Boley, Templeport

Boley (from Irish Buaile meaning 'A Paddock Dairy for Milking Cows') is a townland in the civil parish of Templeport, County Cavan, Ireland.

[1] In medieval times the McGovern barony of Tullyhaw was divided into economic taxation areas called ballibetoes, from the Irish Baile Biataigh (Anglicized as 'Ballybetagh'), meaning 'A Provisioner's Town or Settlement'.

The original purpose was to enable the farmer, who controlled the baile, to provide hospitality for those who needed it, such as poor people and travellers.

The historical spellings of the ballybetagh are Ballymackgawran & Ballimacgawran (Irish = Baile Mhic Shamhráin = McGovern's Town).

The townland name first appears in an interesting list of the rents due to the McGovern Chief, Maghnus 'Ruadh' Mág Samhradháin about 1400 A.D.[2] It reads as follows- 34 kegs of butter for the half-quarterland of Buaile Fheadha (lethceathreamain Buaili Adh, meaning 'The Half-Quarterland of the Dairy in the Forest') i.e. 3 kegs of butter and 12 kegs of meal every quarter year i.e. the winter quarter and the autumn quarter and that of spring, and this is the steward's portion:- A gallon of butter and 2 kegs of meal per quarter, and this is McGovern's demand from An Bhuaile (mBuaili):- A keg of butter and 3 bands, and a gallon and 3/8 of a hundredweight and a band, and this is his milk-portion in wintertime:- A keg of butter on the first Saturday, and 3/8 the following Saturday, and a gallon on each of the other Saturdays, and 3/8 the following Saturday and a band soon after that, and the person who comes with it is told to bring his portion of milk with him and let him have the strainer with him, with which he will choose the curds until the pool of milk is separated also.

This is confirmed in a visitation by George Carew, 1st Earl of Totnes in autumn 1611 when he states that Magauran had his own land given him on this division.

[9] An Inquisition of King Charles I held in Cavan town on 4 October 1626 stated that the aforesaid Phelim Magawrane died on 20 January 1622 and his lands including two polls of Boely went to his son, the McGovern chief Brian Magauran who was aged 30 (born 1592) and married.

The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as belonging to Lieutenant-Colonel Tristam Beresford and a further confirming grant dated 3 November 1666 was made by King Charles II of England to the aforementioned Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet which included, inter alia, 2 cartrons of land in Doyly containing 285 acres-3 roods.

[16] In 1833 one person in Boley was registered as a keeper of weapons- Robert Harper, who owned a gun, pistol, sword and bayonet.

The 1874 Report from the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland state that Killyran School, Roll No.