Part I. Topography of Thomond Chapter 9. Ui Fearmaic;
Gleann Omra; Ui Bracain; Ui Floinn; Ui Ronghaile
Ui Fearmaic
Killinaboy parish; Tombs in Church of Killinaboy; Coad Church; Castle of Inchiquin; Ancient Irish Deed relating to lands in this parish; Ancient chalices in the possession of the parish priest
The name of the parish was derived from some saint whose family cannot be ascertained, but who was the daughter of Baoth (Inghine Baoith).[2] According to the Martyrology of Tallagh, the 2nd of January was the anniversary of Inghine Baoith. The walls of the church are in good preservation. Over the doorway is a bas relief carving of a dwarf, with its legs crossed, called a sheela na gig. The building is of various dates, the west gable appearing to be of the eleventh century, and the other parts of the fourteenth. Some curious monuments are inserted into the walls, thus:
I.H.S., I.N.R.I.
“1644. Under these carvied marbel stones
Lieth Connor O’Flanagan’s body and bones.
Which monument was made by Anabel, his wife. Orate pro eis: Laus Deo.”[3]
Another tomb has the following:—
“Loghlen Reagh O’Hehir’s Thombe finished by his son Andrew O’Hehir in er 1711.”[4]
The subjoined inscription is on another tomb:—
“Sum quod eris; ideo prome querendo;—patre Theobaldo de Burgo, vos orare precor. Anno Domini 1764.”
Others have the following:—
“Dermod O’Neilan and Teige O’Neilan his brother, for them and their heirs, made this sepulchre, 1645.”[5]
“Ed. Loghlin Oge O’Hehir and Mary Hogan his wife.”
Adjoining the church are the remains of a round tower.
Only thirteen feet in height are now standing. Two holy wells named after
the patron saint exist in the vicinity; one a little way off at the east
side, and the other about a mile away on the south from the church. At
the south also, but much nearer, another holy well is found dedicated
to St. Baighdéan. Not many years ago, at a short distance on the
left of the road leading from Killinaboy Church to Leamaneh, stood a curious
object of antiquity. It was a small stone cross, about four feet high,
fixed in a rough native rock in the middle of a field, and its history
is given by Eugene O’Curry, who saw it in 1839. He says that from
time immemorial it was know as “Cros Innawee,” and
that it was one of three which marked the Termon or church-lands of that
saint. The other two, which have long since disappeared were at Elmvale,
called in Irish Tigh na Croise, and at Crossard, a quarter of
a mile further south. In the parish of Killinaboy stand the remains of
the church of Coad, said to have been built by the celebrated Mauria Roe,
the wife of Conor O’Brien, of Leamaneh, as a chapel of ease, with
a view to vex the rector of the parish of Killinaboy, with whom she had
some quarrel.[6]
Coad seems to have been the burial place of the MacGormans of Ibrickan,
at least, in latter times. Adjoining the village of Corofin is the ruin
of the old church of Kilvoydán; the grave yard attached is still
used as a burying place.
Dr. Petrie, from its architectural character, supposed that the castle of Inchiquin was built by Teige-an-Chomhaid, (now Coad) O’Brien, who died in 1466. In the year 1542 it belonged to Turlogh, son of Murrogh, first baron of Inchiquin, and in 1580 to Murrogh, fourth baron. It stands on the margin of the beautiful lake of that name, but it is much injured by time and by Cromwell’s followers. The castle of Killinaboy, now utterly ruined, was owned in 1580 by Sir Daniel O’Brien; that of Ballyporty, still almost entire, by Mahone, son of Brian O’Brien.
Leamanegh Castle
The castle of Leimaneh, formerly the residence of that branch of the O’Briens from which Lord Inchiquin descends, is situated also in the parish of Killinaboy. It is in a tolerable state of preservation, and its size and surroundings attest the importance of the family by whom it was inhabited. In 1580 it was the property of Teige, son of Murrogh (the Tanist, first baron of Inchiquin). An inscription is found over the entrance porch in the following words:—“This was built in the year of our Lord 1648, by Connor O’Brien, and by Mary-ni-Mahone, wife of the said Connor.” The parish of Killinaboy contains numerous ancient cahers, cairns, and cromleachs, obviously of the highest antiquity, but with no historical means of identifying them. The townland of Leana in particular abounds with these memorials of the past. The road that passes from Corofin (Coradh Finne, the weir of Finnia, a woman’s name), to Killinaboy Church, was anciently called Bothar-na-mac-riogh (the road of the king’s sons), and it is frequently referred to in the old chronicles of Thomond.[7] Corofin was sometimes called in Irish Finn Coradh, the white weir.[8]
The lands mentioned in the following Deed, translated
from the Irish original, in the fifteenth volume of the Transactions of
the Royal Irish Academy No. 31, are situate in this parish: “In
the name of God. This writing maketh known that Donogh Duv MacConsidine
of Drummoher acknowledges that the mortgage which he had upon that part
of the Quartermeer (townland) of Gortanchrochairé, awarded to Dermot,
son of Edmond O’Dea, shall be held by said Dermot, his heirs and
assigns for ever, from him the said Donogh his heirs and assigns: said
Donogh also acknowledges to have received full consideration from said
Dermot for said mortgage of the aforesaid land. In testimony whereof the
said Donogh signs these presents with the witnesses hereunto. The witnesses
present at this writing are, God in the first place, Mahone, son of Donald
MacConsidine, and Dermot O’Flanagan. Dermot Oge O’Neallan
wrote this by the consent of said Donogh MacConsidine and at his request.
Written at Drummoher the 24th day of October 1587. 1. Donogh
MacConsidin: Dermitius Neallain Testis.”
“Copia vera, examinata et concordans cum originali, coram nobis,
infrascriptis; Do. Myagh.—John Gold.”
The parish priest of Corofin has in his possession three chalices with the following inscriptions:—
1. “Calix benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne communicatio sanguinis Christi est. I Cor. X. D. Robertus Arthurus, et Margarita Blake ejus soror, Deo optimo maximo dicant.”
2. “Ex dono Thadæi Daly, Renaldus O’Kelly sacerdos 1620.”
3. “Orate pro animâ Jacobi O’Gripha sacerdotis, qui me fieri fecit. Anno Dni 1670.”
