THE TOWNLAND OF LISADIAN

The townland of Lisadian is in the parish of Loughgilly in Armagh County. It
is not shown on the map.

“The last 12 townlands form
the parish of Balleek, a perpetual cure in the endowment of the rector of
Loughgilly, the whole of which pays cess to the church in Carrickananny townland
called Balleek church, but the following 4 townlands continue to pay tythe
to Loughgilly parish: Lisadian, Rathcarbery, Drumherriff, Tullya.”
(Ordnance Survey Memoirs
1835-38)

Paterson (Armachiana, Vol. 16, p.25) notes:

…Rath, lis, etc. denote ringed enclosures and in their various forms are
common throughout the county…
Lisadian – fort of the fastness.

The 1826 Schools Commission report describes the school in the townland:

“Lisadien – A pay school under the care of Robert Graham, of
the Presbyterian denomination, who was in receipt of 10l per annum. The school
met in a thatched barn at which 40 scholars were educated.”

The Environment and Heritage Service Sites and Monuments Record (2002) notes the following in this townland:

Rath? of the Early Christian Period and landscape feature? of the Eighteenth Century/Nineteenth Century.
SMR NO: ARM 021:021
Irish Grid Reference: J00683162
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: traces only
Only a faint circular platform remains, but reports of 1 960s record an enclosure 45.5m in diam. It was defined by a bank c.3m wide & 0.9m high. The bank was interrupted in 3 places & a gap, 1.8m wide, at S may mark an original entrance. A ditch surrounded the site & may still survive on NW where a shallow depression 6.5m wide & 0.2m can be identified. The earlier field report suggested the monument could have been a landscape feature rather than an antiquity.

Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:022
Irish Grid Reference: J00923155
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: some remains
The site survives within an oval field. The interior stands c.2.5m above the general ground level. It is defined on S & E by a scarp falling 1.75- 2m. The remains of a bank, now barely 0.75m above the interior & spread to c.9m wide can be traces around the NW perimeter. From the top of the bank to the edge of the scarp, the platform measures 31.5m N-S x 27.5m E-W. Around the S & W the modern field boundary has been incorporated into a counterscarp bank 3.6m wide & 2.5m above the exterior. See SM7 for details

Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:023
Irish Grid Reference: J01223166
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: substantial remains
A landscaping feature on the highest point of an E-W ridge with a single bank & ditch, 147ft NS x 144ft E-W. The bank is c.2ft above the interior. It contains some largish beech trees growing out from the base of the bank on the outside. The ditch is c.4ft wide x 6’1″ deep.

Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:024
Irish Grid Reference: J01373130
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: substantial remains
A landscaping feature on a local summit, on the same ridge as ARM nos. O21: 021-023. It has a single bank & ditch & measures 147ft N-S x 144ft E-W. The bank is c.6ft wide x 2’6″ high with a ring of quite large beech trees growing out of the lower part of the outer face. The ditch is obviously modern, 4ft wide x 1-1’6″ deep.

Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:025
Irish Grid Reference: J01023085
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: some remains
A landscaping feature on a E-W ridge, planted with elm, oak & blackthorn with a high domed interior sloping away to the bank on all sides. The bank is 5ft wide x 2ft above the interior and has been removed on the E side to build a reservoir in an adjoining field. It measures 1 30ft EW by 143ft N-W.

Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:026
Irish Grid Reference: J01563092
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: some remains
A landscaping feature on the W end of a drumlin with good views all round. It has a domed interior sloping towards W and is planted with beech & blackthorn. lt measures 135ft E-W x 145m N-S & is enclosed by a small bank running around the S, N & E, 2-3ft high above the interior, 4ft above the exterior.

Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:027
Irish Grid Reference: J01763136
HOUSE? the Early Christian Period.
Rath the Early Christian Period.
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: some remains
A roughly circular platform 28m N-S x 27m E-W stands c.2.5m above ground level. Around N side is a low bank c. O.5m wide which gradually peters out to W. Elsewhere the perimeter is marked by a scarp, broken on E where there is evidence for a ramped entrance. The interior is irregular & it seems possible to distinguish the outline of a rectangular structure 7.3m NWSE x 6n NE-SW. At the base of the scarp is a ditch 7m wide & beyond this is a counterscarp bank 2m above the external ground level. See SM7 for details.

P>Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:028
Irish Grid Reference: J01743098
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: No visible remains
A landscaping feature situated on the E end of two conjoined drumlins. In 1962 there was no trace left of the site except a faint ring of greener grass 1 50ft in diam.

Tree ring of the modern period
SMR NO: ARM 021:029
Irish Grid Reference: J02033098
Townland: LISADIAN
CONDITION: some remains
A landscaping feature consisting of a single bank & ditch situated on top of a drumlin, 146ft NS x 147ft E-W. The bank is narrow, 2ft high above the interior & planted with beech trees. The site of the ditch outside the bank is occupied by a lane on SE. On the NE the ditch is c.6ft wide & 1 ft deep.

PRONI records: D.935 (Title deeds and testamentary papers.); D.959/M/15 (Map
by J.C. McBride.); D.1129 (Letter re possibility of “getting rid” of Pauper
and Cottier tenantry on Wilson estate.); D.1129/1 (Letter re management of Lisadian
estate.18 Apr. 1838); OS/6/2/12/1 (Surveyed 1835. Engraved 1835.); OS/6/2/12/2
(Surveyed 1835. Revised 1860. Engraved 1860 (Stat file copy).); OS/6/2/12/3
(Not Received.); OS/6/2/12/4 (Surveyed 1835. Revised 1905-06. Reprinted 1931-1947.
Published 1931 with mss markings in red and stamped references 2566, 2567, 2573.);
OS/6/2/12/5 (Surveyed 1906. Revised 1948. Levelled 1888 and 1906. Levels revised
1949. Published 1953. (2 copies) – 1 being reprint 1953, 56, 61).); OS/6/2/21/1
(Surveyed 1834-35. Engraved 1835.); OS/6/2/21/2 (Surveyed 1834-35. Engraved
1835. Revised 1860. Revisions engraved 1863.); OS/6/2/21/3 (Surveyed 1834-35.
Revised 1906. Published 1908. Reprinted 1921.); OS/6/2/21/4 (Surveyed 1834-35.
Revised 1906. Published 1908. (2 copies), Reprints 1934-1957.); OS/6/2/21/5
(Surveyed 1906. Revised 1955. Levelled 1889 and 1906. Published 1958.); VAL/1B/245A,
VAL/1B/245B, VAL/1B/245B (1st valuation records.); VAL/12B/10/10A, VAL/12B/10/10B,
VAL/12B/10/10C, VAL/12B/10/10D (Valuation annual revision list.); VAL/12B/15/24A
(Valuaton annual revision list.); VAL/12B/15/24B, VAL/12B/15/24C, VAL/12B/15/24D
(Valuation annual revision list.); VAL/2B/2/4 (Griffith valuation list.); VAL/2B/2/38BC
1862 (Griffith valuation list.C 1862); VAL/1B/24 (1st Valuation Records.).