From Sonairte
Ninch West House, the home of Sonairte in the townland of Ninch, is in an area of rich history.
Below are some of the major landmark events'
c. 3000 BC
Some 5000 years ago early Neolithic farmers explored the river valleys of Ireland's East Coast and left us their megalithic ritual centres. The Boyne and Delvin rivers both have their passage grave cemeteries: the former world famous, the latter almost unknown. They would hardly have skipped the Nanny, and what better place could they have found to camp than the hillock rising from it's estuary, a fine viewing point with natural defences.
c. 400-500 AD
Through the ages bronze followed on stone, iron on bronze. The great heroes of Celtic Ireland forged their tales, preserved in folk memory. The "moat" (as it is called locally) on the Nanny's northern bank becomes the grave mound of Laoigh, charioteer of Cuchulain, and the hilltop "Rath" in Sonairte his fortified camp. Inhumations excavated under the moat have been dated to c.460 AD, towards the end of the Celtic heroic Iron Age.
c. 800 AD
Viking long boats come prowling the coast and rivers. The Annals of Ulster tell of "a slaughter of foreigners" at "An Inse" in 853 AD.
1182 AD
After the Norman Invasion, Hugh de Leone becomes overlord of Meath and, in 1183, makes a grant of lands around Colpe to the canons regular of St. Augustine on which they set up a monastic cell and a grange (farm). The lands of "Ninche" form part of this grant, and it's tithes are due to the monastery.
1314 AD
On the 16th June 1314, Johanna de Say grants to her son Henry Fitzlenys a messuage ( a dwelling house with outbuildings), one carucate of land (about 80 acres), all her rent and a fishery with the lordship and services of her free tenants in the Nynche near Balligarre (Ballygarth), in the tenement of Deuelek (Duleek).
This is the earliest documented evidence of a farm and residence at Ninch.
1382-1388 AD
Robert de Preston is owner of the manor of Gormanston: Christopher and William de Preston acquire the manor of Nynch from Robert FitzLeones (FitzLenys), first by lease and later as freehold. Matilda FitzLeones, wife of Robert, and her son Nicholas FitzLeones release all rights to Nynch by quitclaim during this period.
1396-1408 AD
Robert de Preston, 2nd son of Sir Robert de Preston by his second wife Johanna Hugely, is in occupation of the manor of Ninch. In 1408 the register of the tithes due by the various manors to the grange of Colpe for the canons regular of St. Augustine lists a "Robertus Preston" as occupier of Rogerstown and "Robertus Preston et Sterkey" as occupiers of Ninch.
