Scotshouse
Encyclopedia
Scotshouse is a small agricultural village about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) away from the border town of Clones
, in County Monaghan
, Republic of Ireland
.
It is close to the border with both County Cavan
and County Fermanagh
. Cavan town is eleven miles (18 km) away and Monaghan town seventeen miles (27 km) away.
The village derives its name from an English soldier named Willie Scot in Cromwell
's army who pillaged in the area in the early seventeenth century. He sold hardware products locally. He used his home base to sell his products with many locals calling to the house, and when asked where they were going they would invariably reply “Scot's house”. This house was located in the townland
of Aghnahola and was situated behind the current Church of Ireland
parochial house.
South of Scotshouse lies the Black Pig Dyke or the Worm Ditch which was the old Ulster
boundary. Many a battle took place in the area in bygone days and the area would have a bloody history.
Scotshouse is a small village of approximately forty-five houses. Since 2005, around seventy-five houses have been built in the same townland where Willie Scot resided.
Scotshouse has produced some very gifted people through the years and the most recent talented people to come from Scotshouse were Thomas Fitzpatrick, former chairman of the Dáil, and Professor Seamus P. O'Mordha, Professor of Irish in St Patrick's Teaching Training College. There are two and coming gifted people including Dr. Éamonn Ó Ciardha
, lecturer in University of Ulster
in Magee Campus Derry City and graduate of Cambridge University, and Dr. Eoghan O'Mordha, historian and archaeologist and a graduate of Oxford University.
In the sporting field Scotshouse have supplied the County team with some great footballers from the likes of Jimmy Murphy of Lauralhill; Hubert Kearns of Coolnacarte; Eugene Moore, Eamonn Carey, Michael Moore, and Dermot Beattie of Dunsrim.
Not many Currin players have won Ulster Medals but the first to win an Ulster Medal was the legendary Packie Smith of Cavany in 1914. The last person to win an Ulster Medal was Hugo Clerkin in 1985. Eugene Moore won an Ulster Minor championship medal in the 1940s - the only Currin man ever to win such a medal.
There is much debate in the village about the Irish version of the village. Some elements of the village like to call the Village "Teach an Scotaigh" after Willie Scot. However some people take offence at the village being called after this soldier and insist that the Village is called "Achadh na hAbhla". Some find the calling of Scotshouse in Irish as Achadh na hAbhla as somewhat bizarre as this is the very townland (Aghnahola) that Willie Scot's house was located.
Also there is a very strong Sinn Féin connection with the local Cumann being The Hugh McCooey Cumann. Scotshouse also has a very strong connection with Sinn Féin
founder Arthur Griffith
being born in the locality. The house where the Griffith family lived still stands on the way to Redhills with a green door.
Clones
Clones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the 'border area' of the Republic of Ireland. The area is part of the Border Region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish Government due to its currently below-average economic situation...
, in County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
.
It is close to the border with both County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
and County Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
. Cavan town is eleven miles (18 km) away and Monaghan town seventeen miles (27 km) away.
The village derives its name from an English soldier named Willie Scot in Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
's army who pillaged in the area in the early seventeenth century. He sold hardware products locally. He used his home base to sell his products with many locals calling to the house, and when asked where they were going they would invariably reply “Scot's house”. This house was located in the 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...
of Aghnahola and was situated behind the current Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
parochial house.
South of Scotshouse lies the Black Pig Dyke or the Worm Ditch which was the old Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
boundary. Many a battle took place in the area in bygone days and the area would have a bloody history.
Scotshouse is a small village of approximately forty-five houses. Since 2005, around seventy-five houses have been built in the same townland where Willie Scot resided.
Scotshouse has produced some very gifted people through the years and the most recent talented people to come from Scotshouse were Thomas Fitzpatrick, former chairman of the Dáil, and Professor Seamus P. O'Mordha, Professor of Irish in St Patrick's Teaching Training College. There are two and coming gifted people including Dr. Éamonn Ó Ciardha
Éamonn Ó Ciardha
-Biography:Ó Ciardha is a native of Scotshouse, County Monaghan. He has an M.A. from the National University of Ireland and a Ph.D. from Cambridge University...
, lecturer in University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
in Magee Campus Derry City and graduate of Cambridge University, and Dr. Eoghan O'Mordha, historian and archaeologist and a graduate of Oxford University.
In the sporting field Scotshouse have supplied the County team with some great footballers from the likes of Jimmy Murphy of Lauralhill; Hubert Kearns of Coolnacarte; Eugene Moore, Eamonn Carey, Michael Moore, and Dermot Beattie of Dunsrim.
Not many Currin players have won Ulster Medals but the first to win an Ulster Medal was the legendary Packie Smith of Cavany in 1914. The last person to win an Ulster Medal was Hugo Clerkin in 1985. Eugene Moore won an Ulster Minor championship medal in the 1940s - the only Currin man ever to win such a medal.
There is much debate in the village about the Irish version of the village. Some elements of the village like to call the Village "Teach an Scotaigh" after Willie Scot. However some people take offence at the village being called after this soldier and insist that the Village is called "Achadh na hAbhla". Some find the calling of Scotshouse in Irish as Achadh na hAbhla as somewhat bizarre as this is the very townland (Aghnahola) that Willie Scot's house was located.
Also there is a very strong Sinn Féin connection with the local Cumann being The Hugh McCooey Cumann. Scotshouse also has a very strong connection with Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
founder Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith
Arthur Griffith was the founder and third leader of Sinn Féin. He served as President of Dáil Éireann from January to August 1922, and was head of the Irish delegation at the negotiations in London that produced the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921.-Early life:...
being born in the locality. The house where the Griffith family lived still stands on the way to Redhills with a green door.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland