Hi Rosie and Lyndie Loo
This some of what I have found and I hope gives insight in studying social change and history ,I always look at what were the reasons. I always look objectively at results.
There is an account of the Dollie Brae Incident that was infamous and emotive at the time 1860 this was an incident that initiated movement to Leitrim, for the Mc Goohans, with the McCartans the connection being the Clements Family, Lord Leitrim who had estates in Co Down.The McGoohans are listed as tenants farmers
of Landlords,the Gore ,and Penroses. The first clearances from the estates in Co Down were of tenant farmers to Longford it would appear starting in 1760 They later ressetled around Ballinamore essentially a swampland before the canal drainage was put in . Aughoo is the Anglicization of Northern Ford in Irish or Gaelic Ath Thuadh
Dollies Brae was commerated emotively since that time. The is a lot more info this what I will be rooting out. It indicates we are a rare lot ? With an amazing history
This account I found interesting? Anything in lower case is my comment on the piece. The rest is verbatim from the extract. The Irish name for Mc Goohan , was O Cuachain, Mc Guckin etc have the same Irish name. While the links are tenuous to these fanilies ,people emigrating used the se anglicised variations for protection, there is evidnce of this.
Mick
All below except as I indicared in the lower case is the extract
This account of the McCartans settling in County Leitrim was obtained from Patrick Tohill in Carrick on Shannon. The information originator was Peter McCartan of Kiltygarry, County Leitrim:
This statement was taken around 1900.
'If there is any means of showing such information, I would like to put on record the only tradition I ever met in my 20 years in Connaught, of people here whose ancestors came from Ulster in the upheaval of the plantation. It is that sometime between the Battle of the Boyne and Queen Anne a convoy of families all of the three surnames Mc Cartan, Mc Goohan and Mc Guckian vacated Dolly's Brae near Belfast and moved at first to County Longford, but failing there they settled in the townland of Kiltygarry near Ballinamore in County Leitrim. They are still living there but the surnames have scattered further. McGuckian is so widespread over south Leitrim as to cause incredibility... The McCartans are in fair number round Kiltygarry and for miles out. The McGoohans declined'.
After leaving Dolly's Brae, Castlewellan, County Down, in a time of great upheaval, these families, with all the belongings and livestock, they could muster, trekked firstly to Ballinamuck in County Longford. This area has some of the poorest land in Ireland. Most of the Mc Cartans had moved into the neighbouring county of Leitrim by 1760, although today the surname has survived around Drumlish in county Longford.
(There are also McCartans near Ballinamore and Newtowngore A decendant of that family has a similar interest in his history which meshes ours. Mick)
In county Leitrim the McCartans settled around the town of Ballinamore. A lease dated 1756 in the Registry of Deeds, Dublin, gives Hugh Mc Cartan, Laurence Mc Cartan and Patrick Mc Cartan as tenants of lands on the shores of Lough Garadice. Their landlord was William Gore, from whom they rented lands in Aughlinavallen, Carricknaheegan, and Clinabothin.
(These could be misspelt Aughawillan and Carrickmackeegan , Mick)
In Fenagh graveyard, near the ancient monastery founded by Saint Caillin in the sixth century, are an abundance of McCartan gravestone-inscriptions.
On a personal note, I would dearly love to meet anyone with a similar dedicated interest in family history. There is so much more that I have discovered in relation to the reasons,certainly mine and your(our) Family emigration around that time and before.
Mick