GENEALOGY
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Vol. II.
No. I.
JOURNAL OF THE COUNTY LOUTH ARCH^OLOGICAL SOCIETY. . . .
ESTABLISHED I903.
DUNDALK AND DrOGHEI>A
Printed by William Tempest, Dundalgan Press 1908.
1f 6|\-t)ui'6e 'n x:-A\^X)A\\^ Ann 'f^n lipogrhAf
O fAotAi[\ feAn-^AO'OAl Ann 50 leo]A.
Dan Lynch.
BINDING VOLUME I.
The Publisher has prepared a special doth cover, printed urith the front design of the Journal in two colours and titled on the hack, in which members may have their four numbers of the Journal, which form Volume I., bound.
The price of cover and binding is 2/6, postage extra, and mem- bers requiring this done are asked to send their four numbers to the Publisher. Cover alone, 1/-
CONTENTS.
Page.
Annual Meeting .. .. .. .. ■ .. .. 5
Richard FitzRalph of Dundalk— Rev. James MacCaffrey, Ph. D. .. 5-13
Footsteps of St. Feighin in Louth, by Rev. T. Gogarty, C.C. ' .. ... 14-18
Interesting Drogheda Inscription by Rev. T. Gogarty, C.C. .. ' .. 19-20
Faughan and Proleek, by "Enda" ... .. .. 21-23
Bibliography of Louth, Meath, Westmeath, and Longford, by J. Coleman, Qork 24-26
KiLLAiNE IN Slieve Breagh, by "Enda" .. .. .. 27-28
Place Names in County Louth, by Major-General Stubbs .. .. 29-39
Holy Wells in County Louth, by Major-General Stubbs .. .. 40
Wells Bearing Irish Names in County Louth, by Major-General Stubbs .. 40
Motes and their Origin, by Henry Morris .. .. .. .. 41-44
The Byrnes of County Louth, by Patrick Kirwan .. .. .. 45-49
Origin of Irish Motes, by Goddard H. Orpen .. .. .. 50-56
O'Hanlon Tomb and Arms in Newtown, Lordship, by SeumAf Ua Cuinn .. 57-61
Redmond Count O'Hanlon's Pedigree .. .. .. .. 61
Carolaniana, by Rev. L. Donnellan, C.C. .. .. .. .. 62-71
Note by Standish O'Grady .. .. . .. .. 71
Danish Louth, by tojicAn p. Ua muijieA-oAij . . . . . . . . 72-77
Words and Music of Citle CiieAjAn, by L.D. and J.Q. .. .. 78-82
Two Memorial Wayside Crosses— Taaffes and MacMahons— by SeumAf Ua Ctiinn 83-84 LouTHiANA : Ancient and Modern —
Mount Ash, by M.W. .. .. .. .. .. 85
Rathdrumin, by S. Ua C. .. .. .. .. .. 86
Raskeagh, by H.G.T. .. .. .. .. .. 88-89
Notes and Queries — Place Names in County Louth — Evettstown — Ballinlough . . 89 Visit of the Royal Society of Antiquaries to County Louth —
Address from the Dundalk Urban Council . . . . . . . . 90
Address from the Louth Archaeological Society .. .. .. 91-92
Itinerary of the Excursions, &c., by T. Murphy .. .. .. 92-96
Reviews : — Journal of the R.S.A., 96— Waterford Archaeological Journal, 97 — Kildare Archaeological Journal, 97 — Journal of the Ivernia Society, 97 — Cloic-ceAnn-pAolAix), 97 — History of Kilsaran, 98 — Report of Presbyterian Historical Society, 98 — Architectural and Topographical Record, 99
Notes and Jottings .. .. .. .. '. .. 99-100
Presentation to Mr. Henry Morris .. .. .. .. 101-102
Appendix :— Objects, Constitution and Rules .. .. .. .. 103
List of Members . . . . . . • . . • 104-7
Officers .. .. .. .. .. .. 104
Council .. .. .. .. .. 104
LlSr Ol' lIJ.lJSTKA'riONS.
C.Koui' AT Caki iN(iKoKi) OK R. S.A.I .. .. .. .. I-'rontispiece.
Intkui'-.stinc; DuofiiiKDA Insckii'TIon — Sketch of Stone and Rubbing of
Inscription .. .. .. .. To face page 20
PiKAi i'. HvRNii's Castle (Castletown Mount) .. .. .. ,, 45
Miniatures of Patrick Byrne and John Byrne .. .. .. ,, ,, 49
Portrait of Carolan the Irish I^ard .. .. .. .. ,, ,, 64
Music of tilLe CueAx^Ati .. .. .. .. .. ,. ,, 80
Illustration of the Taaffe and MacMahon Crosses .. .. ,, ,, 84
Louthiana ; Ancient and Modern — Mount Ash :
View and Ichnography in 1748 .. ,. .. ,, 85
Plan and View in 1908 .. . .. 87
Rathdritmin : ■ '
Plan and Section in 1748 .. .. .. .. ,, ,, 86
Plan in 1908 .. .. ., .. .. ,. 87
Rasskeogh :
Ichnography of same in 1748 .. .. ,, ,, 88
View in 1748 .. .. .. .. .. ,, ,, 89
Plan and View in 1908 .. .. .. ., ,, 87
Snapshots of the R.S A. Excursion .. .. 02
JOURNAL 0^ THE COUNTY LOUTil
ARCH.TOLOGICAL
SOCI ET Y
No. I. SEPTEMBER, 1908. Vol. 11.
ANNUAL MEETING
RICHARD FiTZRAIvPH OF DUNDAI.K. By Rev. James MacCaffrey, Ph. D.
The Annual General Meeting of the County Louth Archaeological Society was held on Wednesday evening, 15th January, 1908, in the Free Library, Dundalk, before a large and appreciative audience, — Mrs. C. S. Whitworth, Vice-President, occu])i(.(l the chair.
Dr. MacCaffrey came forward, and in the course of a very interesting address said — I feel it an honour, as it is indeed to me a real pleasure, to be present to-night. The Louth Archaeological Society though young in years has already more than justified the most sanguine hopes of its organizers. By its publications, discussions, lectures, and excursions, it has already done much for the elucidation of the history and archaeology of the county and district, and even now Louth can boast that tliey have in their midst a Society, which, judged by whatever standard one may care to apply, is fully equal to anything of its kind in Ireland.
Nor is it strange that this should be so. Louth can boast of pecuHar historical associations which must ever awaken the interest of Irishmen, and claim the attention of all who are interested in the story of our country. Its legends, its historic tak-s, its monuments, its place-names, the records of the deeds done within its borders, and of the deeds done by Louthmen far beyond its borders, must always prove a fascinating subject for Irishmen, and particularly for Louthmen. Recalling as these associations do the story of the civilization and culture of Celtic Ireland long before Christianity had begun to influence the history of our country, bringing back to onr
B
6
ANNIIAI. .\|)I)lvl':SS.
minds the l.ihoiiis and | )i laclii ii;-, ol St. Tatiuk and of his laitliliil disciple .S( . Mochta, tlir I >,imsli asioiis, llic piiiK clN iininiriciicc ol the and tlic Xornian alike,
Ihf I, ltd s()iii;s ol wai and hloodshcd winc h has i^ivcn the I'.oyiic suth a ])r()niinent plarc Ml oni histoix , thc\- an' sniruMent to make the historv ol I.outli in a ccrtiiin sense t hi- nnnat ni e histoi N' (>! 1 1 i lanth
It is ni\- puij)ose to sjjcak to >'on lo-ni^lit on the hie of a man whose ability, leainmi; and inlhiencc- ha\-e been justly a])preeiated lon^ since hy students of Middle Am- histoiN- in (ierniaiiy, luij^^land and America, while here in Ireland, the land of his hirth, and (he scene of his actix'c and restless career, his name is almost unknown — I mean Richard lMt/.ral])h, the distinguished Archl)ish()]) of Armaj^h.
It is s{)ecially fitting that, this subject should be dealt with at a meeting of the bouth Archaeological vSociety assend:)le(l at Dundalk. For it was here, in this very town, according to the most reliable authorities, that he was born ; it was from this place he has taken the name by which he is best known to students of histor}', Richard of Dundalk ; it was in this diocese of Armagh that he exercised his functions as Archbishop, and in the district, Dundalk, Drogheda and Trim he preached those Sermons which remain to the present day models of pulpit oratory ; it was here in Dundalk, after his death in exile, that his remains were reverently transported by De \'alle, the bishop of Meath, and laid to rest in the old church of St. Nicholas ; atid it was round the tomb that the faithful people amongst whom he had laboured, and who knew him best, flocked in loving pilgrimage, and where the popular verdict had already accorded him a place in the Calendar of vSaints, for here, as the old r7th century rhyme expresses it, it used to be said :
Many a mile have I gone. And many did 1 walk. But never saw a holier man Than Richard of Dundallv.i
It is nowadays generally accepted that Richard Fitzralph was born in Dundalk. It is true that some writers, relying on the authority of Prince, ^ here put forward the view that he was born in Devon, but the arguments in favour of Dundalk are so conclusive that we may safely neglect the probabilities which are urged in favour of Devon. In the first place, it is absolutely certain that one branch of the faniih' of Fitzralph was settled in Ireland in the thirteenth century when Richard Fitzralph was born ; while, in the second place, the very name by which he was known amongst his contemporaries — Richard of Dundalk — points to the fact that Dundalk was his birthplace, for, as is well known, it was the custom of the time, to call a man by the name of the town or district, in which he was born.
This view is borne out by the distinct statements to that effect found in such reliable authorities as the Chronicun Angliae,^ the Annals of Ireland,-^ the Cartiilariiirn of St. Mary's, Dublin,^ and the Annales Minorum^oi lyuke Wadding.
1. Prince, Worthies of Devon, p. 367. ,
2. Idem I.e., p. 3G-i ff.
3. P. 48.
4. Ad annurh 1337. ^ /: . .
5. Gilbert II., pp. 487-8. . t .
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.l-OLOGICAL JOUF^NAL
7
It is, indeed, admitted that the tradition in favour of Dinidalk as the l)irthy)Lace '>f Fitzralph is almost miiversal ; and. therefore, against such a trachtion \ ery striking arguments should be advanced before it ought to be abandoned.
Now what are the arguments put forward by Prince and by those who su])])ort the claims of Devon ? They are principally the facts that the Fit/.ralphs were settled at Devon, that Fitzralph himself was educated at Oxford, that he was Connnissp.iy or Chancellor of the University, that he held the Archdeaconry of Lichlield, and. finally, that in his controversy with the Mendicant Friars he was supported ])riuci- palh" b}^ the bishops of England.
Xow these statements, though they may seem to point to a close connexion with England, must appear of little value to anyone acquainted with the state of affairs in England and Ireland at the period at which Fitzralph was born. I ha\ e already pointed out that besides the Devonshire branch of the family of Fitzral])h there was certainly another part of the family settled in Ireland in the thirteenth century,^ and therefore the connexion of the family with Devon does not militate against Dundalk as the birthplace of the future archbishop.
That he was educated at Oxford we freely admit. But how does that pro\ e that he was born in England ? A glance at the records of Oxford I^niversity at this time is sufficient to prove that many of our Irish students flocked there for their education ; and we can point to the names of several distinguished Irishmen wlio were at that time resident in its walls. Indeed, some of the older writers refer to the fact that it was customary for Irish students to go to Oxford, and it is this \ ery reason which is advanced in Papal documents as an argument for the necessity of founding a University in Dublin. ^ Since, then, it was customary for Irish students to pursue their studies at Oxford, the fact that Fitzralph had been a student there, and afterwards a high official of the University, can hardly be accepted as a sufficieiit proof that he was born in England.
Nor is it strange that though an Irishman he should hold a benefice in England. Anyone who will take the trouble of examining the Papal Registers^ for the period will find many examples of Irishmen holding benefices in England, just as he will find many Englishmen or Italians holding benefices in Ireland. Nor is it difficult to understand why P'itzralph should have been so strongly supported by the Ivnglisli bishops in his controversy with the Mendicant P'riars, since it was in England the grievances alleged against the Friars were most pressing, and P'itzralph on account of his associations and well recognised ability was regarded as the spokesman of tl:e hierarchy in the British Islands.
Fitzralph was born about the end of the thirteenth century, and was sent to make his studies at Oxford. The University was then a busy centre of intellectu;il life. The Humanist movement had already begun to make its inlluence felt, while in philosophical and theological departments a sharp divergence of opinion on many points led to warm discussions between the professors and the supj)orters of the rival
1. I. E. R. Vol. I., p. 487.
2. Theiner's Monunienta.
'A. Papal Register^i (StaU^ Paper Scries).
8 ann(;ai. /\I)1)[<i:ss.
pioffssors ;iiii()ii.L;st tin- studciils. 'iMic |)liil()S()])liic- tluorics that had ht'cn rcMhiccd to a drlmitc svstciii h\- St. Thomas, vvcac not then uni\'ersally accci)ted at Oxford. 'Piu- Rcahsts, as the supporters of St. 'I'hoiuas were callcfl, were warmly ()pl)Osed h\ thi' Nomiiiahsts, tlic system ^eiierall\' favoured by the iMauciscaiis.
Nor was this (hspute a mere war of words as is often assumed and stated by th(Ki- wlio ha\'e ne\'er taken the troul)le of examinin^^ for themselves the works of a sinule Middle A^e philos()])her. It involved what must be for every educated man tlie ei-ntral ({ueslion of all phil()S()])hy namely, the value of human knowledge ; ami it was in substance the \'ery (piestion which is ))eing so warmly discussed to- dav in the Universities of the world. The ])hiloso])hers of the Middle Age may h.ue been right or wrong, but one thing, at least, deserves to be recorded in their ta\-our, and that is the fact that they grappled with the essential difiiculties, and the\' endeavoured to give a consistent answer, and a consistent system.
iMt/.ralph, young and ardent as he was, naturally revelled in such a conflict. He threw himself into the controversy on the side of the ReaHsts, and this early opposition to the Franciscan party may account in some measure for his subsequent attitude towards that body. He graduated at Oxford first as a Master of Arts, and afterwards as. a Doctor of Theology. His career at Oxford did not end with his student days. He became a professor there, and as an old writer puts it, he was so versed in theology and the laws that the whole University flocked to his lectures as bees to a hive. ^
Uater on, in the year 1333, he was appointed Chancellor of Oxford, though Wood claims that the records mention his name only as Commissarius or Vice-Chan- cellor. This apparent discrepancy can be explained b}- the fact that the Chancellor of the University had been before this time usualh^ appointed by the Bishop of Lincoln, within whose jurisdiction the University was situated. But in the four- teenth century a movement had been on foot to secure that the Chancellor should be an academical and not an episcopal official. ^ The period was therefore a period of confusion between the two styles ; and it is, therefore, quite intelligible that though Fitzralph had been appointed Chancellor of the University by the bishop his name might appear on the records of Oxford only as Commissarius or Vice- Chancellor. It is certain, at any rate, that in the year 1333 Fitzralph was appointed Chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln, ^ and later, Dean of Lichfield. *
The vSee of Armagh became vacant about the year 1346, and Fitzralph was selected by the unanimous vote of the Chapter of Armagh, and confirmed as Arch- bishop by Benedict XII. ^ He was consecrated at Exeter on 13th July, 1347, ^^^^ in the same year he received the pallium from the hands of the bishops of Ardagh and Cloyne who had been deputed by the Pope.
The time of the appointment of Fitzralph to Armagh was a troubled one in the religious and political world. In politics the Imperial views that had dominated
1. Leland. Comm. de Script. Britt., p. 372.
2. Rashdall Universitie.? of Europe II., Part II., p. 3C)4ff.
3. Fasti Ecclesiae Anglicanae I., p. oGl.
4. Anglia Saera I. 443. Theiner Monumenta, p. 288.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH/EOLOGICAL JOURNAL
9
the statesmen of the i\Iiddle Ages were fast disa])pearing, and were being rephiced by the spirit of NationaHsm. The pohtical power of the Popes, which had reached its highest point at the beginning of the thirteenth century under Innocent III. was rapidly on the wane, especially since the days of Boniface \''III. A spirit of scepticism and of opposition to current philosophical and theological views had already begun to threaten the religious unity of the western world, and e\en to question the very foundations on which the Christian SA'stem was hitherto supposed to have been based. The intercourse with the Saracens and the Jews brought about by the Crusading movements had exercised a dangerous influence upon many of the European centres of learning ; and able defenders were required if the traditional philosophical and theological views were to be maintained.
It was in these difficult times that Richard Fitzralph received his appointment as Archbishop of Armagh. The Papal Brief declared him to be a man of prudence and foresight in temporal as well as spiritual matters, a description which was justi- fied by his subsequent career as Archbishop.
Before his appointment to Armagh he had been specially remarkable as a preacher, and during the time he held the Archbishopric he preached often at Drogheda, Dundalk, Trim and London, and with such success that while he was on a visit to the Popes at Avignon in 1349 was selected to preach Ijefore the Papal Court. The manuscripts of his sermons are happily preserved in the Libraries of Oxford, Cambridge, Trinity College, Dublin, and the British ]\Iuseum. It is to be hoped that a day may come when they shall be given to the public. Most of the sermons are written on the same plan, and though like the generality of discourses at the time, a little too scholastic in form, yet they are never merely cold intellectual arguments, but full of life and spiritual unction.
With his work as Archbishop of Armagh this is not the place to deal ; but there is one point which may well be touched upon. You are already aware that since the da^'S of John Comyn, the first Norman Archbishop of Dublin, a dispute had been going between that See and Armagh regarding the Primatial rights in the Irish Church. The Archbishop of Armagh naturally claimed the Priniac}' as the successor of St. Patrick ; while Dublin, having become the capital of the country, and the seat of government since the Norman Invasion, its Archliishop was unwilling to re- cognise the spiritual supremacy of Armagh. Popes and Kings had intervened on different occasions, at one time in favour of Armagh, at another in fa\-()ur of Dublin, but still no definite settlement had been effected.
During the reign of Fitzralph as Archbishop the dis]nUe l)r()ke out once more, this time with De Becknon, the archbishop of Dublin. In 1349 I'-dward III. sided with Fitzralph, but in the next year he changed his attitude and forbade iMtzralj)!! to exercise Primatial rights within the confines of the See of Dublin. The King also appealed to the Pope at Avignon to uphold this prohibition. Hut I-it/ralph was not daunted by such powerful opposition. He continued to exercise what he l)elie\ e(l to have been his rights, and the case was carried to Avignon for an authoritati\ e decision. Apparently no definite judgment was gi\en, for the dispute continued to rage for centuries afterwards, but it is curious that in .Mien, arehliisho]) ot
TO
ANNliAI. ADDKI'.SS.
Duhliii, stairs tli.it hr toiiiKl a li-ttcr of Innocent VI. in Konic wliich decided that the ai( Iihishoj) of AiniaKli shnnhl he styled the Triniate of All Ireland, while th(> ai(hl)ishoi) ot Duhlm should hear the title of Primate of Irelan(h Whatever ahont till- authent ieit \' of this letter and its authentic ity is not above suspicion — this is the oiiKin of tin- pieseiit titles of the arc-hhishops of Armagh and I)ul)lin.i
It is sometimes said that I'it/rali)h was ai)])ointed a Cardinal, and that he has the honour of heini; the first Cardinal in the See of Armagh. The authority for this statcMtient is an Italian wiiler named Volterra,^ and until com])aratively recent times his statements were not supi)orted by any other evidence. But since the publi- cation of Theiner's M oiiujiicufd ^ a new argument for this view has been found in the sha])e of a consistorial process relating to the diocese of Ardagh in the year 1517, in whicli Richard, the Cardinal archbishop of Armagh, is referred to as one of the glories of the Irish Church.
rnfortunately, however, in spite of these statements, we can hardly hope to sustain the claim of Fitzralph to the title of Cardinal. The very complete record of the College of Cardinals drawn up by Pauvinio and Ciaconnius in which no reference is made to Fitzralph, the absence of all reference to such an appointment in the other able works of the College of Cardinals, and especially the fact that in all the Papal documents of the period he is never once spoken of as Cardinal, make it clear that Volterra must have been mistaken. Nor is the additional testimony of the docu- ment given by Theiner of any weight with anyone who has examined the subject, as the portion of it referring to Fitzralph is a mere quotation from the book of Volterra. Hence it is of no more authority than the source from which it was borrowed.
Fitzralph, as I shall point out later on, was one of the most distinguished Scripture scholars of his age. He was selected by the Pope as the exponent of the position of the Western Church in its controversies with the Armenians, and as these rejected most of the arguments adduced from authority he was forced to rely mainly upon scriptural proofs, and in this sense he may be said to have initiated an entirely new style of conducting religious controversy. No man since his time has displayed a more complete and ready acquaintance with the Scriptures, the Old Testament as well as the New, as did Fitzralph, and no man more clearly recognised that in the changed circumstances of the time recourse must be had to new methods and lines of defence. It was he, too, who first amongst Scripture commentators strongly emphasised the view that the Holy Ghost did not shape the expression of the in- spired writer, but that the Divine assistance merely guaranteed the substance of the sacred volumes.
In connexion with his work on Scripture it has been often stated that Fitzralph translated the Bible into Irish. Fox, in his Acts and Monuments,^ testifies to the existence of the Irish translation, and adds that many Englishmen who were then alive had seen it. Bale also supports this view. It is said that Fitzralph had it
1. Wilkin's Curcilia IV., p. 81ff. J. E. P. III. Series . X, p. 422. IV. Series, VIII., p. 183.
2. Comment Urban lib. 3.
3. p. 521.
•4. Kaulen Geschichte der Vulgata, p. 294. 5. II. 766.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.l-OLOGICAL JOURNAL.
attached to one of the walls of his church with the inscription : " ao)! hie Ii'hrr in- ventus fuerit Veritas toti mundo maiiifesfahitur vel Christus orJn noti apparchil '"^ and that when some repairs were being made in the church in 1530 this Irish xcrsion was discovered.
In the absence, however, of any reliable confirmation of this story, and in view of the fact that the translation of it ever existed nuist ha\-e (juickly and c()ni])leteh' disappeared, it is difficult to maintain that Fitzralph translated the Bible into Irish. The authorities for the story are not such as we could safeh' rely upon ; and. besides, it would be exceedingly strange that while so many of P'itzralph's works have been so carefully preserved his Irish version which would ha\'e been the most important of all should have completely disappeared, and have been forgotten.
During his period as archbishop he did his best, to maintain peace between the Irish and Norman settlers. In 1348^ he received from the king full powers to make peace between the English and Irish, and later still, in 1355, when he was engaged on his archepiscopal visitation in the diocese of Meath, he was suddenly recalled to Dundalk by order of Edward III. in order to treat for terms with O'Neill, who was then advancing on Dundalk with a large force.
In his visits to Avignon the learning and ability of Fitzralph attracted the favourable notice of the Pope, who was then engaged in an attempt to effect a re- union between the Eastern and Western Churches. Two distinguished Armenian prelates, Nerses of Melasgerd and John elect of Khilat, were at that time at Avignon, and Fitzralph was selected to confer with them, and to place before them the views of the Western Church. ^ As the results showed, no better selection could have been made. He entered into a full discussion on all the points of difference between the two churches, and in connexion with this discussion he wrote his famous work, which is usually cited by title of the first book, " Summa de erroribus Armenorum." This work of Fitzralph's remains a standard authority on the subject till the present day. It covers the whole range of controversy with the Eastern sects ; and, besides, furnishes a notable defence of Christianity against the attacks of Jews and Mahom- medans. It may seem strange that Fitzralph should have devoted so much attention to this subject, but anyone acquainted with the influence exercised in Christian centres of thought during the thirteenth century by the Jewish and Arabian ])hih)- sophical literature, cannot be surprised that the archbishop of Armagh should have felt it necessary to attack their position.
But Fitzralph's most serious controversy was with the Mendicant Friars, especially with the Franciscans. The Mendicant Orders that sprang up in the thirteenth century were the natural outcome of the circumstances of their time. The old Feudal ideas had begun to pass away, to be replaced by a more democratic spirit. The Church had become deeply involved in the Feudal system, and. as a consequence, its influence with the lower classes was considerably endangered. The sectaries of the period were not slow to utilise their advantage ; and to meet tliem,
L Fox. I.e. 766.
2. U.ssher's Works XIL Mr,.
3. Ed. IIL, CI. R. 29-30.
4. Pat 29 Ed. in.
5. Bellesheim gesch. der Kirrhe in Irland. I .")ir).
6. Edited by John Sudoris. and pul)lish('(i in Paris. l.')M.
ANNUM, AI)I)K1:SS.
it was tclt tliat a hods' of ck'rj^> iiK ii were ic(niiie(l who would he as poor as their ciitiis, who woidd hdxmr amongst the ])f()])le, and (k'i)end for llicir existence on the charity of the faithfuh This led to tlie estahlislinient of the Mendicant Orders. The 1m aiiciscans, accordinjj; to the will of their founder, were to have no property in lands or houses ; their only suj)])()rt should be the alms of the people amongst whom they laboured.
With the disa})pearance of the circumstances which had called the Mendicant Orders into existence, the principles which underlay the rules of their order, especially the ])rincii)le of poverty, were questioned by clever opponents. The fact that in many j)laces, in the University as well as in the pulpit, the Mendicants had supplanted the vSecular Clergy tended to increase this opposition. In England the movement was particularly strong, and Fi'tzralph on account of his ability, learning, and position, was looked to as a leader by the opponents of the Mendicants. In 1349 was com- missioned by the Enghsh clergy to bring the matter before the Pope at Avignon. He presented a memorial in 1350, ^ and was urged by one of the Cardinals to under- take a thorough examination of the principles of the Mendicant institutions. This treatise was completed about the year 1353, and is known under the title " De Pauperie Salvatoris." This work consists of seven books, the first four of which were pub- lished by Poole in his edition of Wycliffe's " De Dominio Divino.^ It is evident from a glance at the work that Wycliffe owed many of his ideas to the treatise of Fitzralph, especially his ideas upon the relation between grace and ownership. Ownership, according to him, was founded by divine grace, and the sinner, therefore, lost all title to ownership by his sin.
In 1356 Fitzralph went to lyondon on business, and while there was invited by the opponents of the Mendicants to expound his views on the whole controversy. In response to this invitation he preached a course of seven or eight sermons in English in which are embodied his famous nine conclusions against the poverty of the Mendicant Orders. The Franciscans promptly appealed to the Pope, and Fitzralph was summoned to explain or defend his theories. He went to Avignon in 1357, and gave a long exposition of his views in a work entitled " Defensorium Curaiorum. ' It should be noted that on his arrival at Avignon he made it clear that he did not wish to defend any thesis opposed to the doctrine of the Catholic Church ; and that, though he had attacked the Mendicants, he never desired the total suppression of the Orders, but only that they should be reformed. For three years he remained at Avignon while his case was under discussion, and though no official decision was ever given, the opponents of Fitzralph seem to have triumphed.
In 1360, according to the best authorities, Fitzralph died at Avignon, * though Wadding, m his "Annales Minorum," states that he returned from Avignon and died in Belgium. Ten years later De Valle, bishop of Meath, brought back his re- mains to Dundalk, and deposited them in the old church of St. Nicholas. * The memory of his works and of the sanctity of his life was strong in Dundalk, and the
1. MS. Bodleian Library.
2. London, 1890.
3. Edited, Lyons, 1496. ; also in Goldhast's Monarchia S. Rom. Imp., Frankfort, 1614.
4. Gilbert's Chartularies II. 393. Ware-Harris I. 83.
5. Ussher wrote to Camden, 30th Oct., 1606, that the monument to Fitzralph had been defaced by the soldiers.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.T^OLOCWCA L Jork'XAI..
13
people flocked in pilgrimage to his tomb. He was generally roxered as a saint, and people themselves began to refer to him, as vSt. Richard of Dundalk. Mow.] by the representations made to him from Ireland Boniface IX. appointed a com- mission, the president of which w^as Primate Colton of Armagh, to iiuiiiire into his claims for canonisation. The result of the process is not known, but lMt/.ral])h continued to be regarded as a saint. ^ At a meeting held at Drogheda in 1343 it was ordered that the Feast of St. Richard of Dundalk should be observed on the morrow of SS. John and Paul (27th June).^ As late as the seventeenth ctntnry Paul Harris tells us that Fitzralph was comnionl}^ spoken of as vSt. Richard of 1 )un(lalk ^ Three of his works, " Defensorium Curator U7n," " Dc Paiipcrie Salvaioris." wn X the " Sunima in questionihus Arnienorum " have been published. But the greater part of his writings are still buried in the manuscripts in the Libraries of Oxfor-l, Cambridge, the British Museum, and Trinity College, Dublin. Had Fitzralj^h belonged to any other country his works would long since have been carefully edit el, and his name would have been inscribed on the roll of the national scholars. I,- t us hope that the rise and development of associations such as yours, will do much to remedy the neglect and the labours of our own countrymen.
In a lecture like this I can refer only to the leading events of Fitzral])h's brilliant career. But I have said enough to stimulate your interest in a great Irish- man, one of your own county and your own town. Perhaps some of you may tind time to undertake further investigation of the subject. Fitzralph lived at a critic.il period in the history of the world. The Middle Ages and their ideals were passing away to make room for new developments of thought. It was a time of change and unrest. The old and the new were in deadly conflict. Many brilliant men took part in the transition struggle, but no more remarkable figure appeared, ami no man exercised a greater influence on his own generation than did Richard Fit.:- ralph, Richard of Dundalk.
1. Ware-Harris I. 83.
2. Lives of the Irish Saints I. 528.
3. Admonition to the Fryars of Ireland, pp. 15, 34.
C
14
:T is ralher a strange fact that in neither of the Lives of vSt. Feighin pre- served for us by Colgan is there any expHcit reference to vSt. P'eighin's i connection with the parish of Termonfeckin. Dr. Lanigan on this : account takes no cognizance whatever of the occurrence of the name : Termonfeckin in the County of Ivouth. And the late Canon O'Hanlon : writes^: — "The church of Termonfeckin. in the barony of Ferrard and County of Louth, had been dedicated to this saint, and from him the local denomination had its origin. It means ' The asylum of St. Fechin,' and here the Archbishops of Armagh had a manor. It is unwary antahle to have stated that a monastery was founded here in 665." It is clear therefore that were we to rely solely upon the authority of our most noted hagiographers, that we should have no warranty for connecting St. Feighin w4th the parish of Termonfeckin save the mere fact that a cliurch dedicated to his name existed in former times in this parish. However, traditions of the parish survive to prove that, if St. Feighin did not found a monastery there, he certainly had a personal connection with the parish, that he laboured there and that he raised a foundation of some description there, and that that foundation was at least a church. In 1835 the tradition of St. Feighin's \ isit to Termonfeckin was very vividly remembered. In the Ordnance Survey Letters it is stated that the saint was held to ha\-e at first intended raising his church upon the summit of Castlecoe, but that a raven snatched away his foreman's headgear and dropped it upon the green plot in which the Termonfeckin people bury their dead to this day. It is a singular coincidence that the scholiast in the Lcahhar Breac. who gives an explanation of the meaning of the name Fechin, e [uates it with llloeccA. which Dr. vStokes translates as " my little raven." The tradition just described is not quite so circumstantially remembered now, but it is strong in asserting that vSt. Feighin raised a church within the precincts of the cemetery of Termonfeckin. There is a well quite close to the Bridge of Termon- feckin. which, although it has begun to be unaccountably described as the Pan Well, was always known as St. Feighin's Well, and was called by the old speakers of Irish UobAfA peicm. The pretty valley which lies between the Bridge and the sea used, we are credibly informed, to be known as Feighen valley. All these traditions and others less noteworthy point undoubtedly to vSt. Feighen's personal
1. Vol. I., p. 881.
* We have adopted the present .spelling of the saint's name as it more nearly approaches the Irish pronunciation and because it re[)reyents best the local ])ronunciation of the name in Termonfeckin. We need scarcely sav that St. Feiyhiii of 'I ermonfeckiii i., the j;reat abbot of Fore.
COUNTY LOITH AlU^H.i;OL()(; ICAL lOl'KNAL
15
connection with the place that has taken its name from him. If wc deny tl:e accuracy' of this conclusion, how are we to account for the selection of .St. l'\-ij.^liiii as the patron of the parish ? Why should Donough O'Carrol seven centuries a^o have raised a temple in his honour there ? And that he did exercise his munificence in thus honouring St. Feighin the following excerpt from his ol)ituary notice ])r()\ ts :
" Kalend. Januar. v feria, lun. x. Amio Domini in.c. Ixx. A prayer for Donncliadii (.) Carrol, supreme King of Airgiall, by whom were made the book of Cnoc nan-Apstol at l.oiitli, and the
chief books of the order of the year These are especially the works which he |)( rfoi-nie<l for
the prosperity [of his soul] and reign, in the land of Airghiall — namely. th(> monaslci v of iimnks on trie bank of the Boyne [both as to] stone and wooden furniture and l)ooks. and ti'rritory and hiiid. in wliu li [monastery] there are one hundred monks and three hundreil ceventuals, autl the inondsl<T\- of < aiion.H of Termann Feichin and the monastery of nuns and the great church of TcntKiini F< ichiu and the clmt" h of Lepadh Feichin and the church of . ..." ^
That Donough O'Carrol's church was dedicated to St. Feighin scarcelv necc^s proof ; however, that proof is forthcoming in the following excerpt from I'rimate Swayne's Registry A. d. 1435. "John Bishop of Connor held an ordination in tl.e parish church of St. Feghin of Termonfeghin, - &c."
Moreover, amongst the Ordinances attributed to Archbishop Sweetman it is found that he enjoined upon the clergy of the x\rchdiocese of Armagh the recital i(>n of St. Feighin's office upon his feast day each year. In that order vSt. Feighin s name is bracketed with St. Ronan of Dromiskin, whose intimate personal connection with the Archdiocese of Armagh no one denies. May we not justly argue that Arcl> bishop Sweetman recognized that St. Feighin's claim to this special act of honoi.r on the part of the clergy of Armagh was based upon the fact that he founded a monastery at Termonfeckin as St. Ronan did at Dromiskin. At all events it must be conceded that the clergy of the Archdiocese, guided by more vivid traditions and in touch with more abundant material concerning the acts of St. Feighin than we have access to to-day, recognized that St. Feighin's claim to their special and universal veneration was founded upon better grounds than the mere fact that he had been chosen as the patron of one of their parishes. We hold that they were aware that he had an intimate personal connection with the parish, and that tluy with their Archbishop felt it was their duty to honour him for the labours he had in his lifetime accomplished there. And amongst these labours we must accredit him at least with the foundation that the living traditions of the parish still continue to attribute to him. It remains to be seen whether there is not further reason for the belief that his Termonfeckin foundation was not a more pretentior.s structure than a church.
IvCt us turn for a moment from this question to trace some further connection between St. Feighin and this district of South Louth.
There is detailed in the Second Life, which Colgan assures us was c()mi)ik(l by him from materials which he believed were very ancient indeed, a celebrated incident which seems well authenticated and which occurred at a place not far removed from Termonfeckin. The following is a translation from Colgan's ]-)agcs of the more salient portions of the story :
" Domnald son of Aed, King of Ireland, on a certain day entered the regions of Meath, desire, :s of changing the ancient boundary line which existed between the territories of the two rat es of t lie Ui Neill, and to exchange, measure out, and more equitably divide their })o.s.sessi<)ns. Hence lh«' expedition is termed in Irish ]:loi je^x) An trieic— expedition of the measurement or of the division. This King Domnald was of the stock of the Northern Ui Neill of the race of Connall (Julban. Against him in a place which is called Dromnua. the sons of Aed Slaine of the Southern or .Meatluran Ci Ncill, collected another array. But when they observed that their forces were iniequal in number.s and in strength to these of the King, they had recourse to the prayers and jjatronage of St. Feighin, who was then residing in the territory of Maine, in a place called Tibrada."
1. Vide Petrie's "Round Towers," p. 380. 2. Vide King's " Early History of Primacy of Armagh," p. ")3.
i6
Tui'. i rs'l'F.i's oi' ST. I \ in co. r.ouTii.
St. I c-ij^liiii i)i()l)al>l\ lu'ard their ai)i)('al, and is is related that lie eanie to their assist. iiue and was eii.i;a.i;e(l in miraculously feeding them at Druninua
' v\ lu ll ,1 ici tiiiii man ii upcaro I heforc (lie IcadcM's arnl chiefs i< l)iikiri<^ llictn and laiiiitiiij^ 1 (h III with 1 1 1(1 1 iinlul^fiicf of t lu'ir st oinaclis and love of case at a moiiu-nt wlicn tlicir count ry was openly r s pd .cil to I lie iiHiiisions of t lie encni y. The leaders, accompanied hy St . I<'eif^hi ti, advance to t he place ciiiniiioiilv ( alhvl lidlh I )r()Hi<r )i im and th(M-c they measure out a defensive camj), where St. Keif^liin eoMt iniially fasting' and prayitj;^' persisted in a nd)assadorial joiirneyitjf^s l)(itw(uui the two armic^s. r.iit 1)\ no condition or irulueem(^rit conid he di.ssuade Kiiifz; Domjiald frf)m his purposes 'i'he saint Ihicatcned th<' Kiti^ with the Divine v<'n<ieanee did he not desist from his of)Htinacy, })Mt still Ik^ would re t ii leiit .\ccordin<ily, on tlu' f()llowin<^ ni<.;ht a {^reat fall of snow deluf^efl the (-anip of the Kin^^, s<. that it leached the hr-easts of the soldiers, and many men and horses pcirishc^d in the; snow. But tl .It \isit;iti()n did not hrrak down tlu^ pertinacity of the Kitif^. Thei-e descenchnl from the heavens n tici y l)olt. which, fallin<f midway hetween the Kinf^ and Queen, i)ierced the (!art h like lightning befoni their eyes and burnt it up. 'IMien at length the King, warned hy the Queen not to dare furth(;r punish- ments yielded, and |)rostrating his body irpon the earth he humbly sought the pardon of the saint. r>iit l)ct'(ii-c the saint granted the i)ardon he [)laced his heel upon the neck of the yjrostrat'C King to disi i)\ er wliether he wc^ix- really humbh^d and penitent, and having ])ersuaded himself of the true penitence ot the Kiuu he par-doned him and bringing the Kings together he reconciled them. He then bade them farew.-ll.--
The incident here related seems well authenticated, for the Annals of Ulster record the coming of King Domnall to Druim nua and the date of the event.
<')4() A.D. 'OomnAll tTU\c ^e-OA cAfcpAmencACUf efc in '0|\uim 11^\o.
Domnall son of Aed pitched his camp in Druim Nao.
There scarcely can be any misgiving that the Drum Nao of the Ulster Annals is the Rath droma nua of Colgan, and the date 640 a.d. perfectly accords with the period of St. Feighin's activity, as the saint lived until 664 a.d. The author of Camhrensis Eversus refers to this incident in his brief biographical notice of King I^onmall : " The most signal instance of his humility was when he threw himself at the feet of St. I'eighin to beg pardon for his crime, and allowed the saint to place his foot upon his neck."^ With regard to the identification of Rath Droma nua, Colgan has been undoubtedly mistaken. He placed it in the western portion of Meath, and hinted that perhaps it was somewhere near to the place called UobAf ISir.Mti. But it is clearly the place now commonly known as Rath in the parish of Clogherhead. The older inhabitants were accustomed to call it Rathdrumin, and that designation has not yet totally disappeared, but in the Ust of the townlands printed in the Louth Archaeological Journal, 1906, from a document of the year 1660, it appears as Rathdromnewe, which quite corresponds with the name printed in Colgan. This place was certainly within the confines of the ancient province of IVreath. For the southern portion of lyouth was part of Bregia, as the name of the range of hills from Collon to Clogherhead, viz. Sliabh Breg, shows, and the Bregians we are informed by an ancient poem quoted in Keating " possessed as far as the Cassan." which admittedl}^ was the ancient name of the Glyde. Now, in all proba- bility, it was this ancient boundary that King Domnall was desirous of changing in this invasion. King Domnall belonged to the Ultonian Ui Neill, and their posses- sions lay in the province of Ulster. It is not surprising to find him anxious to annex to his province the land lying between the Glyde and the Boyne, for the latter river would appear the more natural boundary for the northern province. It seems to us therefore that his intent was to extend the Ulster province, or perhaps we ought rather to say the possessions of the Northern Ui Neill, to the banks cf the Boyne. Hence he traversed the ancient boundary and set up his camp in the heart of the district that he desired to make his own. King Domnall's expeditio-n came to nothing, as we have seen through the pleading of St. Feighin. However, this territory was ultimately wrested from the province of Meath, for- in later centuries it becomes
1. " C'ambrensis Eversius," ed- by Dr. Kelly, Vol. II., p. 19.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCPLH OLOCxICAL JOURNAL.
