Pettigo and its People including a history of the Clan Mc Grath.
Preface.

This book is intended to deal with the history of Pettigo and its people from the earliest times down to the recent past. It builds on the works of the renowned historian Fr. Paddy Gallagher in his book “The Parish of Carn,” and Robert Reid’s, “Pettigo,” plus a series of articles on Pettigo history in the Impartial Reporter newspaper in 1921 by Robert Read and Thomas A. Aiken. Additional research has been carried out in the National Archives in Dublin among the Leslie Papers, landlords of the Pettigo Estate from the mid 1600s to early 1900s. Since I have already written on the history of Lough Derg – which has a small library of works devoted to it; I will only mention it in passing.

The Clan Mc Grath has had a major influence on the area for a period of c300 years until the early 17th century so a major part of the book is devoted to it with an important section being the two royal pardons granted to Bishop Miler Mc McGrath’s followers by Queen Elizabeth 1. The arrival of the Ulster Plantation in the early 17th century brought an end to the old Gaelic society in the area and heralded the arrival of Scots, English and Scottish Borderers to settle in and around Pettigo. The Leslie Family who acquired control of the estate were to dominate for the next 300 years. All these too have made a lasting impact on the locality.

For the past two hundred years, and more, emigration had been one of the dominant factors in the Pettigo area and so it merits a major section. Many of these and their descendants have achieved high positions, from poets to politicians in the United States, Canada, Australia etc.  A chronology of the Pettigo is provided which has been culled from the newspapers of the last two hundred years. Pettigo has a lot to be proud of in terms of its people, scenery and antiquities.

This book has been sponsored by Brendan Mc Grath, a Dublin business man today, but whose ancestors came from the
Lettercran area. He was elected Chieftain of the Clan Mc Grath at the first ever Clan gathering in July 1996. Without him this book would not have been possible. Since then clan gatherings have been held in Ring, County Waterford and in Ennis, County Clare. This book will be launched at the fourth Mc Grath Clan gathering to be held in Pettigo June 21-23rd, 2002.

Another McGrath Clan gathering is being planned for 2013 to coincide with the major Irish “Gathering” which is planned for that year. See the Termonmagrath website by Sean Alexander McGrath for further details.  The provisional date would be the 19th-21st July.This would coincide with the Irish Government’s ‘The Gathering’ initiative. Please browse the site at http://www.facebook.com/l/yAQF6CEoWAQHSCPR9SDxGsYM0WumLpqN5Y2QB77aAUD3jUg/www.clanmcgrath.org and our Facebook at www.facebook.com/clanmcgrath

Quote from the Irish Times in its review of the journal of the Galway Historical Society – “Even if history were judged incapable of other uses, it entertainment value would remain in its favour.”
John B. Cunningham.

Contents.

1. Early Settlers in the Pettigo Area – Muintir Phoedeachain and the Mc Graths to 1600
2. The Clan Mc Grath
3. The followers of Bishop Miler Mc Grath from a general pardon of 1608
4. Other Mc Graths, at Home and Abroad
5. The Leslie’s of Pettigo and Glasslough, County Monaghan.
6. Notable Pettigo People, Past and Present
7. Emigration and some Pettigo Emigrants – Armstrongs, Bartons, Irvines, Mc Graths, Glendinnings and Coulter
8. Killynoogan Townland and its Irish Canadian Poet – John Reade
9. A Chronology of Pettigo 1750-1950
10. Pettigo Schools early 19th century
11. Pettigo during the Famine 1845-1850
12. Pettigo Townland Names
13. Pettigo Graveyards
14. John Kells Ingram
15. The Swanston Poets

16. Pettigo Cemeteries

1 Pettigo Roman Catholic
2 Pettigo Church of Ireland
3 Pettigo Presbyterian and Methodists Church Inscriptions
4 Muckross Church of Ireland
5 Lettercran Roman Catholic
6 Carn Graveyard (all religious denominations)