Scrabby, Corlough

Scrabby (from Irish Screabach meaning Rough Uneven Land) 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 original Irish is Baile Cluain Loch, meaning 'The Town of the Lake Meadow') The 1609 Ulster Plantation Baronial Map depicts the townland as part of Gortatawill.

[5] The southern part of the townland jutting into Brackley Lough was called Rinnbeg meaning 'The Small Promontory'.

[6] In the Plantation of Ulster by grant dated 29 April 1611, King James VI and I granted the town and lands of Gortatowill containing 6 polls, comprising a total of 300 acres at an annual rent of £3-4s., to Mulmore McHugh McFarrall O'Rely, gent.

Hugh O’Reyly, his son and heir has reached his maturity and now holds the land from the king in free and common socage.

At the outbreak of the Irish Rebellion of 1641 Hugh O'Reilly still held the townland according to the Books of Survey and Distribution.

[citation needed] The aforesaid O’Reilly lands in Scrabby were confiscated in the Cromwellian Act for the Settlement of Ireland 1652.

The 1652 Commonwealth Survey lists the townland as Skebby and Ranbeg and Gorteenboy with the proprietor as Lieutenant-Colonel Tristram Beresford and the tenants as William Chambers and others.

A grant dated 3 November 1666 was made by King Charles II of England to the aforesaid Sir Tristram Beresford, 1st Baronet which included, inter alia, the lands of Scirbagh and Rendbegg.

On 13 March 1706 Marcus Beresford, 1st Earl of Tyrone leased the lands of Scrabagh alias Sherefbagh to the said Robert Saunders, for a term of 99 years.

[18] The 1836 Ordnance survey Namebooks state- Contains 191 acres of which 113 are cultivated, 16 of water, 19 of rough uncultivated pasture and 3 of bog...Soil inclines to clay and is intermixed with lime & sandstone boulders...The townland is bounded on the south side by a large lake.

The muddled land history of the area prior to this is described in the 1838 Exchequer case, "Attorney General of Ireland v The Lord Primate".