17
clear that the Boyne was the southern hmit of the important Kingdom of (^irj^hiall.
We may now furnish other evidence confirmatory of the identification we have made. It is pretty well recognized that the scene of a saint's prayers and penance was frequently venerated in more ancient times as the bed of the saint. In all proba- bility we should discover a bed of St. Feighin in this region of Rathdronmewe. It will have been observed in the obituary notice of Donough O'Carrol that the church of lepA-on ^Teicin (=Feighin's bed) was numbered amongst his foundations. That church site has not hitherto been identified, but we feel con- fident that the small townland of Labaustown in the parish of Rathdrumin takes its name from it. An old Irish speaker gave us t)Aiie au le.M).\iii as the Irish form of the name, and he removed all doubt about its meaning in translating it as " the town of the bed." The location of the " bed " is easily found, for it lies in the north-eastern corner of the field known as Parkanassey in that townland. The field is a large one and it lies on the east of the Parsonstown road quite near to Parsonstown House, and although it is constantly kept cultivated the corner we refer to is left undisturbed, and no man except indeed one who suffered for his pains, so the tradition goes, has ever dared to turn it up with the plough. That venerable spot is we believe the site of Donough O'Carrol's foundation of lepA-on peicin. There remains not a trace of the church of O'Carrol on the spot, but in the history of Termonfeckin we can trace a connection between the church of Termonfeckin and this place. There was a chantry, we learn from Dalton, connected with the church of Termonfeckin dedicated to St. Nicholas. That chantry we believe is the ruin at Parsonstown, which is distant only a field or two from the field of Parkanassey. The church of Parsonstown was, we are informed by old John Reilly of the parish, dedicated to St. Nicholas. The chantry of St. Nicholas was built about 1528, for in that year King Henry the Eighth permitted Rev. Christopher DowdalP to found a chantry in connection with Termonfeckin church. A cursory examination of the ivy-clad ruin at Parsonstown will leave no doubt that the time of its erection corresponds with that date. The Parsonstown chantry is doubtless the successor of O'Carrol's church at Labanstown, and thus is established a connection between Termonfeckin and Labanstown that we may well believe was founded upon the fact that both places were intimately connected with St. Feighin's name even from the days of St. Feighin himself. We think there- fore that Ivabanstown is to be considered as the location of the Bed of St. P'eighin, that it is therefore the original scene of St. Feighin's supplications upon the momentous occasion of King Domnall's invasion, and that consequently the identification of Rathdromnewe that we have made is satisfactorily confirmed.
With regard to Druimnua the scene of the hosting of the troops of the sons of Aedh Slaine, and the scene also of the miracle attributed to St. Feighin, that ])lace must be the townland in Termonfeckin parish known to the inhabitants as Drummin. It will be remembered that the Meathean army marched to meet King Donmall, and as he evidently arrived in the Meathean territory from the north, the direction of the march of the defenders must have been from south to north. They there- fore gathered together at Drummin and marched northwards through Termonfeckin and Clogherhead parishes to the spot at Rathdrumin, where they i)itched their camj). St. Feighin is said to have been then residing at a i)lace called Tibrada in the region of Maine. It was understood by Colgan, and rightly we think, to be contiguous to Drumnua. Tibrada means " the wells," and from the context it seems clear that St. Feighin had made a foundation there, for he was residing there. There is a townland still known as the Thibbras, or Tobbera, which answers ])erfectly to the name Tiberada of the text ; it is situated in Ballymackenny i)arish on the
\. (Cromer's Ke;zi.ster.
18
Till'; I oo'i'sTiJ's oi ST. m:iohin in co. i.outh.
simniiit of llu' 'rullscskci hills. I')Ul as tlicrc is no reason for associating^ vSt. Tcij^hin with a foundation tlR-rc wc are diixcn to the c-onclusion lli;it Tihrada wiis the name of his 'I'ernionfeckin foundation, before it eanie to he designated by the present centurii'd name. The |)la(-e is remarkable for its wells, for we have besides St. lH'i,L;hin's well tin- holy well that was connected with the monastery of Canons founded in the parish by Donough O'Carrol, and which preserves its dedicatory nanu', as it is c alk-d Trinity Well. vStations are still made at that well on the Feast of the Most Holy Trinity. There is a third well with sacred traditions in the j)arish known as Tobber Toby. We therefore think that the name Tibrada designates vSt. I'eighin's Termonfeckii? foundation, and that it was upon its precincts he was called by the sons of Aedh vSlaine to protect them in their struggle against King Donmall. In connection with the foundation at Tibrada there is a person named Pastolius who was by St. I'Vighin's side at Drumnua. He is said to have been St. I'eighin's econome at Tibrada. Colgan was puzzled by the Latin form of the name Pastolius and he confessed himself unable to render its Irish equivalent. We think, however, that the name (Maspistle preserves a memory of this unsophisticated disciple of the saint, and that this otherwise unintellegible Irish word signifies Pastol or Pistols vStream — i.e., f^lAy pij^rol. We have therefore good reason for associ- ating Pastolius with St. Feighin's foundation at Termonfeckin. It is related that St. Ronan of Dromiskin on one occasion sent a present to St. Feighin and his monks, of seven or eight cows and that when they arrived at the monastery St. Feighin ordered Pastolius to milk them. If, as we have contended, Pastolius the disciple of St. I'eighin was associated with his Termonfeckin foundation, the above ancedote would lend support to the contention that that foundation was not a church merely but a monastery. As a matter of fact we have Colgan's authority for the assertion that vSt. P'eighin's foundation at Tibrada, which we are of opinion is Termonfeckin, was a monastery. We think we may reasonably accept Colgan's statement, which is supported also by the writer quoted by Archdall — viz., Conry. It is clear, how- ever, that the date given by Conry, 665, is a mistake, for the monastery must have been raised previously to 640 a.d.
With regard to the " region of Maine " in which Tibrada is said to have been situate, that designation seems to apply to the region of Meath which fell in the partition of the province to the son of Niall of the Nine Hostages, named Maine. It would appear therefore from the identifications we have made that Maine's in- heritance included the region of Bregia north of the Boyne. The name Maine is not to be confounded with that of the townland of Mayne in the parish of Clogherhead, whose Irish form is nUn^m, " the little plain," or, as we have heard it, mtugin TTItic, " the pigs' little plain." No doubt Colgan places this region of Maine in the west of Meath, but as he was mistaken in his identification of Rathdroma nua, he is to be adjudged in error in this identification as well.
Thomas Gogarty, c.c.
19
^xx ^ixxtcvc^txxxix Slroi^ljcba xiu^crivtiou.
TED BY
PATE M A 11 N
I 8 9 R E C S S W E REC
tSgjam -^-^ stone which preserves the above interesting inscription was dis- m^^^ covered during the past year by Rev. Michael Finegan, C.C.. vSt. G>M^^& Peter's, Drogheda. It was taken for safety some years ago from the ruins of a church at the rere of a house in Mill Lane, Drogheda. The church is traditionally said to have been the church of the Domini- cans of Drogheda at a period subsequent to their expulsion from their monastery at Sunday's Gate. The stone is a small one ; it is about six inches square at its base upon which the inscription has been cut. It is beautifully chiselled, and was apparently intended to carry a crucifix or an ornament and to have been a finial perhaps upon some part of the altar of the church. It is not easy however to judge its precise use. The stone is undoubtedly complete in itself, and there is nothing about its appearance to suggest that any part of the original inscription has been lost. It was evidently intended by the designers that the inscription should be cryptic. It is, therefore, somewhat puzzling, but we think that it does not baffle interpretation. It begins upon the fifth line, and when we expand the con- tractions it appears as follows : —
EC[cle]S[ia] S[anctae] W[ariae] EREC- TED BY P[rim]ATE MA[G] V[idhir] [in an]N[o] I[acobe] [i6]89 R[egnante].
Translation : —
Church of vSaint Mary (Magdalen) Erected by Primate Mag-Vidhir* in the year 1689.
James [the Second] being King.
' The' EnKlish form of ilu; name is }tlugux^c
20
AN 1 N'ri:i<i:s'i"i N(; I)I<()(;hi<:i)A inscription.
Tlir iiiscM i])! ion i)ie'sciits t luTclorc a most (-urious and unusual admixture of Latin and l',nL;lisli. Tlic tradition tliat the (liurcli has been a Dominican foundation lirlps us i;natly towards understanding it. Tlie Patroness of the Dominicans of DroL^hcda lias al\va>s been St. Mary Mag(hden. We therefore consider the letter W to hr an inxiated M. The inversion l>eing stu(h()usly used, as we think, to suggest that it was not the Hlessed Virgin Mary, but the other Mary who was the Patron- ess. Primate Mag-Vidliir was a J)oniinican, and it was (juite a])])ropriate that he should have raised a church for the brethren of his Order in Drogheda. And there was necessity for such a church. It is quite certain that in Oliver Plunket's time, and Olix er Plunket was Primate Mag-Vidhir's predecessor, the Dominicans had no church in Drogheda. Primate Plunket wrote to the Internuncio at Brussels, 2()th vSept ember, 1671 : — ^
" In ttu' most wealth}' and noble city of my diocese and of the whole province there are three chajicls very beautiful and ornamented : the first belongs to the Capuchins, the second to the Reformed Franciscans, the third to the Jesuits. There is also one belonging to the Augustinians, but it is rather
poor The city to which I allude is called Drogheda, at five hours distance from Dublin ;
it is next to Dublin the best city in Ireland."
We are informed elsewhere by Primate Plunket that there were Dominican
friars in Drogheda in his time :
" In the Diocese of Armagh there are two convents of Dominicans : one in Drogheda consisting of three friars, of whom F. Bathe ws (Mathews ?) is grave, prudent and learned ; the other convent is in Carlingford consisting of five friars ; its prior, Eugene Cogly, is one of the best preachers in the Kingdom." 25th Septr.,1671, to the Internuncio. 2
It is clear that the Dominicans had no church, since Oliver Plunket makes no
reference to it. It remained therefore for Primate Mag-Vidhir to raise such a church
during the period of toleration that the Catholic religion enjoyed in 1689. The
date falls well within Primate Mag-Vidhir's reign, as he ruled the Archdiocese from
1683 to 1707,
There can scarcely be any doubt that the date 1689 is the true one. The only Enghsh kings to whom the initial letter J belongs are John, James I. and James II., and it was only in the reign of James II. that a year '89 fell. 1689 was the remark- able 3^ear in his reign in which his Parliament at Dublin was held and in which he began the struggle against William III. to retain the Kingdom of Ireland.
1. Vide " Memoir of 0. Plunket," by Cardinal Moran, p. 266.
2. Vide *' Memoir of 0. Plunket," by Cardinal Moran, p. 66.
T. GOGARTY, C.C.
COUNTY LOI'TH ARCH.l- (n,()(; UAL JOURNAL
COUNTY LOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
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ERHAPS the most interesting place mentioned in the Tain is vSHeve- Faughan — the meeting-place of Maeve and Ciichulliii, where terms of peace were discnssed so unsuccessfully.
" Fergus and Maeve went down into Glen Faughen To meet Cucullin : and across the glen Maeve looked upon Cucullin, and her mind Tortured her greatly on that day, because No more than a fair adolescent youth
He seemed to her to be In anger
Then on each side they parted from each other Leaving Glen Fauhan." — Mrs. Huttotis version.
/J) Nor did things improve when MacRoth the herald had to report his
^ interview with Cuchullin. " I found," MacRoth replied.
'• An awe-inspiring, angry, glowing youth.
Between Glen Faughan and the sea." — Mrs. Hntton.
The circumstances surrounding Cuchullain's appearances on Faughan are sufficiently picturesque :
" In that night a heavy snow
Had fallen, so that all the fifths of Erin Were with that snow as one white level floor : Then down between Glen Faughan and the sea Cucullin came for sunlight and for wind." — Mrs. Hntton.
" Then Cuchullain came there and stood on a height and shook his spears and his sword before them, so that great dread came on them." — Lady Gregory s version.
There " himself and Leag were playing a game with their casting spears," when Fergus sought him. It was from Faughan he kept sleepless watch and ward on the invaders of his loved Muirthemhne, fighting there most of his Homeric single combats. It was from Faughan he came down to the greatest of his x'ictories, the Great Breach of Muirthemhne ; after which he slept his three days' sleej) :
" So Cuchullain fell asleep there and then by the grave that is in the Lerga, and no wonder in that, for he had been fighting since before the feast of Samhain [to the feast of St. Mrigid)
without sleep unles« he might sleep a little while beside his spear in the iniddic
of the day, his head on his hand, and his hand on his spear on his kiu;e." . . . . " So he slept for three days and three nights." — Lady Gregory's version.
Surely this touching picture of a soldier would be hard to ri\ al.
Such bits of the little literature that belongs to Slie\'e I'"aughan should gi\-e us an interest in identifying the place.
These events happened just after Maeve passed into Cooley at Atli-iia-Carpat. So one would expect the scene of such exploits to be easily identified. Hut owing to the loss of the Irish language in Louth, almost every place-name in the- 'l\uii is a puzzle. Mrs. Hutton, in her notes to her splendid version of the Tain, tivats of Faughan. vShe failed to find any trace of the name in the district. Wlien lirst reading the Tain (in English, unfortunately) an echo of the name came l)ack to me, as applied to Tipping's Mount or Trum])et Hill, when I was curate there thirty years ago. This made me in(iuire of persons -one of whom, Pat Ric'.\ of I)iil;irg\-. is still
D
22
I'AIMIIIAN AND I'JU) LIC I : K .
alive~as to llic Irish iiamc ot Ti iiiii])( t Hill. II was ^ivt-ii at once as I'^mj^haii, wit !i t ln' 1 1 lie 1 1 isli 1 )i( )iiiiiu-iat ion. ( )nc ()t my in lor ma ills (-ailed il ( )('hain. lUil none lu aid .)! { ;ieii-( )eliain. To It-st the mailer Inrllier Mr. Riee, leaeher of I\'in^diart st lu)t»l. maili' in{|uirii'S lately for nie, and found live ])ersons wlio say that they well ri ini inhei Trumpet Hill railed I'\au^han till recent years. Then ( ilen-C )chain would he thr \ alle\ of ihe l)i-er-Park ri\'er between Proleek and Trum])et Hill. On this llu(>r\- ».\ielnillin had a splendid stage on which to a})})ear " between (Men-Ochain and {\\v sr. I." It is not so easy to reconcile this ex])ressi()n with Mrs. llutton's idea that tiu' \ alle\' of the Castletown Cooley river may ])e (Men-Ochain, Truni])et Hill beini; Dnimemia, as she found it marked on Mercator's map, and vSlieve-na-glogh being l^uighan. lUit the fact of the name still surviving in the locality and the suitabilit\- of tlie site to the ev ents represented seem conclusive in favour of Trumpet Hill being I%uighan.
Regarding Proleek, two remarks may be permitted. The Cromlech andOiant's C.rax e being so close together always suggested to me that the Giant's Grave is the connnon pit where the rank and file who fell in some battle of the Tain were buried — the Cromlech l)eing the grave of a chief. Is not that the state of things that would be found after a battle in our own days ?
The name Proleek seems still to puzzle people. Yet a very simple account of it was given me thirty years ago by a resident who spoke only English. He said, Bro-attna (the adjoining townland) is the fort of the whins, and Proleek is the fort of the stones. Bro and Pro, he said, are the same word. Irately I have been assured by a great Irish scholar that my old friend's explanation is so true as to be self-evident. The P of old Irish is the B of modern. So Proleek is a very old form, as becomes the name of a place where sleep the mighty dead of the Tain Bo Cuailgne.
In the Name Books of the Ordnance Survey there is given "Proleek : prolic, brolic, mill stone " : and there is added with the initials of O'Donovan : " Bruising or grinding of flagstones, J.O'D." Again there is added : " brod-lic, a quern or small mill stone." O'Donovan had a sharp pen. When he found Tipping's Mount called Trumpet Hill his comment in the Name Book is " Trumpet Hill (pig), J.O'D."
After Faughan, the most interesting I^outh name in the Tain is " Brisleach Mhor Mhaighe Mhuirthemhne," translated as " The great Breach — or Battle — or Defeat of Mhuirthemhne." The Brisleach Mhor has three different meanings, (i.) It is the greatest battle of the Tain fought in Louth. Although called the Great Breach or Defeat of Muirthemne, it was in reality the great victory of Muirthemhne ; for it was the greatest triumph of Cuchullin over the forces of Meave in Louth ; it was the defeat of the Four Provinces of Ireland invading Louth, and not of the Louthmen, as the name might suggest at first sight ; (2.) The Brisleach Mhor is a tract or book or MS. giving the Tale of the Battle; and (3.) it is the site of the fight or the dun around which the battle raged. Only the last meaning need concern us here for the present. The name — Brisleach Mhor — is no longer to be found : the only hope of finding the place seems to be by stating the problem of it and leaving the solution to some lucky chance.
" Then the men of Ireland made their camp, and put up walls at the place called the Great Breach on the plain of Muirthemne." — Lady Gregory'' s version, p. 214.
This was certainly after the crossing at Ath-na-Carpat, and so it must be north of Dundalk. Cuchullin's attack on this fort seems to have been one of the last of the great fights for which he used to descend to the plains from his eyries amongst the Louth mountains. Or, as Mrs. Hutton has it :—
" On the low foot hills of Cooley
In his own natural country he awaited Those hosts of Erin," p. 225.
COUNTY LOUTH AF^CH.F.OLOCx ICAL JOURNAL.
23
He seems to have descended for this fight from Duhirgy. after his thnc- da\s' sleep. " by the grave that is in the Lerga." — Lady Cve^orv.
^Irs. Hutton says, " He slept upon the gra\-e hill in the Larguew"
Other forms of the word are gi\-en — e.g.. " Lercaih." Dulargy seems the only place name at all to approach these varied spellings, and to lit in with the events. Laeg saw " the man of the Sidhe," when coming to ]nit Cucluillin Mito his deep sleep, " coming through the camp from the North-Kast " (Lady dregorv) unseen by the enemy. Now, if the Lerga be Dulargy, the Brisleach Mhor shouhl be on the Ballymacallet mountains. But the Brisleach Mhor had another name, which may either help or confound one the more. In the fight around the dun Cuchullin disposed of his foes so artistically that they lay in death, "the soles ol the feet of three to the necks of three other men. in a circle all around the Dun out- side, and Seisreach Brislige is its name in the Tain." — O'Loonev's version, p. iSo. Seisreach is a derivative of Sechair, meaning a bed of six. But. " Geacair " or " Seachair " was the name of the head of the tide w^ay where the pass across w as at Ath-na-Carpat. So one would be inclined to identify the Brisleach Mhor with the great fort in Mountpleasant demesne, part of which has been cut away ])y the road where the high wall is south of Ballymascanlan. Or could it be the great lost fort of Bally-na-hattna, which is such a delightful feature of Wright's Louthiiina? Wright calls it a Temple. Man}' inquiries led the present writer to belie\-e that all trace of it was lost for ever, but to his astonishment Mr. Andrew Markey, of Dundalk. whose traditional knowledge of names and places is unrivalled, related how he used to hear old people curse the persons who cleared away a great fort or Tein])le in Bally-na-hattna, at the building of the railway. Mr. Markey too called it a Temple. He described it as consisting of three great half circles. Inside the third circle was a building or altar from which Bael-tinne or the Mouth of Fire addressed the people on May Day. The circles were walls of great stones, some of which are now built into the railway at the valley North of the bridge crossing the road from the Annies to Do^de's fort. Mr. Markey's description, which is given from notes taken during the conversation, was so vivid, as to suggest the question had he seen the fort. But no. he had only heard old people describe it. Then his account corresponded so strangely with the illustration in Louthiana, as any one can see by comparing his verbal description with the reproduction of Wright's illustration which is such an ornament to the Journal of 1907, that the question was asked had he seen the fort in Louthiana ? But no, he had never seen Louthiana, nor did he know what it was. So ^Ir. Markey's tradition confirms Wright's idea of a Temple, and agrees in an astonishing fashion with W'right's illustration of the fort, aiul ])laces it just where it ought to be in Bally-na-hattna at the Valley.
But, back to our problem. Alas, if the Lerga be Dulargy. neither the fort of Mount Pleasant nor of Bally-na-hattna could be the Brisleach Mhor. The\' are both vSouth of Dulargy instead of North-East.
l'".\l)A.
24
Compiled by James Coleman, M.R.vS.A.I., Cork.
