placenamesTempleport
Teampall an Phoirt
An 1837 account describes parish organisation, schooling and cattle fairs, while Saint Peter’s preserves later architectural changes.
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
- Teampall an Phoirt · Irish · main form · non-validated name
- Templeport · English · main form
Place & story
Parish boundaries and worship
Samuel Lewis described Templeport in 1837 as an extensive Cavan parish adjoining County Leitrim. Its Church of Ireland living had been separated from Drumreilly in 1835 following the death of Dr Bushe. Lewis reported that the Catholic parish then covered the same area but was divided into Upper and Lower Templeport, with three chapels in the former and one in the latter. These arrangements are a dated picture of religious organisation across a dispersed parish. [2]
Schools and cattle fairs
The same account records about 360 children attending four public schools and another 520 taught in ten private schools. Education was therefore provided through several small institutions rather than one parish-wide school. Fairs at Ballymagauran offered another focus for gathering: Lewis lists meetings in May, August and November, singling out the November fair for fat cattle. Schooling and seasonal trading helped connect the parish's scattered households. [2]
Saint Peter’s by the lake
Saint Peter's Church at Port is a Gothic Revival building with a tower, stone spire and three-bay nave. The architectural inventory dates the original church to 1815 and records its enlargement by Welland and Gillespie in 1860, when the chancel was added. Inside, a timber gallery rests on stone supports and cast-iron Doric columns. The approach along a lane to the lakeside church was once lined with houses and outbuildings, adding a smaller inhabited setting to the parish landmark. [3]
Geographic information
Sources & further reading
- Logainm.ie — Templeport. Place names and geographic record, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Templeport, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland, 1837, reproduced under Lewis 1837 · Samuel Lewis, reproduced by Cavan Townlands
- Saint Peter’s Church, Port, record 40401303 · National Inventory of Architectural Heritage
Name record retrieved 2026-10-25 · Source record modified 2026-08-13. How this page was prepared.