Ballymore
parish, County Armagh, in the 1440s
Niall
C.E.J. O’Brien
Introduction
The study of parochial
ecclesiastical history in medieval Ireland is for the most part dependant on
the information contained in the various editions of the Calendar of entries in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain
and Ireland. It is only within the Archdiocese of Armagh, and to far lesser
extent in the Diocese of Dublin, that the ecclesiastical historian is given
additional information to tell the story of a parish or other benefice in more
detail. In the 1440s the rectory and vicarage of Tamlachtalig (Ballymore) in
County Armagh, and in the Diocese of Armagh, features a number of times in the Calendar of entries in the Papal Registers
relating to Great Britain and Ireland and in the Registrum Iohannis Mey: The Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh,
1443-1456, edited by W.G.H. Quigley and E.F.D. Roberts (Stationery Office,
Belfast, 1972). This article intends to gather the various entries relating to Ballymore
and explore the story behind the facts.
The
petition for Ballymore in 1438
In about June 1438
Donald Ofercaran told the Pope that that Henry Ofercaran had entered into a
simoniacal bargain with David Macdamm, rector of Ballymore, for the latter to
resign Ballymore (worth 14 marks) in return for money and give the succession
to Henry Ofercaran. After the bargain was made; David Macdamm resigned the
rectory to John, Archbishop of Armagh.[1] On
25th May 1434 the Archbishop assigned Ballymore to Henry Ofercaran
after the latter paid the agreed money.[2]
This John, Archbishop of Armagh, was John Swayne, Archbishop from 1418 to 1439.[3]
Ballymore
rectory before the resignation of 1434
Eugenius Olorchan was
rector of Ballymore before David Macdamm. Eugenius Olorchan was also a culdee
of Armagh and a commissary general for the Archbishop. Before April 1433
Eugenius Olorchan was part of an exchange of rectories with John Mcgeerun. The
latter was to become rector of Carnteel while Eugenius would become recor of
Ballymore. But Eugenius Olorchan died soon after 9th April 1433 and
thus on 11th May 1433 David Macdamm, deacon, was inducted as rector
of Ballymore.[4]
David
Macdamm
Apart from holding the
rectory of Ballymore until his resignation, David Macdamm appears elsewhere in
the ecclesiastical record. In 1440 he was a canon at Armagh and papal judge
concerning the rectory of Athacochaill in the Diocese of Connor. In 1446 he was
a papal judge concerning the rectory of Ardbo in the Diocese of Armagh.[5]
Elsewhere David Macdamm was noted as a canon of Armagh in 1440, 1441, 1443,
1448 and 1455. David Macdamm was also at various times a commissary for the
Archbishop of Armagh and a proctor for the dean and chapter of Armagh. In the
1450s David Macdamm served as treasurer of Armagh.[6]
Ballymore
vicarage: Comedinus Ofercaran
The appointment of
Henry Ofercaran to Ballymore rectory in 1434 was not the family’s first
association with the parish. Up to October 1429 Comedinus Ofercaran was vicar
of Ballymore. Upon his death before 21st October, Donald Ofercaran
was appointed to fill the vacancy and he was to be inducted by Henry Ofercaran,
the same who got the rectory in questionable circumstances later on.[7]
Henry
Ofercaran
Previous to becoming
rector of Ballymore, Henry Ofercaran served as vicar of Killevy. On 18th
February 1432 he was assigned to Killevy following the death of Tyrnacus
Mcynnuff. On 26th May 1434 Carol Mcconolad O’Neill was appointed to Killevy
following the resignation of Henry Ofercaran.[8]
Many years later, after the dispute over Ballymore had begun to fade, Henry
Ofercaran was still involved with the wider church as canon at Armagh.[9]
Donald
Ofercaran
In 1438 Donald
Ofercaran was then the perpetual vicar of Ballymore (worth 5 marks). He had
previously got papal dispensation as the son of a priest and an unmarried woman
but some people said it was as a son of a married man and an unmarried woman.
Donald’s relationship with Henry Ofercaran is unclear and it is possible that
they were related.[10]
Questions as to his own
birth may have remained with Donald Ofercaran but this did not stop him from
dealing with the illegitimacy cases of others. In an undated document when
vicar of Ballymore, Donald Ofercaran obtained a mandate for a dispensation to
Hugh Ofercaran on account of a defect of birth. On 1st June 1449
Hugh Ofercaran was appointed vicar of Ballymore, through his proctor Henry
Ofercaran, after the death of Patrick Mackerly.[11]
In late June 1438 the
abbots of SS. Peter and Paul’s, Armagh, and St. Mary’s of Mellifont along with
the prior of St. Mary’s, Louth, were to examine the case and if true, give the
rectory of Ballymore to Donald Ofercaran provided he resigned the vicarage of
same.[12]
Later
developments
It would appear that
Donald Ofercaran was unsuccessful at removing Henry Ofercaran as rector of
Ballymore as the latter was still rector in 1440. But the charges of simony did
not go away. On 22nd September 1440 Henry Ofercaran was cited on charges
of simony. He was to appear at the church of Armagh before the Archbishop’s
officials with many more clerics, including David Macdamm, who were similarly
cited on charges of simony.[13]
Armagh Cathedral
The
petition for Ballymore 1442
In about
September/October 1442 Patrick Okinagan, commonly called Okellaig (O’Kelly), brought
a new claim to the papal court that Henry Ofercaran had entered into a simoniacal
bargain with David Macdamm, rector of Ballymore, for the succession to
Ballymore.[14]
Patrick O’Kelly said
that the rectory of Ballymore was then created into a prebend with a canonry at
Armagh. Along with the charge of simony, Patrick Macdamm alleged that Henry
Ofercaran was a “notorious fornicator” and committed various other crimes not
listed.[15]
Patrick
O’Kelly
In 1442 Patrick O’Kelly
was rector of the parish church or prebend of SS. Bridget and Trea at Ardtrea (worth
14 marks), County Tyrone in the Diocese of Armagh.[16] In
1407 and 1410 a person called Patrick O’Kelly was a canon of Dromore but it
cannot be stated for sure that he was the same man as the later rector of
Ardtrea.[17]
It was the desire of
Patrick O’Kelly to have Ballymore (also worth 14 marks) united to Ardtrea for life.
