Cranny (An Chrannaigh)
Guy's
Directory 1893
Cranny
Virtual Library
ITA
Survey 1942/3
| Cranny, according
to tradition, took its name from a bridge of three trunks across
theCloon river known as Crownee Bridge. The pronunciation gradually
changed to Cranny over the years. Other accounts say it was called
after an edible sea plant, creathnach, that was distributed as food
near the bridge during famine times or that plants resembling creathnach
grew near the bridge giving it the name of Droichead na Creathnaighe.
Whatever its origin the name Cranny is now established despite the
fact that there is no townland called Cranny and no such address
is listed in the modern voting register. The area around is Carrowreagh
although the official Irish name for Cranny is An Chrannaigh and
not An Chrannach as in former days. |
|
The Cloon River descends within the parish from a height of 212 feet and flows into Clonderlaw Bay. This river is typical of West of Ireland acid streams. The quality of fish in any water depends almost exclusively on its flora and fauna, which in turn depends on whether the water is alkaline or acid. The Cloon holds a big stock of small brown trout and the occasional sea-trout or salmon. Fresh-water mussels of three to four inches are also found in this river.
 Coolmeen National School |
Coolmeen takes its name from Cul Min, the corner of a field. In 1837 Samuel Lewis reported that "the Chapel at Coolmeen is a large building of recent erection; and at Cranny bridge, on the border of the parish, is another. About 60 boys are educated in a school, partly free, under the superintendence of the R.C. clergyman; and there are four private schools, in which are about 210 children. A school-house is about to be built at Coulmeen by subscription. There are some ruins of the old church." |
St. Senan's Well is in the townland of Erribul. A grotto to Our Lady was erected in Coolmeen in 1963 and another one in Shessive in 1975. The highest point in the parish is at Coolin near Coolmeen. This is 327 feet over sea-level. The lakes of the parish are of no interest for anglers although botanists may be interested in Derrygeeha.
Peadar Clancy was born in Cranny in 1894.
Cranny Creamery, now demolished, was built in 1931 and officially opened in 1932. It was located two miles south of the Ennis-Kilrush road. Its first manager was Ned Hynes.
Cranny Rural Renewal Project was set up in 1997 in an effort to reverse the trend of depopulation and migration and to revitalise the area.