a Donnell ballagh McGlaghlin is named as a titulado residing in the townland of Menedaragh in Clonca Parish in the Census of 1659. Because the townland of Moneydarragh is adjacent to the townland of Clare, which later passed into the possession of the Rev. George McLaughlin, it is probable this Shan M'Laughlin is the same Shane crone of Amy Young's "Inishowen;" and Donnell ballagh McGlaghlin, gent., was his son Daniel (or more probably, Domnall or Donnell). Also appearing in the same townland in 1665 was a Brian McLaughlin, possibly the son of Donaghy boy, said to have died abroad in 1713.

  • 3rd Branch
  • McLaughlin of Derry
  • Templemore Parish
  • Now Londonderry Co. .

    Descendants of Owen McLaughlin "an Oiffistel" or "the Official." The brother of Aibhne or Fhoibhne, founder of the McLaughlins of Redcastle in Moville Parish. The only identification possible concerning this branch of the McLaughlins of Tirconnell is that they held the herenagh lands of the McLaughlins in Temple Mor Parish in or near the island of Derry. Owen McLaughlin "the Official," founder of this branch was undoubtedly a church official of some kind as was his grandson, Felim an Oirchindigh or "the herenagh"; This strong identification with the church makes it probable this was the branch of the McLaughlins known in Donegal as the "McLaughlins of Derry."

    Because the church lands in Derry were seized and awarded to the crown at a very early date (before the Inquisitions of 1609) no names of members of this branch are preserved in English documents, except for a few vague references to a herenagh "Laghlina" who lived on the island of Derry. In addition, the area near Derry is that mentioned by Brian Bonner as being cleared of native Irish chieftains in about 1608 and heavily planted with English settlers. Although in 1665 a few McLaughlins still lived in the more remote parts of the Parish of Templemore near Derry, it appears as though most members of this branch had been dislocated into the Baronies of Terkerin and Kenaght in nearby Londonderry County.

  • 4th Branch
  • Herenaghs of Greallagh
  • Clonca Parish
  • Inishowen Peninsula

    In addition to the McLaughlins of Moville Parish and the McLaughlins of Derry, we are aware of at least one other large landholding held by the McLaughlins in the Inishowen peninsula, that of the "Clanloughlangrilles" in Clonca Parish. "Grille" is probably a corruption of Greallaigh. As is the case with the McLaughlins of Derry, their lands were confiscated at a very early date and none of their names are preseved in English documents of the 17th century. However, it is possible a branch of the McLaughlins of Derry were awarded the herenagh lands of Greallagh in Clonca Parish because of its close association with the See of Derry.

    In 1622 an Owen McShane cugh McLaughlin appears in the Inquisition of 1622 holding land under Chichester in the townland of Baskill in Culdaff Parish. This man is probably the same Owen McShane caoch who appears in O'Clery's Genealogies and in the pardon list of 1602 as Owen m'Shane chair. The nickname "cugh" is therefor probably a mistake for "caech" or "chair."

    In the Hearth Money Rolls of 1665 the following names appear in the townland of Greallagh, of which the "Clanloughlangrilles" or McLaughlins were herenaghs: James McLaughlin Owen McLaughlin Connor McLaughlin Neale McLaughlin Sr. Neale McLaughlin Jr. Hugh McLaughlin

    These men may have been descendants of the same John caech described above, who according to O'Clery's Genealogies had sons named Owen, Brian modartha, James, Connor the Friar and Manus McLaughlin. A definite identification of the "Clanloughlangrilles" is unfortunately impossible given the available source documents, but it is possible that a branch of the herenaghs of Derry were at some date awarded the herenagh lands of the monastic foundation at Greallagh in Clonca Parish. According to Brian Bonner, Greallagh was the site of a Columban monastic foundation which was in later centuries subordinate to the Vicar of Culdaff and controlled by the Bishop of Derry, to whom the herenaghs of Greallagh paid their rent. The lands of Greallagh are now known as Carrowtemple (Temple moyle), Drumaville and Drumballycaslin.

    In 1425 A Patrick Loclannach or McLaughlin was named the Vicar of Greallagh and also held the Vicarship of Culdaff. He later died at the Apostolic See in Rome while on a pilgrimage. It therefore appears probable the McLaughlins held their herenagh lands in Greallagh from at least this date.