[The following list is intended to show at a glance the printed works dealing with the history, topography, biography, folklore, etc., of the above four counties that have so far been published. It is an advantage in many ways to know what works of this class have already appeared in print, and it will serve further to show what a great deal yet remains to be done towards illustrating the history, &c., of the many other places in and persons connected with these counties of which nothing as yet has appeared in a permanent printed form. Other items it is hoped will be added to the above by persons better acquainted with these counties than is the compiler of the present list.]
I^OUTHIANA : OR AN INTRODUCTION TO THE ANTIQUITIES OF IRELAND, in Upwards
of ninety views and plans, &c., lyouth only. By Thomas Wright ; ist ed.
Dublin, 1748 ; 2nd ed. London, 1758. Memoirs of the Family of Taaffe, of the Counties of I^outh and Sligo, 1828. An Essay on Patriotism, with Legends and Stories of Louth, and Songs.
By Joseph Cartan, Drogheda, 1839. A Picturesque Guide to Carlingford Lough anid the Watering Places in
ITS vicinity, including notices of Armagh, Drogheda, Dundalk, &c., Dublin,
1846.
*CucuLAiNN OF MuiRTHEiMHNE, by Lady Gregory, London, 1904.
* Bassett's County Louth, 1886.
* The Cattle- Raid of Cualnge (Tain Bo Cuailgne) Translated by L- W. Faraday
(Grimm Library series), London, 1904. BoYNE. The Beauties of the Boyne and the Blackwater, by Sir WilHam R. Wilde.
1st ed. Dublin, 1849 ; 2nd ed. Dublin, 1850. Mellifont Abbey in the County Louth. Its Rise and Downfall, 2nd ed.,
Dublin, 1890.
— Its RmNS and Associations. A Guide and Popular History, Dublin, Duffy,
* The items marked with an asterisk has been kindly supplied.
COUNTY LOTTH ARCH.IIOLOGICIAL JOURNAL. 2^
Drogheda. The WOiole Proceedings of the Siege of Drogheda. l^y Xidiolas Brennan, London, 1642 ; Dublin, 1736.
History of the Siege of Drogheda. By Sir Henry Tichbournc. Dublin. 1724.
* Directory of Drogheda, by MacCabe, 1830.
* History of Drogheda, by L. C. Johnston, Drogheda, iSzh.
Original Letters, by Cromwell, ed. by Johnston, 1834.
The History of Drogheda, with its Environs, and an Introductory .Memoir
on the Dublin and Drogheda Railway. By John D'.\lton, Dublin, 1N44. The History of Drogheda up to Date, with Memoirs of Dr. Plunkct and
Cardinal Logue, &c. Published by A. Hughes, Drogheda, 1893. DuNDALK. The History of Dundalk and its Environs from the Earliest Period
to the Present Time, with Memoirs of its Eminent Men. By John D'Alton
and J. R. O'Flanagan, Dublin, 1864. * Survey and Report on the Woods and Plantations on the Instate
OF THE Earl of Roden. By R. M. Stirling, Dublin, 1826.
* Brett's History of Dundalk.
* Tempest's Dundalk Almanacks, from 1861.
* Roden Title to Dundalk — circa 1839.
County Meath. Statistical Survey of the County Meath, with a Short Historical Introduction. By Robert Thompson, of Oatlands, Dublin vSocietv, Dublin, 1829.
Antiquities of the County of Meath. By F. Grose, with the Annals and
Records of the County by John D'Alton, Dublin, 1833. History of the Diocese of Meath : Ancient and ^Modern. By Rev. A Cogan,
3 vols, Dublin, 1862-67-70. The Angling Excursions of Gregory Greendrake (J. Coad), in the Counties
of Wicklow, Meath, Westmeath, Longford and Cavan, with Additions by
Geoffrey Greydrake (Thomas Ettingsale), 4th ed., Dublin, 1832. Meath Hounds. Annals of a Record Season : being a Diary of Sport with the Meatli
Hounds during 1895-6. By Wanderer, Dublin, 1897. Book of Kells. Photographic Reproductions of the Finest Specimens of Celtic
Ornament in this famous manuscript, Dublin, 1892-5. The Book of Kells. A Lecture, by F. O. Westwood, with illustrations,
Dublin, 1887.
LouGHCREW, Notes on the Prehistoric Cemetery of Loughcrew. By Geo. Coffe>'. With 19 Photographs o^ Sepulchral Cairns, R.I. A. Trana., 1897.
Newgrange. On the Tumuli and Inscribed Stones at New Grange, Dowth, and Knowth. By Geo. Coffey. With 6 large Lithographic Plates, and many text Illustrations. 4to, sewed. R.I. A. Trans., 1892.
* North Meath Election Petition : Verbatim Report of the Trial at Trim, i>i()2,
Dublin {Irish Daily Independent Office), 1892.
* South Meath Election Petition, ditto.
* mion-CAinc nA ITli-Oe A^uf lllAX) (Meath and Ulster Phrase Book), by p. C) V.uX^t .wt,.
* ScAcfAn CAijAn cSiatjaiI. (An old popular song gathered from Ulster and Meath
traditions), by J. H. Lloyd, Dublin, 1905. SlanE. Historical and Genealogical Memoirs of the I\-imily of I'leming of Slane.
Co. Meath. By Sir William Betham, 1829. Tara. History and Antiquities of Tara Hill. By George Petrie, IvL.I Dublin, 1M37. The Last Princes of Tara : A Sketch of the O'Hart Ancient Royal I-'amily. By
John O'Hart, Dublin, 1873.
* The items marked with an asterisk has Ix-eii kindly sii pplicvl .
2() |;li;|,|()(,iv.\l'll\ oi 'llll". COCN'I'II^S Ol" LOl'TIl, MICATIl, litC.
'I'uiM. Soim- Nolirc (.1 the Cliuicli ot St. ratiick :i1 Tiiiii. \'>\ I)c-;iii ]'>iill('r, 7 rim,
Some Notice of the C;isllc ol' Tiini. l»y Dean liutlcr, Tnm, :',r(l edition
I SS I-
Notices of the Castle and Iveelesiast ieal lUiildin^s ol Trim. I'>y Dean Jiuller,
DiihliiL
A Memoir of the Very Rev. Richard lUillcr, Dean of Clonniacnois and Vicar
of Trim. Hy his Widow. Privately i)rinted iSOj. A Raml)le Round Trim, amon^ its Ruins and Anti(iuities, with Notices of
its Celebrated Characters from the Ivarliest Period (illustrated), By l^ugene
A. Conwell, Dublin, iHy^. Remains of the Most Rev. Charles Dickinson, lyord Bishop of Meath, with
a l^iographical vSketch. By Rev. G. West, D.D., London, 1845. DisC()\ I':kv oI' the Tome (W Oij.amh Fodhla, Ireland's P'amous Monarch and lyaw-
maker upwards of 3,000 years ago. By Eugene A. Conwell, M.R.I. A.,
Dublin, 1873.
Cf'TXTv Westmeath. The Book of Surveys and Distribution of the Estates in the County of Westmeath, forfeited in the year 1641. By J. C. Lyons. Privately printed, Ladiston, 1852.
Ancient and Modern Sketches of the County Westmeath — Historical, Traditi- onal, and Legendary. By James Woods (2 vols.), Dublin, 1890.
Annals of Westmeath. By James Woods, Dublin (Sealy), 1907.
The Dead Watchers and other Folk Tales of Westmeath. By Patrick Bardan,
Midlingar, 1901.
Athlone. The vShannon and Lough Ree. By Professor G. H. Stokes, D.D.,
with Local Directory by John Burgess, Dublin, 1897. The Early Haunts of Oliver Goldsmith. By the Very Rev. Dean Kelly,
Dublin, 1905.
* Athlone. Account of the Seige of, by an English Officer, London, 1690.
C'TXTY Longford. Historical Notes and Stories of the County Longford. By
James P. Farrell, Dublin, 1886. History of the Countv Longford (illustrated). Bv James P. Farrell, Dublin,
1897.
* Records relating to the Diocese of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. By Very
Rev. Dean Monahan.
Edgworthstown : Memoirs of Richard Lovell Edgworth. Begun by himself
and concluded by his daughter Maria Edgworth, London, 1821. Richard Lovell Edgworth ; A Selection from his Memoirs. Edited by Beatrix L. Tollemache, London, 1896. Memoirs of the Abbe Edgworth. By C. S. Edgworth, London, 1815. Letters from the Abbe Edgworth, with Memoirs of his hfe. By Rev. T. R. England, 1818. Life of Miss Edgworth. By Helen Zimmern, London, 1883. A Study of Maria Edgworth, with Notices of her Father and her Friends. By Grace A. Oliver, Boston, U.S.A., 1882. Life and Letters of Miss Edgworth. By A. J. C. Hare, London, 1894. Life of Miss Edgworth. By Hon. Miss Emily lyawless, London, 1905.
Granard. Memoirs of the Earls of Granard. By Admiral the Hon. John Forbes.
Edited by George Arthur Hastings, Earl of Granard, K.P., London, 1868.
* The items marked with an asterisk has been kindly supplied.
COl^NTY LOrTM ARCH.T- OLOGICAL JOTRNAI.
27
iltUatuc in Ctlicxtc ^IrcaiU)*
ATHER Gooakty's ddighllul paper- " The lUiiial IMacr ni St. Fainchea " — is worthy of attention, both for its Htt-raiy attractiveness and the ingeniousness of its reasoning. ( )ne would like to agree with Father Go^arty were it onh- lor the beauty of the legends- he has garnered. Would that there were hope of seeing the same good work done lor e\ery aneient -ite in Louth. vStill neither his general line of argument, nor the particular proofs he advances seem to conxdnce. Nor yet does ) I he give sufficient attention to the arguments in la\-()ur of Fuinseog. fO| The general line of reasoning adopted makes too great a call on tlie
imagination. To substitute Enda or Fainchea for Denis without absolute jj/ proof cannot be done wdth success. vSimilarity of legends is a dangerous jjl argument, as writers have ever applied ])icturesque stories to their o\\!i ^(j^ heroes ; and in the lives of the Irish vSaints it- is done again and again. W hat mere likely than that Enda's own people should know the story of the stone boat of Aran, so dramatically given anew in our own day by Archl)isho]) Healy, and apply it to a local saint ? Ferrard was not only Enda's own territory, but his mother was a daughter of its sub-king. " Enda of Aran : his mother was a daughter of Ainmire, King of Fir Arda " — Felire of Aenghus, March 21st. ]). Ixiw Some writers confound Fir-Arda with "The Ards " in Down.. Still they may l)e right, as O'Hanlon says — Xotes ist Jan. — That the copy in the Book of lA'can reads : " rig-na-harda." Only an examination of the genealogies could decide.
The feast day of St. Denis — 25th of September — must distinguish him from Fainchea and Enda for aye. Then it seems quite impossible to bring the men of Meath and those of Eeinster to fight at Clogher Head in Ulster. Nor is it easy or indeed possible to extend Magh-Life to Drogheda at the date required even though it touched the Boyne in the days of Slaigne. The kingdom of Meath cannot be blotted out at a stroke.
To discuss particular arguments : Legavoreen seems to mean simply the hollow of the little road. " Eeg " for " Eug " is quite a common form — see Joyce, on Eocal Names. An instance of it is brought to mind by a strange word of Macpherson's, quoted by Mr. Morris, about the death of CuchuUain. " The battle s])rea(l o\ er Eego." vStrange enough just where Father Quinn and Mr. Morris would ])laee the battle, the deepest pool is yet called " The Leg," of which Eego is a brave poetic form, whether intended or not. " The Eeg " is nearer Knockbridge than the bog through which the road runs. It is on the Ratheady side of the road almost ()pi)osite the lane way to Ballinclare, but is hidden from view by a high hedge. I'ifty golden years ago it was the scene of a Christmas morning tragedy, well remembered by the present writer.
Wonderful to tell there used to be in those far off days snow and frost at Christ- mas, such as Cuchullin had to face on I'aughan. " The Leg " was our xouths' favourite " sliding " place, its reputed bottomless depths gix ing the neeessar\- /rst of danger. Going to Mass on Xmas morning all became breathless at the news that at an unearthly hour there had ventured on the ice of The Leg and been swallowed up a poor weaver's only little pig !
Apart from derivation, Legavoreen in Meath could not be the ])laee ol tlie Bairre of the extract from Aengus. It is stated distinctly to be in .Xrd T'lad.
But most important of all, the argument about St. Bairre founded on tiie gloss to the Felire is groundless. The gloss itself is anything but clear. However, the Roman MS. of the Felire throws light on the matter. It reads : —
" Of the race of Brian MacEochaidh M. was r)airre of Corcach, and it is i)i
28
Kii.LAiNr: IN srji:\'i'. f.ri:/\(hi.
A(li;i<lh Cill-Clocliair or at I )r()jj;liait in Aird-l'ladli thai his festival is kept : or it is Ihr least of 'I'oiiiehadh that is kept in Cill-Cloehair at Ard (Had on this day with r>airie. "
So till- entry eoiiceriis St. iMiihar the famous of Cork, which at once excludes
idea of Hairre's j^rave stone-leacht being in Drogheda or Clogher Head. At most his feast was celebrated there then, as it is now in Clogher Head, and in I'aughart too. Hut even this nuich is not certain, for there is given the startling choice, that it mav ha\e been the feast of vSt. Tomchadh, which was celebrated at Clogher Head on St. I'inbar's day. So in a Hash, as if called up by the witch of Kndor, St. Totnchadh steps out of the crinkled, speckled skin of the Leabar Breac or ol the I'elire, a masked rival to luckless vSt. Denis, more formidable than ;i whole array of vSaints Barrs, and Faincheas, and Endas, and Michaels. In presence of vSt. Tonichadh's ghostly form, hovering o'er ' the troubled waters " of Clogher Head, one feels much as those who under the very eyes of Job would be " ready to rouse up Leviathan."
Vet there is no need to despair. In the next century a great Oaelic scholar mav arise able to take off vSt. Tonichadh's Old Irish Mask by some cunning process, of softening T into D. Then St. Donnchad may be restored, once and for all, to his h)ug disputed throne, and as there is " Patrick crown of Breagh " so there shall be " Donnchad crown of Cill-Clochair in Ard Ulad." evermore.
Xor can lyaragh-Munsey bear the construction put upon it. The genitive of " num " is " niuin " (see Dinneen). Killaine, the form sought, cannot be derived from it by any process found in the Irish Grammar. Although the wording of the passage quoted from Colgan is against the idea, still it strikes one that he intended to derive the name Killaine from his last phrase : — " ibi etiam duo postea fontes a{[uarum viventium eruperunt." " Fontes " is the only word in the extract whose Irish equivalent — Foinse— is a form at all approaching Fainche. This, too, saves the church from an offensive title that could hardly have been intended by the original writer.
Granting, even for argument sake, Kilslaughtery to mean "church of the >-outh " — i.e., Enda — that would not solve the question, as Killaine is not the church of Enda, but of Fainchea.
On the other hand, Teampall Fuinseoige undoubtedly represents with perfect accuracy Kill-uinche, Killainche, or Killaine. For certainly, " Fuinseoige " is the ct)rrect genitive of the diminutives of Fuinnse, an ash tree, of Fuinche, the proper name, and with a difference hardly noticeable in speech, of Foinse, a spring (see Dinneen for last).
Then Father Gogarty leaves out of consideration some questions of topography — e.g.. the fact that Crimthain lies between Slane and Collon, adjacent to Fuinseog. whilst it is cut off from Kilslaughtery by the broad Boyne and an extent of territory. Then again Killaine is described as on the borders of Meath. " Killaine est locus apud montem Breagh in finibus Mediae " — Acta SS. Colgan, p. 4, n. 13. Further- more, it is placed on the confines of Ulster and Meath. " Est ecclesia de Killaine . . . in confinibus Ultoniae et Mediae " — Acta SS. Colgan, p. 710, n. 11.
A church near Black Hall could hardly be said to be on the borders of Meath or on the confines of Meath and Ulster divided there by the wide mouth of the Boyne, in those days wider still. But Fuinseog is in Collon parish, which is yet astride the boundary of Eouth and Meath, part of Meath being included in it. The division of the counties is there only a small stream. So well does Fuinseog fit into the con- ditions of the problem.
It is Cogan (" Diocese of Meath "), not Colgan, as stated in Enda's former paper, who places Killaine in Louth.
Enda.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL.
29
^lacc $lamc6 in tire ©oiuttn of goittlr.
COMPILED BY MAJOR GP:NERAL F. W. STUBBS. F.R.S.A.
Abbrevtcations used in this List. A. — Bench Mark on Ordnance Map. Ann. Q.M.— Annals of the Four Masters. Arch. Mon. Hib. — Arohdall's Monaaticon Hibernicuni. Bar. — Barony.
C. S.— Civil Survey. A List of Parishes in M.S. in the possession of iilayney Townlev Balfour, Ksq.,
Townley Hall. Made in 1657.
D. S. — Down Survey Map.
G.G. — Wars of the Gaedhil and the Gaill. Inq. — Inquisitions.
Inq. P.M. — Inquisitions Post Mortem. J.O'D. — Dr. John O'Donovan. L.A.J. — Louth Archseological Journal. O.L. — Ordnance Letters. O.N.B. — Ordnance Name Books. P.— Parish. T.L.— Townland.
T. and S. — Taylor and Skinner's Map of County Louth. Trias Thaum. — Trias Thaumaturga.
A
Acareagh T.L., Castletown P. — 106a. Ir. 37p. Aca|i |iiac, Grey Acre, O.N.B. No remains on map- Aclint T.L., Philipstown P., Ardee Bar. Anaghclent, Inq. Car. I. Athlint, D.S. Aughdint, T. & S. 367a. Sr. 34p. Clinton's Ford. A mount on summit of hill overlooking bridge across Lagan river, B.M. 198 feet. The place spelt Athcliubh, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 812, seems to be the same. Adamstown T.L., Drumcar P. — 311a. 3r. 33p. No remains now.
Adamstown. Part of Williamstown T.L., Kilsaran P., D.S., also C.S., where it contains II I a. Ok. (Jr.
and is under a separate entry. Adamstown. C.S. gives this as Almondstown, which see.
Aflane represents a ford across the river Fane near where the bridge now stands. Joyce I.. 'A.'yo, in translating a similar name gives it as At trieAX)on, " Middle ford." It exactly corresponds with this place, which is the middle one of the tliree old roads from Dundalk crossing the river Fane and leading to the north to join the main line to Drogheda. A writer (Louth Arch. Journal, No. II., Vol. I.) dealing with this ford " Bridge o'fein " translates it " Bri(lg(; of the Wagons," wliich is evidently wrong. The word has no relation to the English " Wain " or " Wagon.""
Aghaboys T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — '277a. Or. 22p. Acax> bui-oe, "yellow field," O.X.li. No reiiiain.s on map.
Aghameen T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — 343a. Ir. 37p. Aca-6 mm, "smooth field," O.N.B. On h Hpur of
" The Castle " a Uttle over 1200 feet. Aghbanavela otherwise Belarevin. Inq. Ballymascanlan 21 Jan., 1(1()(». The latter a rivt^r N of and
not far from Dundalk on the Newi-y road. Aghebillelobegan at Irish Grange T.L., Carlingford P. Inq. Ardee 20 Jan, 1624, and 2r, Man li. 162r>. Agheneloghan. Arch. Mon. Hib., 813. Same as Annaloughan.
Aghenewre. Inq. Ardee 8 Oct., 1629. If this be the same as Tinure the meaning would be the " field " instead of the " house of the yew-tree." Both might have been in use, even at the same tiiur
Aghereveen. Inq. Visct. Moore, Ardee, 27 Aug., 1628. Prol)ably the same as Agiumu-eii, liallynias- canlan P.
AghnaskeaghT.L., Ballymascanlan P.— 322a. 2r. 13p. v\cai> da ^cAac, ' Field of the Hawthorn.' O.N.B. A cromleac is marked on the Ord. Map close to hou.se belonging to A. X. Sheridan, K.m|.. but there is now no trace of it. The ground is covered with boulders, remains of a glacial age. On a riBing ground, about the centre of this T.L., A 312 ft., is a circular ratli ; also some 60 yards from it an oblong mount, called "Tom Cami)beirs Rath," in whicli is a souti^rrain . — ( .Mi.s.s li. Stephen).
E
30
I'l.Aci: NAMi':s IN 'nil". codN'iv oi Lorrrn.
