DONAGHMORE IN 1609
From the inquisition taken at Dungannon, 23 Aug., 7th James I (1609) before a jury of twenty four, twenty two of whom were of old gaelic stock, and at least two of whom, James O Shele and Edmond Oge O Hagan, were to become possessed of land in the parish, we learn that the Barony of Dungannon contains the Parish of Donaghmore, which contains.:-
Donaghmore - one ballibetagh
Ballimacahill - one ballibetagh
Clonivertie - one ballibetagh and 14 balliboes
Ballydonnelly - 24 balliboes
Ballymagullaght - 7 balliboes
Dungannon - 4 balliboes
Ballisallagh - one sessiogh
Ballygowen - 3 balliboes
The Carra - 8 balliboes
Ballydonnellyetra - 4 balliboes.

On the authority of these well-informed native jurors we have listed the old Celtic territorial divisions of land that made up the parish of Donaghmore in 1609. To set them down in this way, however, does not take us very far, for all but two of them - Donaghmore and Dungannon - are unknown in present-day nomenclature for the Barony of Dungannon. It is the work of English scribes and cartographers, and Irish official tradition is represented only by the oral testimony of the old inhabitants taken at the various Inquisitions.

Ballimacahill, though an extensive territory, is not marked on the 1609 map. It lay along the Donaghmore-Pomeroy road, and still remains as Ballymacaul. On Plate 3, 11, there is a townland in this district called Mallateecahell, which represents the Ballymacaul of to-day, but the Ballimacahill of the above list was a much more extensive territory. It is fairly certain that like Clonivertie, and Ballymagullagh, it contains some very ancient name.

Clonivertie, the next name on the list, is a very interesting one. The 1608 Inquisition gives it as Clonevarty; the 1609 one, Clonivertie. Dr. S. Ó Ceallaigh, in the Bulletin of the Ulster Placename Society, Vol. I. part 3, identifies it correctly as Clann Fhoghartaigh, and this identification brings us back to the Topographical Poems of Ó Dubhagain c. 1372 where we read :- .
"O Maoil Fhothartaigh, agus O hEodhosa, et O hOgain ar Chenel Tighearnaigh,"
or if you prefer it in verse :

"Ar Ceinel Tighearnaigh dteann
O Maoil Fhothartaigh airmheam
Maith a n-eolas-(s)a is a n-agh
Uí Eodhosa is Uí Ogain."

The letterpress "Clonivertie" on Plate 3 ,II, covers much of what is now called the Gallbally district of Donaghmore Parish, but the exact location of the Clann Fhoghartaigh, or at least the strongpoint of their territory, is probably to be found in the placename "Lisferty."

The Ballymagullagh of the above list enshrines a very ancient piece of nomenclature. It is represented on Plate 3, II, by the remarkable letterpress mac-eu-illah, and covers a number of townlands between Dungannon and Donaghmore. A 17th century scribe of the "Martial Career of Conghal Clairingheach" (Irish Texts Soc.) tells us that Conghal came to "Carn Maccu Buachalla in the centre of Ulster which is today called Ballydonnelly." The editor of this tale, from an examination of the language, the writing, and the paper comes to the conclusion that his text is to be dated about 1650, and this opinion is endorsed by Thurneysen. The latter also tells us in Die irische Heldensage that the identifications of this text are very unreliable. But this much we have learned - that an unnamed 17th century scribe knew of a Cam Maccu Buachalla in Baile Uí Dhonnghaile. We do not know if the unknown scribe's identification is correct, but it is exciting to find the place he refers to, in this piece of letterpress on Plate 3, 11. If we put the 'béim' on the second element, we can even hear the ring of the northern Irish as it was repeated by some Donaghmore 'seanchaidhe' for the English cartographer. It should be emphasized, too, that a mid-17th century scribe regarded Cam Maccu Buachalla, the Ballymagullagh of the above list, as being part of Ballydonnelly. The name still survives in a mangled form. The mangling process had begun as early as 1608. In the Inquisition of that yeare (Rawlinson A 237) we find it as Bally McWillagh containing 'vi balliboes.' The 1609 Inquisition, quoted above, gives it as Ballymagullaght, and it still lives in local speech as Ballymaquillagh, the name of the bridge on the railway-line between Dungannon and Donaghmore, on the title deeds of a number of farms in the district, and as the name of the Fort on the farm of Mr . Joseph Donaghy. With this Fort we reach the actual Carn of the Maccu Buachalla that is mentioned in the "Martial Career of Conghal Clairingheach" and the Táin. It is surprising to find a piece of Tain nomenclature so deep in the centre of Ulster .

Ballisallagh no longer exists as a placename, but then it was only one sessiogh or twenty acres. It is remarkable to find it listed at all, but at the time it must have been considered a place of importance.

Ballygowen, has disappeared but at least we can trace it. In the Inquisitions we find that it contains three balliboes that are named, Lissagoan, Mullachacrevey and Gallanagh. Lissagoan and Gallanagh have disappeared, and would seem to be absorbed in the large present-day townland of Mullaghcreavy.

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