But the papal mandate issued on 8th October 1442 said that Patrick
O’Kelly had to resign his old parish on obtaining Ballymore. The three papal
judges assigned to decide the case were the prior of St. Mary’s of Louth,
Diocese of Armagh and Arthur Mackamail and William Somerwell, canons of Armagh.[18]
Loss
of Ardtrea
In 1446 Archbishop John
Mey deprived Patrick O’Kelly of the rectory of Ardrea (decreased in value to 12
marks) and assigned it by ordinary authority to John O’Kelly. But in the
circumstances John O’Kelly was unsure of his title and petitioned the pope for
a new title. The petition said that Donald Olaynd previously held Ardtrea until
his death when succeeded by Patrick O’Kelly. Maurice Omulumog, canon of Armagh,
was to assign the new title to John O’Kelly.[19]
Success
at Ballymore
If Patrick O’Kelly lost
Ardtrea, he was more successful at getting the rectory of Ballymore. One of the
papal judges, Arthur Mackamail, went in favour of Patrick O’Kelly and Henry
Ofercaran was ousted. Patrick O’Kelly may have recognised himself as rector of
Ballymore but others saw him only as the vicar of Ballymore.
Meanwhile Henry
Ofercaran was not finished with Ballymore and lodged an appeal to the court in
Rome. On 23rd August 1448 Pope Nicholas V appointed Archbishop Mey,
the abbot of Mellifont and the prior of St. John’s at Ardee to judge the
appeal. On 5th April 1449 Archbishop Mey directed letters to Patrick
O’Kelly as vicar of Ballymore telling him of the appeal and that Archbishop was
sequestering the goods of Ballymore while the appeal was pending.[20]
On 5th April
1449 Arthur Mackamail was cited to appear in the chapel of the Archbishop’s
manor of Dromiskin bringing papers showing why he went in favour of Patrick
O’Kelly. The pressure against Patrick O’Kelly was building and on 21st
May 1449 Archbishop John Mey reversed the judgement of Arthur Mackamail and
reinstated Henry Ofercaran as rector of Ballymore.[21]
Death
of Patrick O’Kelly
The accumulation of
years of legal cases and social pressure played on the health of Patrick
O’Kelly. By the 1st June 1449 Patrick O’Kelly was dead. In a move of
total victory Hugh Ofercaran was appointed vicar of Ballymore to fill the
vacancy caused by the death of Patrick O’Kelly.[22]
Long
shadow
The dispute over
Ballymore did not totally end with the death of Patrick O’Kelly and instead cast
a long shadow over the church in the Archdiocese of Armagh. In about January/February
1454 John Mcbryn, Cistercian abbot of Newry, Diocese of Dromore, denied that he
had passed any sentence in favour of Patrick O’Kelly against Henry Ofercaran
for Ballymore without the consent of the Archbishop of Armagh. This was raised
as part of an inquiry into the request by John Mcbryn for letters of indulgence
for his abbey which was had lately burnt down by accident fire.[23]
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[1]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of entries
in the Papal Registers relating to Great Britain and Ireland: Papal Letters, Vol.
IX, 1431-1447 (Stationery Office, London, 1912), pp. 18, 19
[2]
Mario Alberto Sughi (ed.), Registrum
Octaviani Alias Liber Niger: The Register of Octavian de Palatio, Archbishop of
Armagh, 1478-1513 (2 vols. Irish Manuscripts Commission, Dublin, 1999), no.
119
[3]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), Registrum
Iohannis Mey: The Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456 (Stationery
Office, Belfast, 1972), p. ix
[4]
Mario Alberto Sughi (ed.), The Register
of Octavian de Palatio, Archbishop of Armagh, 1478-1513, nos. 60, 61, 62,
63, 112
[5]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, pp. 92, 548
[6]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, pp. 3, 31, 110, 129,
131, 289, 324, 334
[7]
Mario Alberto Sughi (ed.), The Register
of Octavian de Palatio, Archbishop of Armagh, 1478-1513, no. 143
[8]
Mario Alberto Sughi (ed.), The Register
of Octavian de Palatio, Archbishop of Armagh, 1478-1513, nos. 100, 116, 120
[9]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, p. 334
[10]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 18
[11]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, p. 27, 181, 207
[12]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, pp. 18, 19
[13]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, pp. 31
[14]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 275
[15]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 275
[16]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 275
[17]
Brendan Smith (ed.), The Register of
Nicholas Fleming, Archbishop of Armagh, 1404-1416 (Irish Manuscripts
Commission, Dublin, 2003), nos. 34, 131
[18]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 275
[19]
J.A. Twemlow (ed.), Calendar of Papal
Registers Great Britain & Ireland, Vol. IX, 1431-1447, p. 542
[20]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, pp. 144, 145, 149,
150
[21]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, pp. 200, 203, 204
[22]
W.G.H. Quigley & E.F.D. Roberts (eds.), The
Register of John Mey, Archbishop of Armagh, 1443-1456, pp. 181, 207, 208
[23]
Brendan Smith (ed.), The Register of
Nicholas Fleming, Archbishop of Armagh, 1404-1416, no. 262
