THE TOWNLAND OF LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
The townland of Lisdrumchor Upper is in the parish of Loughgilly in Armagh
County. It is labelled number 35 on the map.
The 1826 Schools Commission report describes two school in Lisdrumwher which
may be Lisdrumchor:
“Lisdrumwher – A pay school under the care of Robert Davison,
of the Presbyterian denomination. The income of the master was not fixed at
that point as the school had yet to be officially opened. The salary and an
acre of land were to be granted by a Dr.Stewart….
” Lisdrumwher – A pay school under the care of George Allen, who was in
receipt of 19l per annum. The school was conducted in a barn but the number
of scholars was not recorded.”
The Environment and Heritage Service Sites and Monuments Record (2002) notes the following in this townland:
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Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:015
Irish Grid Reference: H97743309
Townland: LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
CONDITION: some remains
A roughly circular earthwork 37.5m N-S x 35.5m E-W with a raised interior enclosed on S by a bank 2.5m wide, 1.5m high & up to 2m above the external ground level. Towards W & N the bank becomes lower & in places is barely 0.2m high. As it diminishes the perimeter is defined by a scarp falling 1.5m from the top of the bank. A recent field bank marks the edge of the platform & beyond this is a steep drop of 2.3m to a sunken trackway which curves round the SE quadrant. See SM7 file for further details.
Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:016
Irish Grid Reference: H97323246
Townland: LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
CONDITION: traces only
An irregular “Fort” c.35m across is shown on the 1835 OS 6″ map. By the time of the 1863 edition only a pecked circle marking a “Site of Fort” is indicated & now there are scarely any recognisable remains. A field bank & trackway have cut into the S side while activity associated with the adjacent farm building has encroached on E. Only the NW quadrant appears to have survived. Here there is a platform biesected by a field bank & defined by a shallow scarp which merges into the natural slope.
Rath & Souterrain of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:017
Irish Grid Reference: H97583235
Townland: LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
CONDITION: No visible remains
A garden now occupies the site & there are no traces of an antiquity. Field reports of 1960s describe a much disturbed circular enclosure 38m in diam NE-SW. The interior was raised c.1.2m above the surrounding ground & was partially enclosed by a bank 2.1m wide x O.9m high. At W there was a drop of c.2.5m from the top of the bank to the water level in a ditch. Beyond this was a counterscarp bank 0.6m high. The present owner recalls a tradition of a tunnel on the site, perhaps suggesting a souterrain. See SM7.
Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:014
Irish Grid Reference: H97763351
Townland: LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
CONDITION: EXCAVATED
The site was recently levelled, but in 1971 a survey & excavation were carried out. Then there was an oval enclosure 46m NE-SW x 53m NW-SE. A bank up to 1m high enclosed the site on W, becoming lower to S & N. From the top of the bank was a steep drop of 2m to the base of a silted ditch c3m wide & 0.2m deep. Excavation across the ditch revealed that it had been more substantial. The only internal features were shallow gullies, probably lazy beds. There were no early finds. See SM7 for further details.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
COLLINS A. E. P. MR 1971
Rath of the Early Christian Period.
SMR NO: ARM 021:015
Irish Grid Reference: H97743309
Townland: LISDRUMCHOR UPPER
CONDITION: some remains
A roughly circular earthwork 37.5m N-S x 35.5m E-W with a raised interior enclosed on S by a bank 2.5m wide, 1.5m high & up to 2m above the external ground level. Towards W & N the bank becomes lower & in places is barely 0.2m high. As it diminishes the perimeter is defined by a scarp falling 1.5m from the top of the bank. A recent field bank marks the edge of the platform & beyond this is a steep drop of 2.3m to a sunken trackway which curves round the SE quadrant. See SM7 file for further details.
PRONI records: 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/212 (1st valuation records.); VAL/12B/10/34A, VAL/12B/10/34B,
VAL/12B/10/34C, VAL/12B/10/21A, VAL/12B/10/21B (Valuation annual revision list.);
VAL/2B/2/11 (Griffith valuation list.).
H973337
