Chapter 31.

Grallagh,

where are the ruins of a church, which had been dedicated to St. Maccallin an Irishman of the 10th century, who took upon him the habit of a Benedictine monk at Gorzea in the diocese of Metz; and became Abbot of Walciodorus, now Vassor, near the Meuse. He subsequently retired to the church of St. Michael on the frontiers of Hainault, in the diocese of Laon, where he died in the year 978 on the 21st of January, at which day the Bollandists treat of him, and there is also an account of him in the Acta Benedict. Sec. v. p. 548.

The churchyard here is large, having in it an arched well, dedicated to the same saint, and overhung by a fine elder tree.

The rectory of Grallagh being impropriate in Mr. William Dutton Pollard, the parish ranks as but a vicarage united with those of Hollywood and Naul, and in the gift of the Marquis of Drogheda. In the Catholic dispensation it is in the Union of Naul. Its [494] population was stated in 1821 as 196 persons, increased in 1831 to 236, of whom 205 were Roman Catholics.

The chapelry of Grallagh was from a very early period dependant on Hollywood, and with it appropriated to the canons of Lanthony near Gloucester, see at “Clonmethan;” while the manor was from an almost equally remote time the property of the Cruise family.

In 1393 Teigue O’Byrne granted six messuages and 60 acres of land of great measure, with their appurterances, in the townland of Mullahow in this parish, to its then rector and his successors to pray for the soul of the said O’Byrne. [Inquis. 19 Eliz.]

Of the Netterville possessions here in 1561, in right of the dissolved priory of St. John the Baptist, see at ” Luttrelstown.”

In 1602 Sir George Carew, Vice-Chamberlain to the Queen, had a grant of five acres in Grallagh and five in Brownstown, part of the estate of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem, which had been leased in 1584 to Nicholas Aylmer. In 1605 Christopher Cruise, the representative of the old proprietors, was found seised of Grallagh six messuages and 485a., which he held of the king in capite by knight’s service. He was also seised of this manor as also of those of the Naul and Cruisetown.

An inquisition of 1612 finds the Abbey of Duleek seised of the chapel of Grallagh, containing Grallagh, Curragh, and Mullaghow, which, together with the tithes of Grallagh, were, with the other possessions of Duleek, appropriated to Viscount Moore, and letters patent including them were passed to him in 1618 and 1640.

In the war of 1641 the above-mentioned Christopher Cruise, having forfeited all his possessions here, they were thereupon granted to Charles Viscount Fitz Harding who died seised thereof in 1672.

Proceeding from Grallagh over Shamrogue hill, and by the village of Baldwinstown, the road ascends the height on whose summit is the village of [495]

Garristown

with the conspicuous landmarks of its church steeple and windmill, while on the right the eye commands the now cultivated lowlands, once termed the bogs and commons of Garristown, comprising about 400a. in this county, and as many more in that of Meath.

The church here was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. It is a small, plain edifice, presenting at the left side of the communion table a mural monument, of black and white marble, to the memory of Robert Alexander, who died in 1827, aged 80 years. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have recently granted £61 13s. 7*d. *for the repairs of this structure. In a cordiality of Christian charity the Roman Catholic chapel, a cruciform, roomy structure, is so approximated to this, that one common gateway may be said to lead to each.

There is a daily school here, to which the National Board allows £18 per annum, the number of its pupils having been reported as 264, and at the farther end of the town is an extensive flour windmill, on the highest pinnacle of the hill.

Garristown gives its name to the deanery and parish in which it is situated. The latter, the rectory being impropriate, ranks as a single vicarage, and extends over 5,345a. 1r. 19p. There is a glebe-house, with about 32a. of glebe, not far from the church. The population of the parish was reported in 1831 as 2,083 persons, of whom, according to a recent return, only 15 were Protestants. - The Poor Inquiry Report of 1835 classes the labourers as 195, of whom it states 45 to be permanently employed, 140 occasionally, and 10 almost always unemployed. The Catholic anion comprises Garristown and Ballymadun. As before mentioned, there is scarcely any bog or commonage remaining here, that which was such now waves with the harvests consequent upon individual appropriation, and lets for about £1 5s. per acre, while the ancient arable brings about two guineas per annnm. The proprietors in this parish are Mr. Alexander, lord of the manor, Lord Langford, Mr. Pollard, Lord Gormanston, and Sir William Somerville.

Garristown and its vicinity was, according to bardic history, the scene of that celebrated battle between the Fians and the native Irish princes, in which Oscar, one of Ossian’s well known heroes, was slain. The cause of the battle, as assigned in the Cath Gabhra preserved in Dublin College, was not a private quarrel between Cairbre and Oscar, as represented by the bard, but the resentment of Cairbre and the Irish princes in general for the improper conduct of the Fians, which latter account is confirmed by the following extract from the Book of Howth.

“In Ireland there were soldiers called Fin-Erin, appointed to keep the sea coasts, fearing foreign invasion. The names of these soldiers were Fin-mac-Cuil, Collullen, Keilte, Oscar Mac Osseyn, Dermot O’Doyn, Collemagh Morne, and divers others. - These soldiers waxed bold, as shall appear hereafter at length, and so strong that they did contrary to the orders and instructions taken by the kings of Ireland, their chiefs and governors, and became very strong, and at length would do more things than themselves without license of the kings of the land. Part or their misdemeanors was that they charged all the commons of Ireland that they should not hunt without their special license, and if they did they should pay after their value, for a hare’s killing twenty-pence, for a water dog double that, and so after that, doubling still as the game was, as the fox, the wolf, the deer, and all other pastimes.

