placenames1901 census
No verified place match is available for this year. This does not indicate a population of zero.
Moylagh
Maigh Locha
Moylagh’s neighbouring ruins preserve a medieval landscape, a huntsman’s burial legend and a later memorial to people who died during the Famine.
Recorded locationMoylagh53.72614° N · 7.18902° WInteractive map supplied by OpenStreetMap.
Recorded place location · Logainm.ie
The name
These Irish name elements are associated with this record in the Logainm glossary.
An element’s translation is a clue, rather than a complete explanation of the name. Its form and meaning depend on local history and the full Irish name.
Recorded forms
- Maigh Locha · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Moylagh · English · main form
Place & story
Two neighbouring ruins
Moylagh’s community heritage account distinguishes the castle remains on a motte from the more prominent tower associated with the old church. Foundations survive beside the church tower, with a graveyard around them. The distinction matters when reading this small landscape: the conspicuous standing tower and the neighbouring castle are parts of different buildings. [2]
An antiquarian drawing
The National Library preserves a pen-and-wash drawing entitled Tower of Moylagh, old church. William Frazer copied it from an original by George Victor Du Noyer. The catalogue identifies the subject as the church ruins, providing an earlier visual record of the structure now prominent in the local landscape. [3]
The huntsman facing the chase
The community account records a belief that huntsman Brian McCormick, known as Brianbawn, was buried standing upright so that he could watch the hunt on Grennan Hill. This is an attested local burial legend; it does not establish the position of an excavated grave. [2]
Remembering the Famine dead
People who died in Oldcastle workhouse during the Great Famine were buried at Moylagh, according to the community account. Moylagh Historical Society erected a memorial in 2012 and produced a booklet about the hill, adding a modern act of remembrance to the older graveyard. [2]
Geographic information
People & family history
Census figures refer to the matched historical census area for each year. Boundaries and spellings can change over time.
1911 census
38People recorded
9Households recorded
Most frequent surnames in this year’s matched records
Explore the 1911 records ↗1926 census
No verified place match is available for this year. This does not indicate a population of zero.
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Moylagh. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Moylagh Castle · Moylagh Community Centre
- Tower of Moylagh, old church, County Meath, drawing PD 1975 TX 5(ii)(8) · National Library of Ireland
- Boundary geometry retains its source attribution and licence in the downloadable geographic record. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2026-09-23. How this page was prepared.