Agneslon. Ai.vn-ton, A.. I,. .M«u.. Mil... IT."., 177. Appun-ntly not known in l.outli V.
Algh \ii li M'>'i III'', •'^1-. <()ii|il(il uith ( 'aiiiJiiuosKC' und ( 'arrickvoliin. A |)()Jir('n1 ly noi known
AldroKha'n!"''liH| L..r<i Lnulli, S ,Sc|.., I<i:{(». " (i mcs' and I'^O acr' in Knock and Aidrf^j/liun Sc(i Ai di (lU'lian
AHardstOwn T I., DhhImh 1' SS\. 'An (H-.. O.N.I'.. In(|. ('.u\. d Mar. Al lilanistownc Iikj. .lac. 1. McamiiL; not oKsioiis I lie family najnc not Itcinjj; known.
Allardstown r 1- , Killincoolc IV :.;>r)A. Ok. :{:{|'., O.N.Ii. Oh-rHtown 'I', S. .Map, 1777. A mount S. oi the road, and about ;"):>(» yards from the W . Lodge; of Fane Vall(;y lloii.sc. Thi-, field N. of the road and near the j^atc licais the old name of Carraenshin. South of tlic same road, and some .'{:?(» \ ards S.lv of Ihe mount is a cave. Coolfed is th(; name of a spot and jsv(>u\} of houses some ;{.■{(> \ ai'ds olT t he same mount .
Almond'town T L., ( lotdier V. :{7S\. Ik. 311'., ()..\.P>. hup Jac [. Arch. Mon. Hih. ilT), 477, HKJ- .\() i-cmaiiis on maii. Deiivation of name uncertain. as it was in use in the reign of .James I-
it is prol.ahlv the original form, and ilu; alternative form of Adamstown (which see) is probably a later one.
Alt na Willian River, (dcnmore T. L., Carlingford P. vMr nA miLLe<\n, "Cliff of the Mill." This though a tentative rei\(lering seems obvious. A confluent of the Big River which takes its rise on the W. slopes of Slieve Ft)ve-
Altboy, Hallyn\ascanlan P. Slz bun')e, " Yellow Cliff." A line of cliffs, chiefly on the X. bank of a co'iitluent of ttie Uallymakellett river, which divides the F^allymakellett and Bellurgan Townlands.
Altfader, Pampark 'r.L., l^allymascanlan P. Should be spelled -fada. AIt ^axja, "Long Cliff." A double range of cliffs running nearly N. and S. on the southern slope of Slieve na glogh for about 200 yards.
Altgarthan, [n(i. P.allymascanlan "21 .Jan., I()06. A glen through which runs the river of Abny, *
otherwise Ballyboy, bounding the Lordship of Ballymascanlan on the east. Altlourish, liallymakellett T.L., Ballymascanlan P. Air tAtbuAif, " Speaking Chff," Joyce II., p. 69.
Some cliifs in the south-cast end of the townland, about 1080 yards from Ballymakellett Bridge.
They form a short double range, and the name may be derived from sound reflected as an echo
iH'tween them.
Altmore, .Jenkinstown T.L., Ballymascanlan P., " Great CUff." A stream on the E. and S.E. slope of the Black Moimtain (Round Mountain, A 884 on the 6 inch map) between contour hnes of 700 and 4.")0 feet, and running for about 700 yards through boggy land ; is so named on the map. But no locks are delineated thereon.
Altpuca, Ballymascanlan P., " Fairy Clifif." There is no cliff delineated on the map. The name is api'lied to the ground bordering on a stream dividing Aghameen and Jenkinstown Townlands running tlown an open ravine on the S.E. slope of the Castle (A 1265), which here is steep, descending some 600 feet in 700 yards.
le Amniffe. Place uncertain. The tithes belonged to the Priory of Louth — Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 479.
les Amys. (Waste) Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 478.
Anabologe, Millgrange T.L., Carhngford P. At nA bolAj, " Ford of the Httle heifer." A small group
of houses two miles S. from Greenore. Anaghclent. — See AcUnt.
Anaglog T.L., Kildemock P.— 373a. 1r. 17p. Ar tiA CI05, " Ford of the bells," O.N.B. Athneglogg, Inq. Ardee 23 April, 1633. Tober na gankeenagh, a well on the road 200 yards W. of the cross- roads. A well 200 yards further on — see Athneglogg.
Anaverna T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — 783a. Is. 32p. This was probably the same as the designation of the neighbouring Townland of Ravensdale Park, which appears on Taylor's and Skinner's map as Aughavarn. But on the authority of the proprietor Dr. O'Donovan spells it as above, and gives the Irish as Ar n,\ b-fTeAjiriA, " Ford of the Alders," whereas the other spelling would be rather Acax) riA b-fTeAimA. Both are given as representing Aughavarn, but Dr. O'Donovan does not decide between them (O.N.B.). It seems certain that both were formerly one. The boundary line runs from the summit of Clermont Carn (A 1674 ft.) to the Ben Rock (A 1330 ft.), thence by the lower end of Ravensdale Park to the Flurry River, to its junction with a confluent, up wliich it goes to the top of the ridge, a little over 1300 feet along which it continues till close to Clermont Carn. Remains are Clermont Carn, Ben Rock and a small Mount, 300 yards from S.E. corner of Ravensdale Park, which see.
Anglesea Mountain. One of the Carlingford Range (A 1349 ft.) above Omeath. Called after the Marquess of Anglesea, who till the middle of last century owned it.
Anmoney Lough, Rampark T.L., Ballymascanlan P. O.N.B. calls it Lough na money ; but it is very
jr- small.
Anmore Lough, Loughanmore T.L., Ballymascanlan P. A small one.
* This word, signifying in Irish, a river, sometimes is given as its name.
COUNTY LOTTH ARCM l-OLOGICIAT. JOTRXAL
31
Annagassan, Dillonstown T.L., Drumcar P. <\r ha " Ford of ihv Patlis." It i.s (Mmnccted
by name with the neighbouring townland of the Linns, as it is also called C..\]\\u Linne. See Joyce I., p. 373, and II., p. 488. Also Ware's (J. (J. Ixii. note. Dr. 'i'odd. in the lust (juoted authority, gives another derivation: vXouac s;-Cv\pAn, " Fair of CaHaii," hut tlu- fornier is in every way preferable — see Linns.
Annagh T.L., Louth P. CAnoc Marsh. There are now two divisions of this townland — thai on the east, containing 19Ia. 2r. 34p. is termed Annagh .M'Cann's, being the property of .\rthui- Macau, Esq., of Drumcashel in this County. The otlier is Annagli l>oltotrs, containing |.")()a. <ii:. I le . named from the Bolton family. It is called Bolton's Tate. T. &. S, The bogland of wludi they consist drains into Cortial lake on the E., l)ruin(^ih on the \V.. and Toprass in the middle. " Tlie Annaghes," described as waste (Arch. Hib. .Mon., p. 812) evidently r(>fers to these.
Annagh T.L., Philipstown P. — 73a. 1r. 24p. O.X.B. gives tlu- Irisli as Cauac, a marsli. but this d(H;s not seem applicable, as this small townland consists of a hill about KM) feet above the river 1/il;.ui, which here forms the County boundary.
Annaghanmoney T.L., Louth P.— 62a. 2r. Op. The parish given in the ().X.P..~t'\\n ac An monA is not satisfactory. The T.L. consists of a double eminence on tlie S.W. edge of the Pvod Bog^an extensive marsh.
Annaghminnan T.L., Louth P.— 65a. 1r. 28p. eAUAc imonAn, " Marsh of the Kids." The property of A. Filgate, Esq. O.N.B. Inaghmynan. Inq. Nic. Gernon 9 A\)n\, 1624. and 2() .Man ii. l(;2r>.
Annaloughan T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — 334a. Sr. 19p. Dr. O'Donovan reads it as ('ahac ah loe.xin, Moor of the Small Lough." Agherloughaine and Aghlowghan in Couley, Inq. 13, Jae. I. .-Xgliano- loghan. Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 813. It forms part of a mountain of the same name. The small lough from which it takes its name is outside the \V. boundary in Rampark T.L. It e.xt+Mids nearly two miles from the seashore into the mountains over the reverse slope of Atnialouglian .Mount, and its greatest breadth is along the shore less than 600 yards. There is a rath, and the remains of another, X. of the railway at the S.W. end. Seefin rock is a little to the east of the.ni.
Annaloughan Mt., Ballymascanlan P. A 868. Lies W.X^.W. of Slieve na glog, of which it forias a part.
Annaghvacky T.L., CVeggan P. — 369a. 2r. 33p. eAUAc a bACAij;, " The Beggarnum's Fair," O.X.P.. Two mounts near the N. side ; another abovit 140 yards S.W. of Roachdale House.
Annies T.L., Ballymascanlan P.— 129a. Or. IOp. The Anneses, John White, 21 .Marcli. HVMk and 9 Aug., 1638. GAnAf beAj and eAtiAC vno]\, O.X.B.
Aperthuel. In Dromiskin Townland. Both spelling and etymology of this name are uncertain. Tlie name occurs in a lease held now by Mr. Patrick M'Enello, of Dromiskin. See Down R. Sor. .Ant. Irel.
Archinlochane, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 428.— Not identified.
Ardagh T.L., Melhfont P. in O.N.B. ; TuUyallen on the Ord. Map— 120a. 1r. 31p. Ap-o acaV). " High Field," O.N.B. But in the M.S. List of Faniily Gentry in the County (circ 16 — ), by Brent Moore, we find " Thomas son of Patrick Ardaghe, of Little Ardaghe." Patrick may have taken the name of his property. No remains on the map.
Ardagh Islaundye. In Hacklinn T.L., Kildemock P. This name occurs in In(p Kdward Xugent (Inq. Lov.). Ardee, 2 June, 1626.
Ardaghy T.L., Carlingford P. (Omeath Eccl. P )— 438a. 2r. 24p. Ap-o acai), High Field." J. O D. O.N.B. It runs up to a height of 1400 feet between the summits of .Vnglesea Mountain and ( 'lermoni Carn. A small village of the same name lies towards the east-centre at an elevation of between 500 and 600 feet ; a rath to east of it.
Ardballagh. Arch. Mon. Hib., pp. 449, 812. Close to the town of Ardee.
Ardballan T.L., Clonmore P.— 342a. Or. 12p. Ap-o bAlAn, " Hill of the Wall." O.X.B,. About :}()(»
yards S.E. of the village of Ardballan is " Ardballan Moat," a Ardballan Moat, a small moiuit.
A 153. Nearer the village is what must have been a tolerably large rath. Ardbolies T.L., Rathdrumin P.— 197a. 2r. 19p. ; A|it) buAlitj. The latter word signifies a place wh(;ro
cows are kept ; Joyce II., p. 238. Inq. Christopher Verdon, 7 March, 1624. T. & S. has Ardbally.
No remains on Map.
Ardee. A Townland, Town and Parish. T.L. is only 80a. Or. 25p. ; i-; on the S. bank of the river Dee. and the only building connected with the town within its limits is tiie Union Workhouse. Toun- y^arks. T.L. takes in all of the town itself.
The name of the town Atherdee is very old. i:epT)iA, takinu us back to the time wiieii | 'uchullain •slew his brother in arms, after a three days fight, as related in the '• Tain Bo Ciiailgtie."
A monastery for the Crouched Friars of St. Augustine, was foiuided by Roger de Peppard about 1207; another later on by Ralph de Peppard for Carnu-lites. One of these was where tlie Pro testant church now stands and where the " College " once stoo I. The oth.T in John Stre.-t on the site of the present Roman Catholic church.
There are three fine castles : one in the Main Street — Ralph de Pep[>ardrt -is now the Sessiotis' Hou.se; another to the north of it on the same side of the way is the residence of .Mrs. HiUeh ; a third in the grounds of Ardee House.
32
F'LAri-: NAATI':S IN TIIK COUNTY OF LOtlTH.
ArdlaruKhan 'IM>.. Mosstown IV 101 a. 2k. :\H]\ A|n) lA)iArAii, (J.N.H. No n^inaiiifj on (nap.
Ard na cloch mor. In ( 'iirric^kodrnondT.r.. K side of Kilourry rivor. Tlicre wan a remarkable group of stones, which the holder of i\w land roole<l up Homv. 70 years ago (Mr. O'C^oririan, of Kilcurry). Wright, in Loiithiana III., p. H, descrilxw them.
Ardpatrick T.li., l.ont.h I*. \'Ma. Ik. :M)p. : Patrick's Hill. In the " Triffartit*' Life," p. 277, we see th.it this |)lare was associated closely with the part of th(5 life of Saint Patrick ijnm(;diately before liis heaving l-oiith for Armagh. " Patrick went into Ard Patraie to the east of Louth, and he
d(Nsired a cloistf.r there Patrick used to come everyday from the eawt tr Ard Patraie and
Mo(-htae from the west from Louth, so that they came together for conversation at Lece Moehtae
(Mochta's llagstone] Patrick delivered to Moehtae the twelve lepfirs whom he left at Ard
i>atraic Thereafter Patrick went, at the Word of iho Angel, to Armagh."
The remains of a sinall church, very ancient, hidden by brushwood may be seen on the summit of the hill A 204, a few liundnMl yards S.IO. from the; town of Louth. This may well be the spot where SS. Patrick and Mochta sat and conversed, while the monks, some 12(K) yards away, wen; at work superintending the building of a monastery, ever afterwards to bo associated with the nam(> of the latter.
Ardroghan. Tnq. Oliver Baron of Louth, 25 April, 102-. " 120 acr. in Knocke and Ardroghan." Ad- joining apparently ono. of the many names in Louth beginning with Knock — see Aldroghan.
Ardsallagh. A farm land in Salterstown T.L. and P. Salterstown is also known a« Ballysallan, so it is (evidently a corrui)tion of Ardsallan. It can hardly have any reference to the Irish word signifying osiers (.Joyct^ II., p. 357). which grow in low ground, and the word Ard would be inappropriate.
Ardtully Beg and Ardtully More T.L., Carlingford P. ; E.S.E. of Bush Railway Station. The first contains 53.4. 2r. 33p. ; the second 99a. 2r. 3p. Dr. O'Donovan (O.N.B.) confirms the Irish as v\|n) rulAij; mo]i, " Great Hill," which is a puzzle — the hill being absent. The highest point in it is 141 feet," only 60 feet above the lower ground in Ardtully Beg. In his remarks on Tullakeel, rionkeen P., Dr. O'Donovan says : " Wherever the meaning of ' Tulach ' is not understood, the peasantry explain it by ' Talamh land.' "
Arthurstown, Tallanstown P. There are two townlands of this name. The larger, 502a. 3r. 31p. Archerstown in Sir W. Petty's map. Much Arthurstown, Inq. Edward Taaffe, of Cookstown, in Dundalk. 7 March, 1624. Arthurstown House is in it.
Arthurstown Little separated from it by Mullamore T.L., contains 73a. 2r. 36p. Before 1304 the tithes of both belonged to the Preceptory of Kilsaran.
Artnalevery T.L., Charlestown P. — 278a. 3r. 5p. O.N.B. gives the Irish as ^jit) riA teibjie, " Hill of the Hares," and says that the Irish name when these reports were written (circ 1830) was t)Aite An borAiii, " Town of the road."
Artoney T.L., Louth P. — 147a. 1r. ]5p. x\|it) CAmriAc, " High field," pronounced A\\ ■co■nA^•^, O.N.Bs Inq. 24 Nov., 1640, a very good mount within the grounds of the former Rectory.
Ash, Louth P. ; two T.L's. Ash Big is the smallest — contains 144a. 2r. 38p. On the summit of a hill (A 209) over 200 feet high is a mount, where a handsome prickspur was found. — (Jour. R. Soc. Ant. Ireland).
Ash Little contains 191a. Or. 18p., but is not so high. It also has a mount on its highest point. Popular leports connected these mounts by a subterranean passage with Cortial, more than a mile to the north — utterly impossible. The Irish word is Aif (a hill, O'Brien's Diet.). Probably the same as Es-Ahys granted to Richard Cook, the King's groom in fee farm. Close Rolls, and Inq. P.M. Calend. Doc. Irel., Nos. 36, 197 and 291. Ashefleld. A plot of 15 acres in Ardee, belonging to the Hospital of the Crouched Friars. — Arch. Mon. Hib., 447, 449 and 812.
Ashvllle. Name of a house and grounds in Funshog T.L., Collon P. The site of an old church— not a
parish one — is outside the grounds to the east. Athclare T.L., Dunleer P. — 271a. 3r. 2p. So spelt Inq. Jac. I. and Down Survey. "Ford of the
plank," Joyce II., 223. Dr. O'Donovan pronounces it Aclare, O.N.B. A very good castle here,
adjoining the house. In Brent Moore's " List of the County Gentry," Nicholas, son of Robert
Taaffe is the owner.
Ath na fhearta. In a.d. 607, Aedh Uairidnech, and in 817, Aedh Oirdnidhe, both kings of Ireland died here (Ann. Four Masters), in Magh Connaille in or near the County Louth. The name means either Ford of the two graves, or the of two miracles — probably the first. Its position (or the river) is not known.
Atherdee — see Ardee.
Ath na Carpat, " Ford of the Chariots." Mentioned in the " Colloquy of the Ancients, " translated by Mr. Standish O'Grady in " Silva Gadelica," pp. 160-161. See Louth .Arch. Journal, No. II., pp. 33-35. Near Dundalk.
Athneglogg. Inq. Nic. Hussayc (for Christopher Taaffe). " Vil de Athneglogg. Arthurstown, Rath- biddy al. Little Arthurstown."
Atrium Del. Hall of God is the Latinized name for Ardee in various documents, Lodge's List of Parishes, Receipt Rolls, etc.
Aughavarn — see Anavema.
Aughclint— see AcUnt.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.T- OLOGICAL JOURN AL.
33
B
Babesland. In or about 1020 there were three of the Babe family holdinu land in the County of l.ouih. Walter, of Ardoe, who owned part of Walterstown T.L.. Droiniskin P.; James, of l)ar\ri-, who held Gibstown (Palmer) T.L., Haynestown P.; and Patrick, of Dromiskin. Inq. ^^ Aui£ . H>_'7 ; •2-i Sep , 1G35 ; and 18 March. 1644. To Viscount Moore were <j;rant<'d. amon^' otiier possessions of the Priory of S. Mary, Louth, the tithes of Babeston and Babesland. Inc|. 27 Aue;., 1028. 'I'hch.- two were separate holdings. The C.S. list mentions Babesland as part of (iibstown Palmer. Bab.-s- ton would therefore appear to be the same as the present Xewtown Babe T.L.. liallybarrack P., though indeed -land and -town are almost interchangeable.
Babeswood T.L., Dromiskin P.— 100a. Or. 25p. Belonged to James Babe of Darver. No remains.
BaggOtstown T.L., Rathdrumin P.— 1()5a. Or. 251'. The name derived from one of the Baggot fanulv. but about 1600 held by Do wdalls and Uernons. In(|. 8 Jan., Kili* ; — June, 1(»20 ; !» April, I f,_' i ; 26 March, 1635. No remains.
Bailyland T.L., Louth P., S.E. of Louth— 34a. 2r. 20p. No remains.
Baily Park T.L., Parish of S. Peter, N. of Drogheda— 28a. Or. 4p. No remain.=<.
Balachrath, D.8. Map. Now Rath and Lower Rath T.L., Carlingford P.
Balbresk, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 476 — see Balresk.
Baldoyle T.L., village in Banktown T.L., Beauliou P.
Balfeddock T.L., Termonfeckin P.— 116a. Or. 31p. bAiLe ]:e.\-0()5^, " Town of the Plovers " : Joyc.' I , p. 486. No remains.
Balgatheran T.L., Tullyallen P.— 402a. 1r. 16p., Ballygadren. Lkj. Vi.scount Moore, 27 Aul'., I(._>^;
A.M.H.. p. 488. Had belonged to Mellifont Abbey. Ballabony T.L., Clonkeen P.— 272a. 2r. 20p. be.\llAc b.\ine, " Milky road or pass," O.X.P.. A small
lough drains the marsh lands in this and Rathgeenan T.L. Ballagan T.L., Carlingford P., east extremity of the promontory — 476a. Or. 38p., also the ])oint of the
land here, Ballylaggagh. Inq. Arthur Bagnall, 29 Oct., lOth. Jac. I. is the same place. .\o
reraains.
Ballaverty T.L., Carlingford P. — 214a. Or. 39p. An irregularly shaped strip of land from the top of the lower summit of Barnavave Mtn. close to A 1022 to Bush Railway Station. b.Mle nt j-'l vir- be^jirAij, " O'Flaherty's town," J.O.D.' A small mount, and a rath not perfect in it.
