Keenaght is a townland

Townland

A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...

 lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan

Kilcronaghan

Kilcronaghan is a civil parish in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Containing one major settlement, Tobermore, and lying on the descending slope of Slieve Gallion, Kilcronaghan is bordered by the civil parishes of Ballynascreen, Desertmartin, Maghera, and Termoneeny. It lies within the former...

, County Londonderry

County Londonderry

The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...

, Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

. It lies in the south of the parish on the boundary with the civil parish of Desertmartin, and it is bounded by the townlands of: Coolsaragh

Coolsaragh

Coolsaragh is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in the south of the parish on the boundary with the civil parish of Desertmartin, and it is bounded by the townlands of: Annagh & Moneysterlinn, Cloughfin, Gortahurk, Keenaght,...

, Cullion, Gortahurk

Gortahurk, Kilcronaghan civil parish

Gortahurk is a townland lying within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies on the extreme south-west of the parish on the boundary with the parish of Ballynascreen. It is bounded by the townlands of Brackaghlislea, Coolsaragh, Drumard, Keenaght, Letteran,...

, Longfield, and Tintagh. It was apportioned to the Drapers

Worshipful Company of Drapers

The Worshipful Company of Drapers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London; it has the formal name of The Master and Wardens and Brethren and Sisters of the Guild or Fraternity of the Blessed Mary the Virgin of the Mystery of Drapers of the City of London but is more usually known...

 company.

The townland currently lies within Tobermore

Tobermore

Tobermore is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is located two and a half miles south of Maghera and five miles west of Magherafelt. Tobermore lies within the civil parish of Kilcronaghan and is part of Magherafelt District Council...

 electoral ward of Magherafelt District Council

Magherafelt District Council

Magherafelt District Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Council headquarters are in Magherafelt. The Council area stretches from Lough Neagh and the River Bann in the east and into the Sperrin Mountains in the west and is divided by the Moyola River. It covers...

, however in 1901 and 1926 it was part of Iniscarn District Electoral Division

District Electoral Division

A district electoral division is a former name given to a low-level territorial division in Ireland. In 1994, both district electoral divisions and wards were renamed as electoral divisions...

 as part of the Draperstown

Draperstown

Draperstown is a village in the Sperrin Mountains of County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,638 people in the 2001 Census.-Name:...

 dispensery (registrar's) district of Magherafelt

Magherafelt

Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...

 Rural District

Rural district

Rural districts were a type of local government area – now superseded – established at the end of the 19th century in England, Wales, and Ireland for the administration of predominantly rural areas at a level lower than that of the administrative counties.-England and Wales:In England...

. As part of Kilcronaghan civil parish, Keenaght also lies in the former barony of Loughinsholin.

History

The origin of the townland of Keenaght's name is said to be the same as that of the barony of Keenaght. According to Alfred Moore Munn, they derive their name from "O'Conchubhair Ciannachta", and from him derived the O'Connors of the Ciannachta Gleann Geimin (roughly equating to the modern-day parish of Dungiven

Dungiven

Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...

).

Population

Year	Pop.
1841	122
1851	77
1861	82
1871	83
1881	79
1891	73
1901	65
1911	61
1926	45

Size (acres, roods, poles) Year a, r, p 1851 311, 0, 10 1881 310, 2, 18 1901 310, 2, 18 1926 310, 3, 2 Earlier recorded forms Year Form 1813 Keenagh (S.M.) _{(S.M.) - Sampson's Map}