Mystery townland in Co Down

[Elwyn Soutter]

I have found a baptism in 1790, in the parish of Magheralin, Co Down. The townland looks to be “Banagh”, but I cannot find any such townland on the usual sites. Does anyone know whether this is an obsolete name, and if so, what the townland is called now?

[jimchelsea]

Hi
could it be  Benagh? in Newry Co Down?
jim

[Elwyn Soutter]

Jim,

Well I suppose it could be. But that's in the parish of Newry which is several parishes away from Magheralin. There is a detached portion of Newry but even it is not that close. Don't know. Thanks for the suggestion anyway.

Elwyn

[TheWhuttle]

Townlands sometimes straddle parish boundaries ...
... so, look nearby ...

Banoge in Donaghcloney
http://applications.proni.gov.uk/geogindx/parishes/par098.htm

However, this sits just NW of the town of Donaghcloney, not near the edge of the parish.
http://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation/index.xml?action=placeSearch

----
Banagh seems to have been an old name for Benagh in Kilkeel, but this is at the opposite end of Co. Down.
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rosdavies/PLACENAMES/BanBy.htm

[gaffy]

I vote for Banoge, Donaghcloney.

First of all, have a look at the Vestry Book reference in this link:

http://www.placenamesni.org/resultsdetail.phtml?entry=11309

Then I had a quick scan through the Belfast Newsletter - there are far too many references to include here, suffice to provide a few examples:

• quite a few obits in the 1700s - 1800s referring to someone having died, in Banagh near Waringstown or Banagh, Lurgan

• someone in 1869 advertising for a wet nurse, for a residence in Banagh, Donaghcloney, Waringstown

• an auction at Banagh Mills in 1836, described as Banagh near Waringstown

• a story in 1884 about a man living in Donacloney near Lurgan who was found dead at the Banagh Schoolhouse - it describes that he did some shopping in Lurgan then left, passed through Waringstown, then set off for home, thereafter he was found dead, probably from exposure (it was winter).

[Elwyn Soutter]

The 2 parishes are adjacent so I am sure Banoge is the answer. Many thanks.

[shanew147]

here's Banoge on the 1st Ed. OSI maps - right on the parish border (in Green)..

  Banoge townland, Donaghcloney
 

S.

[Elwyn Soutter]

Thanks. Shane.

[TheWhuttle]

Elwyn,

Perhaps the parish of Donaghcloney was "spawned" out of the parish of Magheralin at some stage, as populations varied.
[c.f. Blaris-->Derriaghy & Ahoghill-->Portglenone]

Changes happened particularly in the early 1800s following the Union, and later on following the religious revival of 1859 (?).
[The civil parishes originally matched the ecclestiastical parishes, but then both were tweaked as local demands dictated.]

The answer might lie in the OS Memoirs for the area.

Capt. Jock