Ballemaconlan al. Ballyconnely. Inq. Visct. Moore 27 Aug., 1628. Associated with Ballymascanlan and Carrickarnan.
Ballinaghlan-Bellinagha. Inq. John Plunkett, 12 June, 1622. Part of the Manor of Bewley ( Beaulieu). Ballentner, A.M.H., p. 812. One of the possessions of Louth Abbey, associated with Carnanbreaga
(Ballybarrack P.) and Babesland, which here appears to be Newtown Bal)e (also in Ballybarrack P ).
Not indentified.
Ballenehatten. Inq. John Cashell, 7 March, 1624. Evidently the same as Ballynahattin, Dundalk P ,
though O.N.B. refers it to Mullaghattin T.L., Ballymascanlan P. Balllgatheran, A.M.H., p. 488, Balgatheran T.L., Tullyallen P.
Balligoan, T.& S. A small village S. of Ardee Bog. Not to be confounded with Ballvgowan T.L. in
Shanlis P. Balliknok, D.S. Map.— Knockbridge.
Ballimanen, C.S. List in Lordship of Ballymascanlan. — Not indetified.
Ballinclare T.L., Louth P., on S. border of Dunbin P.— 51a. 1r. 18p. Ballaclare, D.S. Map; An cIai|i, " Town of the board or plank," O.N.B. No remains.
Ballinerly, D.S. Map. Either Ballinerty— Ballaverty, or else Bally na iarla. Earls Quarter, the ad- joining T.L., S. part cf Carhngford P.
Ballinfuil T.L., Roche P.— 370a. 1r. 12p. bAile An poill, "Town of the hole or pit." O.X.B. A rath named Lisaclog close to E. side, left of the Dundalk road, site of a fort to the N W. Was it here S. Patrick left his bell on his way to Armagh ? O.N.B. has note to that efT(M t.
Ballinlough T.L., Louth P., E. of Knockbridge— 147a. 1r. 6p. "Town of the lough," O.N.B. P.. it where is the water ? No remains.
Ballinloughan T.L., Louth P. Dundalk and Enniskillen line passes through N. end. A rath on V\'. sid.- near a farm ; not marked on the map — 211a. 3r. 34p.
Ballinreask T.L., Beauheu P. — 49a. 3r. 7p. " Town of the morass." No remains.
Ballesolean. Inq. Christopher Nugent, 19 Sep., 1627. Perhaps the same as Ballyfolane huj. .^ir J. Bellew, of Bellewstown, Co- Meath. C-S. spells it -fiolan.
Ballinteskin TL, Carlingford P — 607a 1r 35p , -tesky Inq Arthur Bagnell. 29 Oct, 10 Jac I " Town of the sheskin or quagmire," J-O'D. Occupies the X. slope of the centre mountain Cnrlirm- ford range. Its S. boundary passes over the summit A 1330. Three small forts at the N- end.
Ballinurd T.L., Barronstown P.— 219a. 2r. 37p. bAile An A^]\^>, "Town of the hill." O.N.B. Thin is evidently wrong. It ai)pears on the D S. Maj) as Vordonntown. The f'.S. List gives ite acreage as 618a. Or. Op., so it mu.st have taken in some of the neighbouring T.L.. i)robably Milltown. CIcIh- and Plaster. BalHnurd is a corruption of Bally Verdon. No remains.
Balloran, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 812, Ballyoran, Louth P.
IM.\( NAMI'.S IN TIN'. roiINTV ()!■ LOII'I II
Ball'sGrOVe.S M.n v's r ,('umit \ .md 'I'ouiM.r Dio-dnla Soul 1, of I lie lioyiic "iCA . ."{k. -iTl". l'.<'lonp;c(l to \\u- KmII family.
BallUR T L , ( '.n liiiL'foiil I'., .tlxiu! ,1 iiiilc S.lv of I'.nsli Hallway Staitoii I4Sa. Oi{. I.")|>. This and r.allihii' aiv usual forms of the uoid; 'I'. S. has I'.oilci^'. I»alrick CaKhcll, of Duiidalk, hrlil S(l ariTs of the kiiiLj, ill caiiilc. Iii(|. IS ()< f., HI.'}?. Olivor liOrd Louth held l2()acn;sof Ailliui I'.aL'Mcll. •_'"» April, Ml--' and I S Sc|. , I diiO. 'i'hc ruins of one of the liagnall Castles
arc h.iv. S,c I'.allvlatiUaKh.
Ballybabdryth, Ak h Mon. llih., p. HVA. hlvidcntly same as I'.aliyharrack. In I'iH.'} Thcoljald dc Vcrdon was granted the adxowsons of this and Dimdalk church.
Ballybailie '1' L , Anlcc !' ',V2\\. ;{k. -?S|' ().\.i'>. ipiotcs Down Survey for Bally honey, hut i\m is not on the ma|i. bcAl I .\r h.\) I I c.\(), liaillic's roa*!," ().\.l>. Dr. ()' Donovan docs not noti(;c this and may have allowcij it. Xo r'(uiiains.
Ballybarrack 'I'.L. and I'. 'I'.L. contains l'i.S\. On. lOr. The present spelling undouhtedly dom not re| res(>nl the old form of the name. In(|., CS., and I-,odgc have it -halriek, -hallriek, -varlick ; llic iirst heinn most usual. O.X.I?, makes it -l)arraek, because "the Duke of Berwick oneampcid here with Kinu .lames" army." Someone remarks thereon: "This is fine stuff;" ho barrack won the day. .\ fort near )the W. side, calk^l in the O.L. iiop cnoc a pei|ie , " F'ort hill of the colVms or biers,"" which may perha[)s refer to a (graveyard, though there are no signs of one now. The remains of the old church are on the other side of the road, near Ballybarrack House.
The parish seems io have been impropriate from a very early pc^riod. The entire R. and tithes b<'longe(l to the Monastery of S. Thomas, situated in that part of Dublin, afterwards called Thomas Court. This seems to have been |)art of the grant tnade by Nicholas de Verdon in 120."), A.IVI.H., p. isr>. It was granted I'i .March, Kil 1, by fee to Sir Edward Fisher, Kt. In 1622 William Bishop was imjii-opriator. Soon after it passes to the family of Draycot, of Mornington, Co. Meath.
Ballybeney, alias Killiny, Arch. Mon. Hil)., pp. 470, 81.3. Seems to be the same as the next. This is its name in the C.8. List of Proprietors. Killiny may be the adjoining T.L. of Edenakill.
Ballybinaby T.L., Roc^he P. — 48r)A. 3r. 4p. b.Mle bume bui-oe, " Town of the Yellow Bon or Peak," O .X.B. Ballybcnevey, 'V. & 8. Xo. remains.
Ballyboghill at Stifyan"s Cross, Mosstown P. — T. & S. Map.
Ballybolrick — see Ballybarrack.
Ballyboni in Collon P., S. of N^avan. Collon road, nearly three quarters of a mile from Collon. Bally- byna — T. & S. Ma|).
Ballyboys P., Barony of Upper Dundalk. Given in the plural on the Ordnance ^lap, representing in O.X.B. two parts. Beg and More. It consists of part of the T.L. of Bellurgan — 1483a. 2r. 19p., extending well u}) into the mountains. Xow merged with the Ballymascanlan P. The name dees not occvu' in Lodge's List of Parishes, but In({. Patrick Cashell, Ardee, 18 Oct., 1637, mentions ViU" de Balleboye.
Ballybragan — see Braganstown .
Ballyburgan, Arch. Mon. Hib., ]>. 4(53, says, the tithes and rectories of the place were granted to Henry Draycot at the Suppression of Monasteries for 21 years. At p. 476 it is included with other places in the Rectory of Faughart. X"ot identified as yet.
Ballydonnell T.L., Termonfeckin P. — 164a. 3r. 30p. Xo remains.
Ballydorn. A couple of houses N'.E. corner of the grounds of Dromin House in the T.L. and P. of that name. Mr. D. Lynch has kindly supplied me with two Irish renderings of the name. One seems to be appropriate. Ballydorn, he says, is known as Thunder Lane, the original of which is t)Aile r(')jK\n (T)6|\.An fotui, coUoq. "thunder). The other " boundary townland " cannot so well apply.
Ballygoly T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — 186a. 3r. 36p. In the valley between Carliiigford and Slieve na Ldou mountains. Dr. O'Donovan gives bAiLe goblAii;, " Town of the forks." See Joyce I., p. .123.
Ballygowan T.L., Shanlis P. — 313a. 1r. 26p. bAiLe ui gob.xn, " O'Gowan's town," O.X.B., but ■■ Town of the smiths," Joyce I., p. 222. Site of an old fort S.W. of Ballygowan House.
Ballyheney, Heney's or Heynestown P. Isaac Butler's Journal.
Ballylaigh, Arch. Mon. Hib, p. 447. .Mentionefl with other places at or near Ardee.
Ballylaggagh, Inq. Arthur Bagnall, Carlingford. 29 Oct., 10th year Jac. I. Associated with Much (Grange and Ballaverty. Probably Baling, which see.
Ballylargan, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 478. Xot identified.
Ballymacles, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 47(). Tithes belonged to Faughart P.
Bally McColgan, al. McCoan, al. McColean. Lodge's List of Parishes of Armagh Dio. only one incumbent
i:ientioned, to which is added " Quaere, if the same as the impropriate rectory of CoUan." Ballymageragh T.L., Cappoge P.— 175a. 1r. 13p. O.X.B. makes this name bAile nnc sejiAc,
■■ Mac (Gregory's town," but questions if it should net be nA jj-cAOjiAC — i.e., Sheeptown. But
most of the authorities (juoted ap})lied the former. Ballymaglane T.L., Termonfeckin P.— 1o6a. 3r. 30p. MacLaue's Town. J.O'D., Arch Mon. Hib., p. 813.
Xo remains.
COUNTY LOTTH ARCII.i:c)L()(;i(\\L JorRXAL
35
Ballymakellett T.L., Ballymaseanlan P.— 1 14Sa. Or. HSp. It nms up to the siimniit of " The Castle ' A I'il),") on the oast to A I.IGH on the north. hu[. .Jac. F. and Car. I. iienerally c-all it Kllotstow n. Dr. O'Donovan decides on MeKellett's town. O.X.Ii.
The remains of several small forts or mounts, chiefly in the vicinity of I'.allyuuikcllett vilhiLfe are marked on the map. It may he remarkahle that hy far tlu^ greater uumher of these forts iti the mountains, and, indeed, elsewhere, w(>re intended for the protection of those who wen- hordinLr cattle. Some, even of the small ones, have n doul)l(> enclosun>. Only when th(>re are jiecnliar features as to size or shape will it be necessary to desciihe them.
Ballymakenny T.L. and P. The T.L. contains 421 a. Oh. -ifip . indudint^ 11a. Ik. I i-., a detaclKxl portion within Philipstown T.L. and P. to the S.,- O.X.H. can onl\- dciisc the name from Kennv or Heeiiy, a not uncommon surname. O.L. says the church (winch was hnilt \>y Primate Pvohirmon when th.- parish was separated from Beaulieu) is on the site of an older one, which .Mr. Pati'ick !{(•(>(! i>f Carntown, and others said they recollected.
The parish was appropriate to the See of Armagh as far hack as records i/o, i^od^e. Inc). .\rcli- bishop, 6 Sep., 20th Jac. I., and went with the R. of Beaulieu till nuide a IVrpetual Curacy about 1785. Since about 1810 it has had its own Incumbents.
Ballymaseanlan T.L. and P. The T.L. contains 211a. 1r. ;Up. MacScanlan's Town, O.X.H., .\t< h Men. Hib., p. 482. The large cromlech in the grounds of Ballymasi'anlan House (J'lolcck T.L.) is a most perfect one. It is referred to in the Annals Q..M. a.d. 1402 as tlic^ Cloch an lihodaii.di. " The Churl's Stone," however it got that name. The Manor or Lordship and I'arish was granted to the Abbey of Mellifont before 1349. The ])arish, therefore, was Im))ropriate. The T L. of Kilcurry belongs to it.
Ballymear al. Ballynemerry. Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 488, where it is associated with Mell and Shecpo-ranirc in Mellifont P
Ballymothan. Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 695, quoting King, p. 305 : " John, Abbot of .Molana. Co. W alerford.
had commonage of pasture here." Xot identified. Baile na claigeann. In the S. of Carrick Edmund T.L. close to the chajjel and schoolhouse of Kilcurry
there was one of the stone relics of old days, now disappeared like many others. Mr. OTTornum'.
of Kilcurry, has pointed out this locality to me. Ballynagassan T.L., Drumcar P.— 174a. 1r 33p bAiLe nA 5;-c.\nAn, " Town of th(> passes." O.X.H.
No remains now — see Annagassan. Ballynagrena T.L., Dysart P. — 125a. 2r. 6p. Town of tht Sun, O.X'^.B. The small village here is called
Suntown. No remains.
Ballynahattin T.L., Dundalk P.— 106a. 1r. 21p. b.\ilc tia h-Aime, O.N.B., "Town of the furze ^
Wright, Louthiana III , p. 9, shews what the stone circle here was like, but its very site is now
not known — see L.A.J ^o. 4, p. 61. Bally na maghery T.L., Carlingford P.— 184a. 2r. 28p. S.E. of Bush Station. bAile ua uiac At|ie.
" Town of the plain," J.O.D. Bally na money. There are two T.L's. of this name in Carlingford P. One, B — Bradshaw, 2 nnk>«
S.S.W. of Greenore contains 106a. Or. Op. The other, B — Murphv, S. of (^reenore contains 175a.
3r. 2lP. Town of the Bog, O.N.B. Ballyonan T.L., Carhngford P. Nearly two miles N.N.W. of King John's Castle, contains 851a. 1r. 29p.
" O'Dunan's Town," J. O'D. Mr. O'Neill thinks it may have been so called from some O" Dunans,
Donovan or Downeys. There are two cattle, raths, single enclosed, one larger near the shore.
Only the lower part of the T.L. cultivated. Ballyoran T.L., Louth P. About a mile N.E. of the town— 237a. 3k. 33p. ".Oran's Town." O.X.I'..
X^o remains.
Ballypatrick, Arch Mon. Hib., p. 488. Belpatrick, CoUon.
Ballyregan T.L., Killanny P. — 88a. Or. 32p. No remains. There is also a farm of this name in HraLran?;- town T.L.
Ballyshone, Dromiskin T.L., John's town. Between village and railway in the X.W. angle of cross- roads. Occurs on map accompanying deed of sale of Commons.
Ballystuck occurs in Lodge's List as the name of a parish. It was Ini{)ropriate, (ieorge (iernun holdinL,' the tithes in 1622. It has not been identified.
Ballytrasna T.L., Killanny P.— 52a. Or. 20p. CVosstown, O.N.B.
Ballytrasna T.L., Carlingford T.— 36a. 2r. 23p.
Ballytrufle, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 450. . Probably somewhere near Ardee.
Ballyvarn, bAile (nA) bAipn, " Town of the battle." Occurs in T. & S. .A group of houses in Harnms- town T.L., about 550 yards E. from Hackballscross.
Balmalangan, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 476. Belonged to Sir John Plunk(*t, Kt., in 1540.
Balregan T.L., Castletown P. — 183a. 1r. 30p. The ruins of a toh^rably large ( a.stle are close to the xld Watorlodge Mills on the Kilcurry river. O.X.B. gives the derivation as " O'Kegan's Town." ( arc should be taken not to confuse this T.L. with Newtown Balregan T.L. in the same panrth, or with Balriggan in Faughart P. Wright spells this one Balrichan (II., p. H) in describing the castle, and also in III., ]>. 7, in describing some very remarkable pre-Christian stone circleH. now long since cleared away by some iconoclast, at the junction of the Kilcurry and Cnstletown rivers.
I'LAci: NAMr-.s IN TFii-: ('oi;nt^' ov loutii.
Balresk, Ardi. Mon llil).. pi' IT'.t, 'I'liiH mid I'.al hicsk (]>. 17*'.) Jippfsar to Ix; i\w same as Ballin-
rrusU. ■l'«riiionfccUiii IV
BalrigRan T.li., Kauj^liart I*.- -I.'JHa. '2ii. iJi'., indudiiig a small (ictachcd [)art of t\ni KilcMirry river. A lolcraltiv iar)4(» moiinL al)out 4(K) yards S. of Kilcurry I' ('l)iirf;li. Fiiit tlK^rc was another, not now existing, from wliicli Fort Mill House took its name, which was ej(;ared away when the house was l)uilt. 'I'he Kev. (Jcwvaise 'I'inley, H(^ad Master of tlie Diindalk S(;hool till 1814 wiiteii of it (i.rfore ISHi) as th(>n existing (Mason's I'aroch. Survey II., p.
Balrobin T.L., Harronstown I'. 214a. '2k. 151'. " Hohin's Town," O.N. 15.
Balroddie. Inci. Nieh. (Jernon, 4 April, 1(')24 (irange de Hulroddie jiixta Milltown, associated with othei- places in Droirnskin I*. A later In(|., same family, (> Scrp., tnentions (irange de l^alroad
of .Milltowi\. Not now known.
Baltereston, An h. Mon. Hib., p. 4ir>. Same as Walterst.own T.L., Dromiskin.
Baltrasna '1 .L . Anh-e V. -247a. :}k. 21 i-.
Baltrasyde, Arch. Mon. Hih., p. 812. Near Ardee.
Baltray 1 .L . Termonfc'ckin IV — 438a. 2ii. \)r. A village on the estuary of the river Hoyne. Some standing stones in a held near. Moaning of the word" Road of the Strand."
Baltray, Areh. Mon. Hih., p. 47()- Seatowne de Uroniiskin, 120 aeres. Inq. Nieh. Gernon, 0 Sep., (5 (Uiil et Mar It formed part of the possessions of the Abbey of Dromiskin and afterwards of Louth. Sir W. Petty's map shews a castle here. Local tradition recalls a church and burial ground on .Mrs. McCJuinness' farm. The lower part of one of the walls here, 3 feet thick, marks the site of something. It may have served as a look-out |)ost of the monastery to give notice of Danes in the bay.
Bankerstown T.L., MuUary P. — 08a. Or. 28p. O.X.B. gives no meaning for the name, but suggests tioi]' bvin)e as one. O.L. says there is a fort here, called Liof Tliop T)uix)e. Part of it is very rocky, and appears on Sir W. Petty's map as Cloghbolly, O.L.
Banktown T.I-,., Beaulieu P. — 186a.0r. 18p. N. bank of the Boy ne estuary. A small village ; Baldoyle in it.
Barabona T:L., Monasterboice P. — 293a. Or. 7p. O.N.B. gives the pronounciation as bA|i a boine, but the orthography as b6rA|i a bAine.
Barmeath T.L., Dysart P. — 311a. 2r. 7p. The residence and demesne of the Rt. Hon. Lord Bellew. This name opens a very interesting enquiry, carrying us back to the days of the great cattle raid, and the history of the Tain Bo Cuailgne. Messrs. O'Neill, O'Keeffe and O'Connor make various suggestions as to its derivation. The first part of the word is t)eA|inA or beAi|ine, a gap. The second is trieA-oA miT)e or neAX)bA, and it is added, probably by Dr. O'Donovan, though not initialled by him : " this name is too well estabUshed to undergo any change." In the O.N.B. also, under Dysart P., it is stated that the name was called by Irish speaking people beAijiriA beA5;A, gap of the bull rushes," pronoimced like b-^eAtJA, the eA being short e, and x) guttural. How- ever, Dr. O'Donovan elsewhere says Louth Irish is not to be depended upon. The Ordnance Letter proceeds : " Some say there was formerly a gap in the townland called bcAjinA neA-obA, i.e., .Meva's Gap." This is the well-known name of the Queen of Connaught, who led the raid into Louth.
Barminrath. Inq. Patrick Dowdall, Newtown, 1 Jan., 13th Jac. I. Probably Barmeath.
Barnattin, " Hill top of the Furze." A small village in Killineer T.L., between the Red Mountain and Coolfore Hill.
Barnavave A 1142. The most easterly of the Carlingford range of mountains has been given this name in the O.N.B. That in the Irish is beAji-oA f>1ei-t">be, recalling, as so many other places do, the memory of the Queen of Connaught in the Tain Bo Cuailgne. Meave's Gap — where this gap is, and to what event in the story it refers is not quite so certain — see Louth Arch. Journal, No. II., p. 92, and No. III., p. 9o. The hill is described as uncultivated and very rough. It is curious that this place, as well as Barmeath, should, rightly or wrongly, be given the same meaning.
