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

Parish of Kilmacreehy (b)

There is an old and extensive burying ground in the Townland of Kileaspuglinnane, from which the Townland takes its name. The name would imply that this was the seat of a Bishop, and even the Annals of the Four Masters call it Cill-Easbaig Lonain, or the Church of Bishop Lonan, but still we have no Bishop of that name in the Irish Calendar, nor any Saint of the name mentioned in connexion with this locality. ^[1] They remember that a day was kept holy for him here formerly, but what particular day it was nobody now recollects. There is a holy well named after Bishop Lonan a little to the south-east of the burying ground, at which Stations continue still to be performed.

A party of O’Donnell’s marauders made this their route from Ennistymon to Kilfenora in the year 1599, as may be seen from the Annals of the Four Masters.

There is a small burying place for children in the Townland of Kilconnell, from which the Townland takes its name.

There is a small burying place for children called Ard-Chill, the High Church, in the Townland of Derreen situated in a field on the south side of the road leading from Saint Bridget’s Well to Moher.

There is a holy well in the Townland of Derreen dedicated to Saint Bridget, the Patroness of Kildare, having the following inscription in modern characters on a stone over it:-

Saint Bridget V. Abbess and Patroness of Ireland, lived in a cell which she built under an oak, thence called Kill-Dara or Cell of the Oak. Her Festival is celebrated on the 1st day of February every year.
This well is still much frequented by devotees and diseased persons and the Patron formerly held at Le-Hinch was, many years ago, transferred thither and still continues to be held on its former day, namely, Domhnach-Chrom-Dubh, i.e., the first Sunday in August. This well is popularly called Dabhach-Bhrighde, i.e., Bridget’s Keeve or Vat.

The old ruined Castle of the O’Conors of Corcomroe, commonly called Caislean-na-Duimhche, i.e., the Castle of the Sand Hill, stands at the mouth of the River Eidhneach, about two miles below Ennistimon. The west side of it only remains, to a considerable height, exhibiting a great number of windows and bearing more the appearance of a manor built for ease and domestic accommodation than for defence.

The following reference to this place is from the Annals of the Four Masters:-

A.D. 1422. Rory (the son of Conor) O’Conor, Lord of Corcomroe, was slain in his own Town of Caislean-na-Dumhcha (q. Duimhche) by his own kinsmen, viz., the sons of Felim O’Conor.

It may be fairly inferred from the above passage that the Castle of Dumhach was the permanent residence of O’Conor, the Chief of Corcomroe. It appears from the same authority that at a Parliament held at Ennis in this County in the year 1585, the revenue and Mansion of Corcomroe were granted to Torlogh, the son of Donall, who was son of Conor O’Brien. They shew the site of an old Castle in the Townland of Tullamore and another in the Townland of Polladonneen. There is a ruined castle and a mansion house attached to it, in the Townland of Liscannor, supposed to have formerly belonged to the O’Conors of Corcomroe. The Castle measures thirty two feet in length and thirteen feet eight inches in breadth out and out, and stands to about the height of sixty five feet. The dwelling house projects to the west from it and measures thirty feet seven inches in length and twenty eight feet in breadth, the walls about sixty feet high and five feet thick. It has fourteen loopholes and eleven narrow windows, two of them built up with cut stones and in the pointed style. The door of the Castle was on the north east side but it is now closed up, and the communication with the house was through it.