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Union of Kilmanaheen, Kilasbuglenane, Kilmacreehy, Kileilagh and Kilmoon
IV. Ancient
Buildings, &c.
Ruins of
Churches
No ruins of the monasteries remain in the union, but there are ruins of
a church in every parish. In this parish of Kilmanaheen are the ruins
of a church, near the river of Ennistymon. The literal translation of
the Irish word ‘keil’ is church, and frequently applied to
the burying-place; that is, Keilmanaheen, contracted into Kilmanaheen,
signifies the church of Manaheen, of whom there is nothing particularly
recorded by tradition or otherwise, except the aukwardness of the site
he pitched upon for his church, and his being a Bishop.
Castles
There are two castles in this parish, one at Ennistymon, attached to the
mansion-house, and so cut down and modernized, that it has not much the
appearance of a castle: another, called the castle of Dough, to the west
of Ennistymon, and about two miles distant from it, near the confluence
of the two rivers already described, not far from the sea and bathing-place,
and surrounded with sand-hills. No round tower appears to have been in
the union.
Danish Forts
In the parishes of Kilmanaheen, Kilaspuglenane, and Kilmacreehy, are about
twelve Danish forts of different sizes, some about 100 yards in circumference,
some about 80 yards, and so on; the size supposed to be proportioned to
the circumstances of the man or party who erected them. These are all
made with earth, of a round shape, with a platform in the middle. In the
parishes of Kilaspuglenane and Kilmacreehy, there are about eight of these
forts, surrounded with stone, and the platform in the middle a rock. These
forts were built by the native Irish for the protection of themselves
and families against the Danes, who made frequent predatory irruptions
into different parts of Ireland, before their over throw in the battle
of Clontarf. All their cattle and moveables were brought into these forts,
so as to have them as much as possible out of the reach of the invader.
The forts thus erected, are, on that account, called Danish forts. They
are now held sacred by the common people, and are supposed by them to
be seats of the fairies, or fallen angels, as they call them, and, on
that account, are never turned up or cultivated. They were all built within
view of each other; and when any of them was attacked, there was a signal
made for all the rest to collect and rally about this point: for their
mutual defence against the common enemy, all the castles are also in view
of each other. There are no monuments or inscriptions worth noticing in
this union.
The parish
of Kilasbuglenane has nothing in it worth notice, except the ruins of
the church built by Bishop Lenane.
Ruins of
a Church
The parish of Kilmacreehy has the ruins of a church of the same name,
that is, the church of M’Creehy. This M’Creehy is also said,
by tradition, to have been a Bishop, and there is a bust of him with a
mitre on it in the church, the walls of which are still extant, which
supports the opinion of his being a Bishop. There is also a bust (with
only a part of a mitre on it) of Manaheen in this church, sunk in the
wall directly opposite to the other bust. It appears, therefore, that
these three parishes adjoining each other, had at one time a Bishop for
each of them.
Liscannor
Castle
There is a castle near the village of Liscannor, to the west of it, on
a high clift, called the castle of Liscannor, derived form the Irish word
‘Lis’, a ‘fort’ and ‘Cannor’, a corruption
of the word ‘Connor’. All the castles in the barony of Corcumro
were built, at different periods, by the chieftains of the name of O’Connor,
of whom there is not a trace now extant.
Signal Tower
To the north-west of this village is the signal tower already mentioned,
on the very high clift of Mohir. This signal tower may be of use in communicating
intelligence to the interior of the country, at any time that a hostile
fleet may be seen from it passing, or hovering on the coast; but to suppose
that an invading enemy would at any time attempt to land on this coast,
or any where from the mouth of the Shannon to the bay of Galway, is absurd
in the extreme.
Tuomullen
Within about a quarter of a mile of this, stands a smaller church of inferior
note, called Tuomullen, the walls of which are still extant, that seems
as if it was a chapel of ease, that had a glebe of about one acre annexed
to it.
Doonagore
and Doonmacfeilim Castles
In the western part of this parish are two castles, Doonagore and Doonmacfeilim.
Doon and Lis are, in the Irish language, synonimous terms, and signify
places of safety; but, in the present instance, Doon appears to signify
domain, as well as a place of security: in that sense, the castle of Doonagore
signifies, the castle on the domain of Gore. It was known by some other
name before the Reformation, for it was some time after that period, that
Mr. Gore settled in this country: his descendant, Francis Gore, of Mountshannon,
was attainted by King James’s Parliament in the year 1689, but was
soon after restored by King William to Mountshannon and the rest of his
estates in this county. From him the present Francis Gore, a lawyer of
eminence at the bar, is lineally descended. The castle of Doonmacfeilim
signifies also, the castle on the domain of McFeilim, that is, of the
son of Pheilim, whose surname was O’Connor.
Balynalakin
Castle
In the eastern part of this parish is another castle Balynalackin, derived
from the Irish word ‘bally’, which signifies townland, and
‘lakin’ rocky. This is built on a rock, for the most part
impregnable, and appears to have been inhabited at a much later period
than any of the rest. The stairs inside are perfect, and there are still
extant in it, four chimney pieces of stone tolerably well executed. This
castle is about two miles distant from the castle of Doonmacfeilim, and
about three from Doonagore. It lies about a mile inland from the sea:
the other two, which are almost due-west of this, are not far from the
sea.
Thample
na Spanigg
In the parish of Kileilagh is a burying-place called Taumple na Spanigg,
that is, ‘the burial-place of the Spaniards,’ opposite to
the islands of Arran, and nearly due-south of them. Taumple na Spanigg
is an Irish word, derived from ‘taumple’, temple (but generally
applied to a burying-place), and ‘na spanigg’, of the Spaniards.
Spanish Armada
Between Spanish-point and this Taumple na Spanigg, there was a great part
of the famous Spanish armada wrecked, and all that were on board those
ships that were forced by the tempest into the parish of Kileilagh, were
buried in this spot, ever since called Taumple na Spanigg. There was an
oak table on board one of those ships, probably the Admiral’s, of
curious workmanship, particularly the legs and claws of it. It was given
by Boetius Clanchy, the then inheritor of the place, to Connor O’Brien,
his brother-in-law, and is now in high preservation in the hall of Dromoland
House, the seat of Sir Edward O’Brien, who is lineally descended
from the said Connor.
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to Union of Kilmanaheen, Kilasbuglenane, Kilmacreehy, Kileilagh and Kilmoon
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