The Coming of the Brownlows

In 1610 under the terms of the Ulster Plantation the middle portion of Doughcoron (Dougher) containing 1,500 acres was granted by James the First to William Brownlow. His son William who came to Ireland at the same time received a grant of 1,000 acres to form the manor of Ballynamoney. This resulted in the combined estates occupying the middle proportion of the ancient territory the known as Clanbreasail. Included in this arrangement were ninety acres of endowed glebe land set aside for parochial benefices consisting of the balliboe of Shankill and half the balliboe of Aughnacloghie (Aughnacloy).

The name Shankill - Sean-cill – was the and still is, borne by the townland in which the graveyard is situated, and is from two words Irish words signifying “Old Church”. The map of 1609 shows a roofless church there, so we may therefore assume that the church was of some antiquity then, its ruined state no doubt due to the destruction of the area in the Elizabethan wars.