Barnaveddoge T.L., Dromin P. — 93a. 3r. 27p. " Hil! top of the plover." Remains are two standing stones, one on the border of Toberdoney T.L. ; the other close to the road between it and MuUa- curry. Also a part of a mound.
Barn Hill. A field in Termonfeckin T.L., part of the grounds of Rath House.
Barronstown T.L. and P. T.L. contains o12a. 3r. 22p. The name may have come from the rank of Baron, held by the de Verdons, who were the first English owning this part of the country. Of all the T.L. m this parish none appear in any Inq. in the Repertorium Canell: Hib. or quoted by Arch- dall. The T.L. has two mounts, a low fiat one near Hackball's Cross, and a small one near Bally- varn (T. & S.).
The P. at first had its own church, but its ])osition after the coming in of English settlers made it subject to continual troubles. Andrew Keppok is the first recorded Incumbent (1410-35) ; but by 1622 this R. and that of Kane were not valued in the King's books, for that they were waste upon the borders. After this these two parishes, with Roche and Philipstown Nugent, formed one cure. Lodge.
Baskervill Rath al. Mooreton. Nieh. Gernon held it of Richard White, p. fidelitat. Inq. 9 April 1624. Bosgravile's Rath al. Moreton. A.M.H., ]i. 47<) : Ba'shford Rath al. Conrath, C.S. List; Conrath, D.S. map. In Dromiskin P. Formerly belonged to the Baskerville family.
COl^NTY LOUTH ARCH/EOLOGICAL JOUKXAL
37
Batts land T.L., Dimleer P.— 49a. Oh. 14:'. Tho Rev. \V. Butt. Vi( ar of Colloii ITlif) and H.-ct.-r ..f liar- ronstown 1778, owned land lioro.
Bavan T.L., Carlin^ford P.— 502a. 3r. "22?. In(|. Aiihiir Baiznall. 29 Oct.. 10 .lac I. Hawnc. b>\V)b ■oiin. '* a cattle enclo.sure,'' J. (YD. Remains arc : A rath on tlic side of the road ov»t tlu- mount- ains ; another at tlie N.R. boundary ; a third in the S.K.. near the R viand river, ch^e li. which is a very small mount.
Bawn T.L.. Mansfieldstown P.— 218a. 3k. 2()P. Same word as I'.avan. Held l>y Kdward Phiiikctt.
who died circ 1593. of John Taaffe. In(i. 22 April. 1()33. .\ftcrwards tli(> propcrtv of the 'I'lsdidl
family, and now of Chas. B. Marlay, Km\. Bawntaaffe T.L.. Monasterboico P. — 2S()a. 1r. 2Sr. .\ small \ illai^c ('a\an. S. of whii li arc the rcnuiin.-N
of a church.
Beaulieu T.L. The T.L. contains 4()5a. 3r. 33p. The Latin form of the name occurs as l^cllns i^o'^us. There was a family of de Beaulieu, of Thistlt>thwaite, in Cum !)erland. temp. I"!d\\ . ill.. frMm which Sir E. T. Bewley, LL.D., &c., descends, and this name occurs in various I nip The fauuU ot IMunkctt owned it from a very early period. John Plunkett, the first of the name here, died at liculcx-. 3 Ausust, 1082 (Lodge's Peerage, Vol. VL). William Phnik(>tt, only three years old at his father's death — 31 August, 1622 — forfeited the lands after the rebellion of 1()41. Sir William Tichl)ourne purchased them, and from his family they passed, through the female line, to tiiat of .Montgomery, the present owners.
The parish can trace its incumbents regularly from the year 13(1!> down to nearly tlic present time, when it was united to Termonfeckin.
There is a good rath in the grounds of Beaulieu House, and the suburban village of Queensborough is in the T.L
Beghelstown, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 450. See Poghillstown. Begrath T.L.. Tullyallen P. — 521a. 3r. 23p. No remains on ma]). Belachrath, D.S. Map. N. part of Grange Irish T.L., Carlingford P.
Bel an Aire. Name of a bridge across the Kilcurry river on the roarl to Xewtouii Hamilton (Kdward O'Gorman).
Belatourey. Inq. 21 Jan., 160G. A ford over the stream dividing the Baronies of I'pjxT and Lowci- Dundalk.
Belcotton T.L., Termonfeckin P. — 123a. 2r. 2p. Called Laraghmys(<e, D.S. Ma}) and various Imj. O.N.B. gives " Custom of the Parish " as a derivation for the first name ; " Site of the .Maiwe for the second. See Louth Arch. Journal. No. IV., p. 43, with which, however. I am not di.sposed to concur.
Bellalegan, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 547. Inq. 28 Sep., U)18, speaks of (lerald Fleiuing, Baron of Shine.
as lately of this place in Louth, and as his property extended from Slan(\ iti the upper l)ar<)ny of
that name to Breslanstcwn in the lower barony (Meath) t)ordering on Cjonkeen P.. it is ru)t ("asy
to say where this place is. Bellew's Bridge on the Dundalk-Newtown Hamilton Road across the Castletown liver. Sec Louth
Arch. Journal, No. II., p. 23. Bellurgan T.L., Ballymascanlan P.— 1483a. 2r. ]9p. The configuration of this T.L. is curious. The
N.E. part is almost cut off from the rest by the approximation towards one another of .IiMikinstow n
and Ballymakellett to within a few yards. A townland of the same name, containing 5fi4A. Or. '.V.U-.,
lies in Castletown P., and belongs to it, being merely a })art. Bellmount, T. & S. Map, Carlingforcl T.L. Now only a farm house.
Beul teine, Place of Druidical Fires. Mr. Edward O'Corman says this luime apjilics to a fort on the site of which the Protestant Church of KilciuTy (now closed) was built.
Belpatrick T.L.. Collon P. Ballopatrick, Inq. Visct. .Moore, 27 .Vug, IC.2S. I'atiick's town. O.X.B. Dunmore A 789, one of a range of low hills from .Mosstown and Suuirmore i)ri the .\.E. to Sli«>vr Bregh in Meath. There are four raths : a large one clo.se to tlie summit of Dinimore ; a smaller one on the S.W. slope ; another, very small, 700 yards to the E ; a fourth, larger, 400 yani.s S.S.W. of Leabhy Cross, close to the County botmdary. Contains 1514a. I r. 22i'.
Beltichburne T.L., Beaulieu P. — l9r)A. 2r. 13p. Named from Sir Henry Tichburne.
Benagh T.L., Carlingford P.— 234a. Or. 14p. O X. P>. gives the derivation as l)e.\ns;.\ii.\r (or beAns;.\»i <\t), " Branching different ways." Dr. O'Dotiovan has not given his opinion. It i.s a long narrow strip of land, between the Big and Little rivers, which unite at it? S. end. But as l)eAnii.\r signifies hilly, it may be a preferable rendering. A fort at the S. end.
Ben Rock. One of the Carlingford range of mountains A 13.30. The line diviilmg Anaveriuv froiu Ravensdale rims over the summit, on which are the remains of a mount.
Betaghstown T.L., Termonfeckin P. — 175a. Or. 34?.: bAiLe buvr^c. For a ddndcd . xplanatmn of the Irish office of Biadhtach or public victualler, see .Joyce II.. )). IK}.
Big Barn, T. & S. .Map. On the road to P>armeath, just out of Dunlecr.
Big Furze, Callystown T.L., Termonfeckin P. .-V small group of houses.
Bigsland T.L., Smarmore P. — 18a. 2r. 24p. Xo nunains.
Big Woman's Grave, Corrakit T.L., Carlingford P.
F
38
I'LACI". NAMi:S IN TIIK COnNTV Ol' LOdTH.
Blackball '11- . rcnnoiifccUiii IV 'An. I iv, inclndiMfj; a Hiti/ill dctaclied ])ori\(m of f>A. lli. 9j' ad-
jdiiiitiK' I'i KMMtou II 'r li. Blackhlll :a tlSC) In tho S. of (IciiU'Hiic of Oridl 'r(;in|)i(<. Blacklston, An li. Moii. Mil) . |)i>. i n-Kri. S«h! Hlakdstown. Black Meadows. S W (>ii(i of (^urrabo^ T.L., AnhMn P.
Black Mountain A SSl. Ono of tho ( 'arlin^'ford ranj^*;, .JcnkiriHtown 'iM>. Called Kftund Mi. on the
SIX inch Ord. Hlx^ct. Co. Louth. Black Road. A hmo in Rood.Hiown T.L., Stahannon P.
Black Rock. A village in Haf>;j^ar(lstowii T.L. Much rcHortod to in the l)atl)inK Hoason. Blackstick T.\j., Ardoe P. -()7a. Oh. fn'. No reinain.s.
Blakestown T.Iv., SljanliH P. — 381a. Or. 30p. In(j. Car. I. mentions GodfrydoH laundye in Blakonton. O.N.B. ^'ivcs the Iriwh an iMiLe blACAc. ThcHe narn(^s are similar to those of two Danish chiefs when Muirch(mrta^^h of th(^ lieatliern Cloaks was killed in battle at Glasliathan, near Ardee. Blacar was tl\e Danish kiny; at tliat battle, and C!otlifrith or Godfrey son of Sitric, a eousin of Blacar ((Jenealo^'. Table, ApixMulix 1), Wars of thr (J. and G.), thouj^h his presence is not recorded, might liav(^ his name connected with the battle, or afterwards with the place.
Blundeston al Cakestcm. In<i. MiMiael Dromgoole, Ardee, 24 Sep., 1G33 ; in MuUary P. D.S. Map plac(>s it S. of Roxborough, of which it a])})ears a part.
Boates Bridge. Iiui- resjKK'ting the Pryor's Park, Ardee, 8 Jan., 1019. On the high road E. of the Park.
Bogberry Hill. S.W. of Glack Cross Roads in that T.L.
Boggmeade a! Rough al. Gaffnye's Land. Inq. Thomas Fleming, Gernonstown, Co. Meath, 9 Hev., 1653.
Associat(Hl with Termonfeckin. Position not known. Bogtown T.L.. Mapastown P.— 273a. Or. 12p.
Bogtown. The farms of Mr. McEnello and Mr. Ginnety in Dromiskin T.L. A corruption cf Backtown.
The Irish name, Coolbaile, is still known here. Boharboy, " Yellow Road." A village in Muchgrange T.L., Carlingford P.
Bohar na moe T.L., Ardee P.— 390a. 2r. 38p., " Road of the Cows." Silver Hill, A 159, near ite W.
side. Croagh Martin near the north. Belies T.L., Kilsaran P.— 299a. Or. 22p. buAlnje, " The Milking place of Cows," J. O'D., O.N.B. Bonebor-berr. Inq. Nicolas Hussey, of Galtrim, Co. Meath, 23 April, 1633. Associated with places
in Philipstown, Kildemock and Dromin parishes. Bongrogey. T. & S. Map places it where Toberdoney T.L., Dromin P. is, but puts Toberdoney in
Richardstown P. Apparently a corrupted form of some name. Bosgravllle's Rath — see Baskervill Rath.
Boyeetown T.L., Port P. — 202a. 1r. 7p. Site of a rath at Ferrard's Cross.
Braganstown T.L., Stabannon P. — 1267a. 3r. 5p. Ballebragan, Inq. Car. I. A large part of the bog formerly here has been drained. Here, at a spot not far from Braganstown House, Sir W. Berming- ham. Earl of Louth (called MacFeorais by the Irish), was attacked and slain with 200 of his followers by the English settlers, who resented his being given a Louth title. This occurred a.d. 1328. His two brothers, sons of Lord Athenry, Richard Talbot of Malahide, many Irishmen, and MoUrony McKerwell, chief musician of the Kingdom, were also killed. See Annals Clonmacnoise, Ann Is Loch Ce, and Sir J. Gilbert's History of the Viceroys.
Braghan T.L., Termonfeckin P.— 36a. 2r. 31p. " Anything soft," O.N.B.
Branagan's Cross, Collon T.L., on road E. of Oriel Temple Demesne.
Brandon's Park, Arch. Mon. Hib., p. 464. A close, granted in capite along with the Grey Friary, Dun-
Dundalk, to James Brandon, April 30, 1643. Briar Hill T.L.. Dysart P.— 81a. 3r. 31p. No remains.
Bridge-a-Crin. Wooden Bridge over the stream separating Stumpa and Falmore T.L.
Brittas T.L., Carrickbaggot P.— 333a. 2r. 32p Speckled land, O.N.B. ; Joyce II., 14, 289. Rath
in centre. " They say there is a cave in it," O.N.B. Broadlough T.L., Ardee P. — 168a. 2e. 24p. Name English by common consent, nevertheless O.N.B.
tries to make it Irish : biiAiT) Ioca, " neck of the lough," which elicits from Dr. O'Donovan the
severe remark : " The Co. of Louth Irish is not to be depended upon." Broughattin T.L., Ballymascanlan P. — 68a. 3r. 25p. bjiuAC Airne, " Brow of the furze," J. O'D.,
O.N.B. A mount E. of Broughattin Lodge. Brownstown T.L., Drumshallon P. — 613a. Or. 35p. An old burying ground on the Ord. Map, and a
church, the site of which is known by the grass covered outhne of its walls. See Kilkaman. Brynoldstowne. In C.S List as one of the Townlands of Termonfeckin, containing 179a. Or. Op., but
not on the map.
Burke's Land, T. & S. Map. In WiUville T.L., Carhngford P. ; also in C.S. List. Hurley Bridge, Shanlis P. Over the river Dee on the Ardee-Drurnconrath road.
Burren T.L., Dunleer P. — 411a. 3r. 22p. Rocky land ; boiyieAnn, a large rock. Joyce I., p. 419, and O.N.B. In Ann. Q.M., A.M., 4404. Dr. O'Donovan, quoting an old MS., deriving it from bofifi great — onn, stone. Barne between Athclare and Listulk, D.S. Map.
Bush. A Station on the Dundalk-Greenore Railway. Ballaverty T.L. A small church and burying groxind.
(To be continued.)
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH. EG LOGICAL JGURNAL
30
NOTE OX THE PLACE NAMES OF LOCTH.
The Ordnance Name Book referred to in the foregoino; list was eoiu|)iled for tlic ()i(hiiuuc Siiixcy of Ireland between 183-i and 1836. Colonel Sir Thomas Larcoin. Fvoyal Liiuinci-rs. was at the licad of that Survey, and Lieutenants G. A. Bennett and Henry TuckiT of that Corps wt ic in ( liaiLrc of the operations in the County Louth.
The Antiquarian part of the work was under John O'Donovaii, LL.D.. to whom the r( |i(>rt> of which the Ordnance Name Books are composed were submitted. The information whicii a|>|)car in these reports is initialled chiefly by Messrs. Patrick O'Keeffe and John O'Connor, assisted by J. O'Neil and Mr. J. C. Sharkey, the latter of whom appears to have belonged to the Ordnance Siu Ncy. and others belonging to different localities. That their Irish was not always to be iclieil oti appears sometimes in Dr. O'Donovan's remarks.
The letters describing Parishes and their anticjuities were written for Louth by IV O'KeetVc and J. O'Connor, and addressed to Sir Thomas Larcom.
Names of Places in this list are spelled exactly as in the Six Iik h Ordiuuuc Map uide>s d( ii\f(| from other authorities. The Irish is sometimes a difticulty. Dr. O'Donovan does not always initial that given by Messrs. O'Keeffe and O'Connor, and in a few instances it seems (l()n!)tful. Dr. i*. .loy. c is quoted wlienever ])Ossible, not onlv as the best general authority for Iiisti i-endeiinL'>. but a-~ mu who knew a gootl deal of the County in fornu'r days.
40
i]olu lWclU% in OUtuutn goiitlt.
St. BriRit. Ill tlir ()l<l clinrcliy.inl in I'aiiuliarl Upper V \j. A very iuiciciit hiiildiii}^ covers it. St. BriKit, Dmilrcr T.L. and IV, O.L.
St. BriRlt, Mailtstowii !'. Mentioned in O.L. ; not on the map.
St. Colman, called 'rolieihnllanioij, on the map. On the shore Salterstown T.L. ;iiid J'. St. Coluniba, ( an i. Uhau-ot T.L., O.L. St. Dennis, ('lo^lle^ T.L. and IV. O.L.
St. Feichen, 'rermonl'eeUin T.L. and IV, ().X.I'>. ; not on th(^ map.
St. Finnian, Coistown T.L., Dfumeai- IV, of whieh he is Patron. 'Vhv v/d\ beini^ a s[)rinj^ in a field
is mnih trodden by cattle. St. Fintan, Dromin T.L. and IV, of vvliicli he is Patron. The well is covered over and [)reserved in
its ()ri;.;inal condition. St. James, Millgran^e T.L., ( 'arlingford P., O.L.
St, John, Castletown 'IM^. and P. The building over this is described in Wright's " Louthiana,"
Bool< 111., Plate XIX. Known locally as Tober Ronan. Lady's Well, .Marshes Upper T.L., south side of Dundalk. Lady's Well, Temi)letown T.L., Carhngford P.
St. Mary The Blessed Virgin, Cappog T.L. and P. Referred to in O.L. as Cill tTluijie. Not marked oil the ma]).
St. Michael the Archangel. In the churchyard of Charlestown P.
St. Patrick, Channonrock T.L.
St. Patrick, Kilpatrick T.L., Kildemock P.
St. Patrick, Mell T.L.
St. Patrick, St. Mary, Drogheda. Only the site is preserved.
St. Ronan, Dromiskin T.L. and P. It is a spring by a small stream. St. Ronan was one of the
Abl)ots of Dromiskin, died a.d. 064 of an epidemic called the Buidhe Connail — Annals Q M. Trinity Well, Termonfeckin. .\ Station held here on Trinity Sunday. Trinity Well, Paughanstown T.L., Kildemock P. St. Ultan, Drumgoolan T.L., Louth P.
St. Ultan, Killanny T.L. and P. O.L. says it formerly was there.
Tober an elshy, S.W. corner of Gallstown T.L., Marlestown P.
Toberboice, off a lane in Drogheda. t-Buithe — of St. Buithe vulgo St. Boice, Dr. P. W. Joyce.
Tobereisk, Hurlstone T.L., Smarmore P. T:-eife — of the stream, Dr. P. W. Joyce thinks.
Tober Finn, Brownstown T.L., Drumshallon P. c-pinn — Bright or limpid well, Dr. P. W. Joyce.
Tober Maura, close to Mullary Church — Mary's Well, Dr. P. W. Joyce.
Tober meen. On the shore Templetown T.L. r-min — of the plain ?
Tober na Calliagh — of the Nuns, Dr. P. W. Joyce.
Tober coole. Ravel T.L., Dunleer — of St. Comhghaill or of the corner.
Tober na gan keenagh, Anaglog T.L., Kildemock P. r-riA jjeeAnn cinne— of the chieftains. Rev.
Dr. Olden. — of the heads .... Dr. P. W. Joyce. Tober na solais, Killineer T.L., Drogheda— of the hght, Dr. P. W. Joyce. Tober ra, Brownstown T.L., Drumshallon P. — of the Rath, Dr. P. W. Joyce. Tobershowney, Carntown T.L., Ballymakenny P.
Tober theorin, on the meering of two townlands in Drumshallon P, r-reo|iAin — of the Boundary,
Dr. P. W. Joyce. Tober toby, Menghstown T.L., Termonfeckin P.
41
OST of those who will read this article liax'e heard and will w- meiiiber the paper read by Mr. (i. H. ()ri)eii at the Meetin.i; of the Royal Society of Antiquaries in the Town Hall. Dundalk. in July last.
They will reniend^er that the burden of that ])ai)er. and the theory Mr. Orpen sought to prove, was that the high f1at-t()})pc(l earthen mounds, known as " motes," were the work of the Normans.
It was not the first occasion on which Mr. Orpen advanced this tlieorv. for an article of his on the same subject and making the same claim will be found in the R. S.A.I. Journal for June, 1907. and another in the English Historical Rcvicic. April, 1907.
In the paper read at the Dundalk Meeting Mr. Orpen confmed his attention to the motes of Louth. As the paper has not yet seen the light it is not i)()ssiblc to criticise it in detail, nor is this article meant as a general refutation of Mr. ()r])en's theory.
I think Mr. Orpen has done well to raise this question, and set uj) this theory, because in doing so he has made investigations and observations, and adduced facts and evidence which will undoubtedly help to elucidate a hitherto unsolved problem.