[497] “Such disorders they kept, that the kings did assemble together, that they would banish them the kingdom, and so sent them word, who made answer that they would not unless they were put out by battle. And so these soldiers sent to Denmark for their king’s son, who came with a thousand tall, worthy soldiers, as ever crossed the seas before that time to Ireland. And so the day of battle was appointed, at which time all the kings or Ireland did prepare against that day. The strangers thought themselves so apt for battle, they made haste to come to fight, and came to Ardrath against the kings, who made haste also, and came, to Garristown, and they, perceiving their enemies so nigh, embattled themselves there, and after kissed the ground, and gave a great cry as their manner was, of which cry that name was given, Ballygarra, (i. e. Garra’stown.) The issue was, all the foreigners were slain saving one, called Ossein, who was alive till St. Patrick’s coming, who told that holy man of all their doings,” &c.

About the year 1200 John Archbishop of Dublin granted to the prior and house of Lanthony, the church or Garristown, with the chapel of Richard Chambers’s land, and the church of St. Nemore, with the chapel of Greenock and the church of Stephen de Crues, (“the Naul”), and the church of Ballymadun, and the church of the town of Ralph Paslewe. The Prior of Lanthony, however, not wishing to draw the full profits of this gift, demised all the premises in the time of Archbishop de Loundres, only reserving to his house an annuity of 12 marks of silver, [Liber Niger.] and the church was subsequently appropriated to the priory of St. John of Jerusalem. [Repert. Viride.] For a notice of the commons in 1205 see “Balrothery.”

In the 14th and 15th centuries the manor was the property of the D’Arcy family, from whom it passed to the Talbots.

In 1410 Thomas Corre, Vicar of Garristown, had leave to absent himself for five years from his benefice, for the purpose of studying at Oxford. For a further record connected with the commons in this year see “Balrothery?’

In 1416 the Segrave family had a small part of Garristown, [498] which they preserved until the forfeitures in 1641. At the hosting of 1532 Thomas Talbot was summoned to do military service for the manors of Garristown and Malahide.

In 1536 the king presented Edward Doyne to this vicarage, which in 1539 was taxed to the First Fruits at £7* 11s*. 2d. Irish. In 1540 the Prior of Kilmainham granted to Patrick Barnewall of Fieldstown, the church and parsonage of Garristown, with the tithes of corn and hay thereunto belonging, for 88 years, at the annual rent of £6 13s. 4*d. *Irish. The Religious House of Kilmainham was also seised of certain lands in this parish. In 1542 the king presented Richard Duffe to the parish church of Garristown, vacant by the death of Simon Geoffrey. [Rot. Pat. in Canc. Hib.]

In 1607 Sir John Talbot of Malahide was found seised in fee of one stone house and certain adjoining structures here, called the College of Garristown, a windmill on the mountain of Holtrass, a waste mill called Mollinbadder, a horse mill in Garristown, as also of several houses and about 326 acres of land in the town of Garristown; with certain premises in Baldwinstown, Adamstown, Tobbergragan, and Newtown near Garristown, being all parcels of the manor of Garristown, and as such held of Robert Barnewall of Dunbroe as of that manor by fealty and suit of court, said Robert being seised thereof to the use of Richard Talbot of Malahide. It is to be remarked that the inquisition adds, that “the said lands and tenements have continued in the quiet possession of said Sir John Talbot, and those whose estate he hath, ever sithence the 24th year of the reign of Henry the Eighth, and do descend according to the course of common law, and not according to the Irish custom of tanistry.”

The regal visitation of 1615 returned this church as in good order, the rectory impropriate, the vicarage worth 20 marks, and Terence Evers Vicar.

In 1616 Sir Patrick Barnewall passed patent for the rectory and rectorial tithes of corn of the parish church, together with the glebe lands thereto belonging, parcel of the possessions of the Priory of St. John of Jerusalem.

In 1666 a part of Garristown, with the commons and other [499] appurtenances, were decreed to John Talbot, Esq. of Malahide in fee, while in the same year James Duke of York passed patent for 20 acres plantation measure therein; and Alexander Staples, Esq. had a grant of part of Garristown, l,006a. statute measure, to hold (saving certain rights decreed to Richard Talbot) for 99 years, from 1658, at the annual rent of £12 13s. 8d. This latter tract the Commissioners of Crown Lands state, as overheld with adverse possessions since 1757.

In 1697 the Rev. Robert Taylor was returned as the parish Priest of Garristown and of Ballymadun.

By virtue of an act of parliament passed in 1803, the commons, commonable lands, and waste grounds here were enclosed, their contents being stated in the act as 1190a.

Leaving Garristown, a pretty little farm house of Mr. Rooney is seen on the townland of Tobbergragan, formerly part of the estate of the Talbot family, and so denominated from a remarkable fine well which it enjoys. A dreary road leads hence to the ancient manor of

Ch. 32. Ballymadun.