Clare County Library
Clare History
Home | Search Library Catalogue | Foto: Clare Photo Collection | Search this Website | Copyright Notice

Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839

Parish of Clondagad (b)

About half a furlong northwest of the Church is a fine waterfall, about twenty feet in height, on the river, which is here called after the name of the Church, and near this fall on the south side of the river is a little recess in the cliff which the people call by the name of Sgreavan’s Bed, where they say he was in the habit of sleeping. There is a handsome ash tree growing immediately over it from the face of the cliff. On the opposite side of the river are three small wells in the rock, called collectively Tobar-Sgreavain, the (Holy) Well of St. Sgreavain, at which, and at the Bed, Stations still continue to be performed for the cure of sore eyes and protection against the fairies.

The 10th of September is still kept a holy day in the Parish in honour of St. Sgreabhan, and a Patron was held at his Well on that day until within the last thirty years it was discontinued.

There is a small burying ground for children called Fiadh-an-Eich, i.e., the Land of the Horse, in the Townland of Gort-Ui-Ghoithin.

There is a Holy Well in the Townland of Tobar-an-Fhiodain, from which the Townland takes its name and which means nothing more than the Well of the Stream.

There are no devotions performed at it and I don’t believe it ever had any claim to sanctity. There is a little burial place for children in the same Townland called Cille-Fiddain.

There is another small burial ground in the Townland of Lisheen called Cille-Aodha or the Church of Hugh.

The Island of Inis-Mor, at the mouth of the River Fergus in this Parish, is likely to be that mentioned in the Life of St. Senanus of Inis-Cathaigh, and on which it is stated he erected a Monastery over which it appears he placed Sedonius, a Bishop.

It is also stated in the same place that another of the disciples of Senanus caused a spring well to spring up on the same Island and near the Monastery, which after him was called Tober-Libern, i.e., the Well of St. Liberius - A.A. S.S. p.533, Col.2, C.24.

Of the Monastery above referred to there remains not a vestige now on the Island of Inis-Mor, nor is the Well nor anything relative to either remembered on it.

The east gable and parts of the side walls of a very modern Church remain still on the Island, retaining no architectural feature, the window in the gable being reduced to a large breach.

Two modern graves a little distance to the east of the east end is all that remains of a burying ground if ever there was one here. The islanders hold the place in no veneration.

The Castles of Craig-Brien and Beal-Ath-Corick mentioned in MS. T.C.D., E.2., 14, were situated in the Townlands of the same names in this Parish. The former, of which a stone does not now remain, was possessed by Mc Gylereogh, and the latter, of which the lower storey only remains, by Teige Mc Conor (O’Brien).

A Townland in this Parish called Craig-Ui-Chiar Dhubhain is set down in Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1600 as the lower part of the Cantred of the Islands.

 

Previous

Main

Next