The County of Monaghan.
ON the east side of
Lough-Erne, lies the County of Monaghan; very mountainous, and woody. It has not one remarkable Town,
besides Monaghan, which gives name to the whole County; Barons of Monaghan.⌈and
is a Barony, in the Honourable Family of Blaney.⌉ This Shire is divided into five * * Now
call’d Trough, Monaghan, Dartree, Cremorne, and Donaghmaine.Baronies, and contains Iriel,
Dartre, Fernlis, and Loghty, which, for Rebellion, were taken from the Mac-Mahons, by Act of
Parliament; together with the territory of Donemain, which was given by Queen Elizabeth to Walter
D’evreux, Earl of Essex. Mac-Mahon. These Mac-Mahons (a name signifying in
Irish the Sons of a Bear) for a long time govern’d these parts, and are descended fromFitz-Urse. Walter Fitz Urse, who had a hand in the murder of Thomas Archbishop of
Canterbury. The most powerful man of the family, according to the custom of this Nation, was wont to Lord it over the
rest, under the title of Mac-Mahon. And † † Lately, C.while they were contending for
this soveraignty, by slandering, fighting, bribing, and other foul Practices; they drew the Lord Deputy, William
Fitz-Williams,1590. among them, and he cited Hugh Roe Mac-Mahon (whom by his
Authority he had advanc’d to this Seigniory,) and found him guilty of Treason, and order’d him to be hang’d; and that he
might extinguish the name and sovereignty of the Mac-Mahons for ever, he divided the territory between the
relations of the said Hugh, and certain English men, to have and to hold to them and their heirs, by the English
tenure.fossils
Phil. Trans. Vol.29. p.367. ⌈On the borders of this County and Monaghan, were discover’d, a few years since, about four yards deep, four Extraordinary Teeth.Teeth of an extraordinary size; two of them, in weight, two pounds three quarters each; and two, six ounces each. Upon comparing them with the like Teeth, which have been found in England, the Royal Society were clearly of opinion, that they could be no other, than the Teeth of an Elephant.⌉