About one hundred yards to the northeast
of this Church is a Holy Well dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.
It is surrounded by a wall four feet in height and two feet six inches
in thickness, which looks older than any part of the Church.
In the Townland of Kiltoomper in this Parish there is another Holy
Well dedicated to the King of the Sabbath called Tobar Righ an Domhnaigh,
at which Stations
are performed on every Sunday.
In the Lake of Knockalough in this
Parish, is the ruin of the Castle of Turlogh Roe Mac Mahon mentioned in
the Irish Deed above given. He is well-known by tradition as:-
Toirdhealbhach Ruadh an fheill agus an éithigh
A mharbh a bhean is a leanbh a n-éinfheachth.
I cannot find any Castle in Mac Mahon’s Country
called Knockalough mentioned in the College List, and am inclined to
suppose that this Castle
had originally another name.
The castles mentioned in the list as in the Barony of Clonderalaw are
:-
1. Dangan Myburke inhabited by Tege Mac Mahon.
2. Cloynetheralla, now Clonderalaw - the same.
3. Cahercon (sic hodie) - the same.
4. Ballymacollman (sic hodie) - the same.
5. Coroberighane, hodié Cruaghbieghane - Tege Mc Conor O’Brien.
6. Dunegrock, hodié Doonnagurroge - Tege Mc Moriertagh Cam.
7. Derecrossan ? in Kilmihil, but not in Name Book.
All these places are well known excepting Dangan Myburke, which is unknown,
unless it be Knockalough.
In the Townland of Killathoomper
in this Parish, is a grave called by the natives a Giant’s Grave.
Tradition says that Thoomper was a Danish Chief who was pursued by the
Dalcassians from Cahermurroghoo and killed on this spot, where they buried
him.
About half a mile southwest of the Church of Kilmihil, on a piece of
land called Termnroe, are two standing stones called Liagauns. They
are seven feet four
inches high and exhibit no ornament whatever. A small piece of land is, out
of veneration for the spot, left uncultivated around them, though they are
situated in the middle of a cultivated field.
In this Parish is situated the Townland of Cathair Murchadha, now Cahermurphy,
which is mentioned in the Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1600:-
O’Donnell’s people traversed, burned and
plundered the district from Craig Ui Chiardubhain in the lower part of
the Territory of the
Islands (now the Barony of Islands) to Cathair Murchadha in West (East)
Corca Baiscinn, and as far as the gates of Kilmurry and the Town of Rush
(now Kilrush). |