Those who have read or heard Mr. Orpen's arguments will remember that one of the strongest pleas is that the country where motes abound coincides roughlv with the old English Pale.
As far as my knowledge goes this is in the main true, and I think Mr. Or])cn deserves the credit of drawing public attention to this fact.
The writer has lived up to the present in the counties of Monaghan and Louth, and for well nigh twenty years he has been devoting attention to these impressive earthworks, and he can vouch for it that the general rule is that in Monaghan and Cavan the ring forts are plentiful, while the mounds or motes are practically non- existent, whereas in Louth and Meath the motes are plentiful, while the low ring forts are comparatively few.
Nothing is more surprising to a student of these antiquities, than the change from motes to ring forts when one passes from the low rich lands of Louth and Meath to the hill country of Monaghan and Cavan.
And the thought has often occurred to me why ha\'e we no motes in Monaghan and Cavan ? There are a few, it is true, but with one or two exceptions they are on or near the Leinster border. A gentleman at the Dundalk meeting offered the explanation that the absence of motes in Ulster was caused by the destruction of these structures by the Scotch planters. But this explanation will not mee t the case. Motes are harder to destroy and obliterate than ring forts, and it would not be at all probable that the motes were destroyed while the forts were spared. In Farney (vSouth Monaghan), for instance, this did not happen, for Farney ne\ er was " planted," and the people had had the greatest reverence for these remains, so mysterious, and invested with so many wierd traditions ; yet in Farney, accord- ing to Shirley,* we have 220 ring forts, whereas there are but two motes, and these two are on or near the Louth border. Now it is beyond doubt that motes never existed in Farney as they do in Louth. The same is true. I believe, of the whole of County Monaghan, and also of County Cavan. Of course there are some exceptions. The mote of Moybolloge, near Bailieboro, is only a few- miles from the Meath border, and can hardly be called an excejition. Hut the great mote at Clones is a decided exception. vSo is the Crown Mount, near Newry : and Mr. Bigger informs me that motes occur near vScarva.
* Vide Historical ShelchrM of Fnrnei/.
42
M()'ri;s AND 'riii;iK' oKUiiN.
I'ut, oil \\\c whole, as lar as the iioi t Ik.tu Ixnindaiy of the Pale is concerned, Ml. ()i|)eirs content ion is (|uite accmate, that the mote country is coincident with the I'ji.i^lish Pale.
Till' writer cannot say how tar the same may be true on the southern and western borders of the ])ale. Hut anyone who has travelled in west Connacht oi north-west Ulster knows that these usually cons])icuous structures are not to be seen in these districts.
Xow, granting that the mote country agrees in the main with the area of the Pale the conclusion I should suggest from this is that ihe motes were built, not by the NonuiD's, hut by some earlier conqueriw^ race who, like the Normans, conquered and held the rich midlands, while leaving the hilly and less fertile country to the north, west, and south, largely in possession of the conquered tribes.
W^ho then were these conquerors ?
Well, Eoin MacNeill is at present reconstructing for us our ancient Irish history, and separating the inventions of the poets from the actual facts of history, and he has shown that the Milesian tribes never peopled more than a third of the country, though they imposed their suzerainty over the whole of the island. I'\irther he shows that the two great centres of Milesian power were Tara and Cashel, and that the country actually held and peopled by the Milesians was practi- cally the same as the English Pale of a later date.
Now the theory I should suggest for investigation by those who may have the time and opportunity for it is that the motes were strongholds peculiar to the Milesians.
In the Pale country nature does not supply those steep hills and precipitous cliffs and other natural defences that the fort builders usually took advantage of elsewhere. And a numerically weak military race, such as the Milesians, stood in need of unassailable strongholds. Yet they lived in the least defensible part of the country. And the fact that they lived there, and managed to hold their own for so long proves that they must have known how to make their strong- holds well nigh impregnable. Their case was exactly similar to that of the Normans, and what the strong stone castle was to the Normans the tall earthen mote w4th its deep fosses and pallisaded ramparts was to the Milesians. Not alone their military prowess but their methods of defence must have been superior to those of the earlier inhabitants whom they held in subjection, and the high mote as compared with the low ring fort fulfils this requirement.
Now I am merely making out a prima facie case for this Milesian theory. To prove it fully two things require to be done : —
1. — To map out the mote country, and show where they exist and where they do not.
2. — To map out the exact location of the Milesian tribes.
Should these two coincide with each other, the case, I hold, is proved, Mr. MacNeill has, I believe, largely done the latter work — namely, to define the country peopled by the Milesians. Perhaps Mr. Orpen or someone else with the necessary leisure could do the former.
Mr. Orpen, following up Mrs. Armitage and others, has made out a strong case for the Norman theory, by showing that in the case of eighty-five Norman castles erected in Ireland before 1216. motes occur at or near these in sixty-six instances.
Of course it has been replied to this that the Normans merely seized the motes which they found already made, and turned them to their own use. But this reply will be annulled if all the districts not alone in Ireland, but in England, Scotland, and Normandy, identified with Norman occupation, can be conclusively shown to possess earthen fortresses exactly of this type, while in districts never occupied by Normans these earthworks are rare or non-existent.
So far, it must be confessed, the evidence does point this way, but it is yet far
COUNTY LOUTPI ARCH.P. OLO(; ICAL JOURNAL.
43
from being conclusive. And we should be slow lo accept tlie Xoriiian theory umil every other theory has been examined and (lis])roven.
Mr. Orpen has a very hap])y safety-\-al\e for his theory. Ik- divides tlie motes into three classes : —
(I.) Sepulchral Mounds of Celtic orii^in.
(2.) Inauguration and Assembly Mounds, also of Celtic origin. (3.) Fortress Mounds of Norman origin.
Now vvhcrever a mote is proved beyond doubt to be pre-Xorman - like (ireeii- mount, Co. Louth — he simply says it belongs to one of the two other classes.
In this way, while claiming the vast majority of motes as belonging to the third class, he gets rid of all troublesome exceptions, but it is a method that is not alwa3's satisfactory, and may in many instances often decei\-e Mr. Orpen himself.
Before dismissing the subject I wish to draw attention to what I consider an important fact, which has not, as far as I am aware, been dwelt on before. A large number of these motes will be found with the ruins of churches or ancient monasteries in close proximity to them.
Here is a list of motes that have in every case the ruins or site of an ancient church or ecclesiastical foundation in their immediate vicinity : —
County Me.\th.
17. Milhnoiint (Drogheda).
18. Nobber. ' ig. Drumconrath.
20. Slane.
21. Cruisetown.
22. Robistown.
23. Kilbeg.
COT'NTY MONAGHAN.
24. Inniskeen.
25. Donaghmoyne (Manaan Castle).^
26. Clones.
County Cavan.
27. MoyboUogc*
Mr. Orpen incidentally cites many other examples, such as I)own})atiKk, Clonard, Durrow, Knockgraffon, and Clogher, but I only give here examples of which I have personal knowledge.
In the case of Nos. i, 2, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, zb, and 27 the site or ruins of the church is not more than a stone's cast from the mote ; in the other cases the two structures stand somewhat further apart.
1. — There are no remains of a church here now, but the site is still traditionally poiiit*'^! out. as well as that of an ancient cemetery, where the men and women were buried apart- a proof of very aii< i. nt origin.
2- — At both these places there are round towers also.
3. — In the " Tripartite Life " it is related that the chieftain wlio liv.-d here in tlic tinu- of St I'atrn k at first resisted the saint, but afterwards became converted, and became a l)isli()p ; and that St. I'ntri.k founded the church here.
4. — Local tradition attributes the erection of the church her«^ to St. Patrick.
r>. — Here just beside the mote are the ruins cf the church where, acct.rdinir to sonie aut hi)riti«'f^. Colmcille made by stealth the copy of St. Finnian's MS. which led to the balth- of ( "iildreindnu- an.l hi;* expatriation from Ireland.
().— There is not the faintest trace of a church here iu)W. l)ut tra<lition points out when- one existed on the top of tho hill just beside the inote. Hones and old tonil)stoncs w< n> du^' up wh.-n .1 fence was being made across the site of the ancient graveyard.
7. — A monastery once existed here nearer to the nu)te than the present ruins and grave yar-l ar<-.
County I^outh.
1. Mount Bagenal.
2. Faughart.
3. Dundalgan.
4. Haggardstown.
5. Mot a Ash.i
6. Fairy Mount at Louth.
7. Dunleer.
8. Dromin. ^
9. Mapastown.
10. Priest's Mount, Ardee.
11. Manistown (near Innismocht).
12. Stormanstown.
13. Tallanstown.
14. Shanlis (near Ardee).
15. Killany.
16. AcHnt.«
44
MOT ICS AM) IIII. llv
Ill ,il K;ist cliAcii iiist niucs the cc-c-lcsiaslical touiidat ion is known to belong lo the railv LMiiistiaii jxiiod, lon^ bclorc llie Normans were heard of in Ireland. Tlu'sc air Xos. ^, f), 7, ^, II, 15, 17, 24, 25, and 2(). In the remaining cases I am not awau- ol period to which the clinrch or ruin belongs, but some of them ha\r tiaditions ol a Patrician orij^in, and tlu-re are strong presiim])tive reasons b.'lu\ iiii; tlu-m all to be of i)re-N()rman origin.
hi Iniii instances (Xos. 10, li, IJ, and i(^) the mote is found c'lose to a modern rhuicli. but I ha\<' ascertained that this modern church is in e\'er\' instance built on I 111- sit r of an older one.
These t wtMity-scvcn exam])les are selected from a coni])aratively small area, and I am not sure that they exhaust all the available examples in that area, as they are written down merely from memory. But if similar examples can h>e found else- where it would go very far tp ])r()ve this, that these motes were the abodes or strong- holds of the j)uissant chiefs or tribal kings in the early days of Christianity in Ireland, sav during the fifth and sixth centuries, and that the early missionaries having won over the chief in each case, founded a church practically at his door, under his protection, and on land granted by him for the purpose.
Certainly it is more natural to suppose that the missionary built his church beside the fortress of the friendly chief — in a land where pagans were still numerous — than to think that the warlike and not over sanctimonious Norman barons should go out of their way to plant their fortresses beside pre-existing churches.
Indeed it is highly improbable that the mote was built of design beside the Christian church, but that the church was built beside the mote agrees with what we know of the success of vSt. Patrick and his successors in winning over the kings and important chiefs. This then goes to prove that these motes were the residences of the kings and chiefs of the surrounding districts in the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries. And we know from indubitable historical records that the Milesians held and ruled this particular part of Ireland during the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries, hence these motes were the strongholds of the Milesians at this period.
Now I will sum up the points of the argument :
1. The country the Milesians held is the country w^here the motes most abound.
2. The Milesians must have used a superior kind of stronghold to hold their own
in a country where they were outnumbered by two to one, and where natural strongholds were fewest. The mote answers to this character.
3. Many of the motes are found immediately beside ecclesiastical ruins whose origin
is known to belong to early Christian times — a proof that these motes were the residences of the Milesian chiefs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries.
I am putting this forward only as a tentative theory, in the hope that others may apply it to other districts as I have done to Oriel. That the motes were characteristic generally of the Celtic tribes of Ireland cannot, I think, be for a moment maintained, and the question of their origin must eventually rest between either the Milesians or the Normans. The Norman case is a strong one and cannot be lightly brushed aside, but it should not be allowed to march to victory for want of Irish antiquaries and investigators to advocate the claims of our Celtic ancestors.
Henry Morris.
P.S. — Since writing the above I have observed a fine, well-preserved mote almost opposite Dundonald Station on the Co. Down railway line,, and close beside it is a modern church. I have also met with another fine 'mote at the village of Clough — between Castlewellan and Downpatrick — having on the top the ruins of a small castellated building with narrow windows splayed both inwardly and out- wardly, evidently for the use of firearms.
And I have visited the magnificent rath outside Downpatrick, generally called Rath Cealtair. This is undoubtedly a Celtic structure, and Mr. Orpen had better surrender it at once to his opponents.
CASTLETOWN MOUNT-
BUILT BY " THE PIRATE " FOR HIS GRAND-NEPHEW PATRICK.
f ftp%nE$ of
= rnunfti %mtk
BY CMAPLC^ . R A
PENSER, in his " View of the vState of Irehuul," makes a six-cial mention of the sept of the O'Byrnes. He calls ihcm " Ikinns.'" which approximates more closely to the original and correct Irish form tli t)|Aoin than does that which passes as the ])re^enl- day equivalent.
He shows that long before his day — in fact all through Irish history, with its endless tales of hght, feast and foray — this fannly took a leading part. John Byrne, of Ballinacor, in the County of Wicklow, was de])uted in fifteen hundred and eighty-eight by his brother " Prince of Wicklow " to com- mand the auxiliary army in aid. of O'Neill, Earl of Tyrone, Prince of I'lster. His son, Edmund Byrne, married Margaret Taaffe, and settled at Killanw Count >• Eouth. and thus started the branch of the clan at which we are here taking; a passing glance.
Facts are few, but quaint ; and they are made quainter still the colonrini; of tradition which still tends in the direction of magic.
Among all the local traditions one name stands out for e\-er ])r()minent. It is that of the " Old Pirate Byrne " of Castletown. As he ha])i)ene(l to ha\ e been my maternal great grand-uncle, I took a somewhat ])articular interest in all con- cerning him ; and, as his career and that of his grandsons was full of romance, or what goes to the making of it, it may be of interest to. the reader al^o. Tlu-rc' is a picture of him painted by one of the earliest R.A's. He looks a most respectable member of society. Yet the people still remember him in Dniidalk by the name of " The Pirate Byrne." He li\ed at Castletown. The bi- S([nare house on the top of the hill was one of his. He built it for his gran{l-nei)he\v Pat. As the inscription which reads — " Erected by Patrick Byrne. lvs(j., of Castletown, for his grand-nephew Patrick Byrne, Esq., of Seatown, 1780 " shows. There's pirate's treasure in the cellars of it still : but it's guarded by a nia-ic cat. and you've got to shoot him 'wid a silver bullet before he'll let you get it.
The mound and trench upon which the Castle is built are remains of Celtic anti- quity, and have been there from time immemorial. I'or this is the site of old Dundalk — the Dundalgin of the Irish bards. Here we are, as it were, hand ni hand with the beginnings of modern history. vStraining our eyes yonder, we almost seem to see the magnificent emblazoned chariot of the yueen of Connaught s])ee(ling up against us. surrounded by a gleaming host of warriors. .\nd the sheen of tlie whiiling
THK nYK'NI':S f)I' COUNTY I.OIITII.
x-li;iii()t ulicrls sliiiu's in llir \ ;ilK-\' hclow, and (he warm glow of the saffron mantles, and the id''!^"' 1>i<><)<1h's, and tlu> liiu-ly wrought jewellery. And we know
lliat 1 he. dark liaiu'd (Jiircn has wralh llaniing in her eyes as she looks U])()n us, tni lias she not conu- to mortal c()nd)al witli the Knights of the Red Branch. But goiu- ail- thr olden days alas, 1 )ringing with them llieir story of the vicissitudes which lead us to the modem anti-elimax : — " The house has l)een lyin' empty for some time, vour honour, as the ladies that were here last found it terrible awkward on aeconnt of there ])ein' no water bar that they dragged up the hill in a barrel. vSnre if >()ur honour'd like to take it, it'll be goin' cheap wid three acres of ground attaclK'd ; and if your honour'd only speak to the Master, I'm sure it ud be yours. Wait now till I get the drawin' room shutters open."
\\\' are in the Pirate's home at last. The hexagonal rooms, cut to the shape of the tower, look decorative and quaint, and how easily we can people them with ghosts, and with the revelling and intrigues of bygone ages.
We wonder if he really was a pirate, or only a privateersman after all. But this tower would undoubtedly have been of use to him in the former capacity, and they say that he used to flash signal lights of red and blue from it to his ships in the harbour below.
P'ar away to the right stretches the expanse of Dundalk Bay. Here, in the ninth century, was fought the one great naval battle of which Irish records speak.
Turning our gaze a little to the left we rest it upon the hill of Faughart opposite ; again one of the most historic spots in Ireland, for it was there that the last King of Ireland was killed. It was a little over five hundred years after the great fight in Dundalk Bay that Edward Bruce was crowned King of all Ireland on the spot above which we are standing, and it was in the battle of Faughart that he ended his reign, stabbed to the heart by the Sire de Maupas of Dundalk, who, they say, dressed as a jester, found his way to the heart of Bruce's army, and, with his dagger, to the heart of Bruce himself.
From the scenes of war we pass to the peaceful heroine ot Faughart. She of whom it was written, " She was a ladder to heaven for very many souls, and was called by the chaste, ' Head of the Nuns of Erin.' " On this hill Saint Brigid, the great contemporary of Saint Patrick, was born ; and on the first of February in each year her feast day was kept with the annual patron.
Pat O' Byrne, grandson of " The Pirate," writes from Prague, on. February the first in eighteen hundred and six, to Miss Eliza O' Byrne, in Sanson Place, Worcester, England : — " This day used to be a hunting day — the patron of Faughart, Saint Bridget." So, through all his troubles and expatriation the Irishman never seems to have forgotten the old days at home.
Seatown is down yonder by the quay. The old red brick house, with the dis- used mill standing like a hoary sentinel beside it, is the house in which Pat O' Byrne's father lived. The military flavour still clings round it in a diminished degree, for it is now used as a militia barracks.
Looking upon the miniature of poor Pat O' Byrne, we cannot help wondering at the brutality and stupidity of the government of that day that allowed such men to be taken from the country. For we see him in German uniform, and we know that he died Chamberlain to the King of Prussia, and we cannot but admire the grit in a man who could raise himself to such a position despite the adverse surroundings of his life.
The proclamation which he signed with the name of " Commonsense " was, after all, but commonsense, at all events from one point of view. Had he not a right to call, as he did, upon his fellow-countrymen— Catholic, Presbyterian and Protestant alike — to make a stand against the exorbitant taxation and the bad government of the day ?
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But Pat had to undergo two years' imprisonment for his })am])hlet. and ])ay a fine of five hundred pounds to the King, and fmd sureties for his " good l)ehaviour." So he took his commonsense elsewhere, and shook the dust of the emerald isle frOni his feet for ever. His pseudonym of "Commonsense" seems really to ha\-e hc-en the key-note to his character. In the midst of trouble and sickness, in the- thick of war and worry and the fighting with the French, he writes home in tlir \ ear 1806, in a letter to his mother to the post office at Bath — a letter in which he makes the aphorism, " I now always reckon whatever is, although for tlie moiiK-nl unpleasant, turns out for the best." So he went bravely through liis lighting for existence until he died six years afterwards. He looks out at us still with a hauglity air from the diamond frame of the old miniature, for pride, too, was one of his dis- tinguishing characteristics, as we gather from his letters. So we take a lingering " good-bye " of the grandnephew of " the pirate."
As we take our way down the hillside, we are struck with the quaint old grave- yard at the bottom of it. I^eft alone, I lean against the rusty iron gate, and take another view of Castletown Mount ; and I wonder if this was the house in which the pirate slept that night of the robbery, when he outwitted his captors and had them hanged.
For they say that late one night, when the wind was moaning through the trees, and all was still in the Pirate's house, when the Pirate himself was sleeping the quiet sleep that only comes to those of good conscience and simple nature, a gang of men found their way into Pirate Byrne's house, and not only into his house, but even up to his bedside. There they gathered round his bed. and pointing a pistol to his head, demanded of him all the treasure he possessed.
Patrick the Pirate rubbed his eyes, and, stretching himself, took in the situation. Seeing that he was in the power of the gang of ruffians for the time being, he thought best to treat them civilly, so he took the little pleasantry of the pistol pointing merely as a joke, and an excellent one at that, and in response to their question said. " Gentlemen, here are my keys ; take all you can find, and do not forget that this big key I hold between my finger and thumb is that of the cellar, (jo. drink what you can of the wine and welcome." So they went, completed the plunder, and before quitting visited the cellar. Here they got so drunk that upon coming once more into the open air they one and all embraced the soil of " Ould Ireland."
Captain Byrne meanwhile sent round to the police barracks. At dawn one of the ruffians was found in a field beside the house, another was prostrate on the road to Dundalk ; in fact, the whole gang were found one by one adoring the h<)l\- soil of Louth.
At the next sessions they were tried, found guilty, and hanged on the summit of " dairy hill." They say that Captain Byrne was present at the execution, just to see the last of his guests and wish them a pleasant journey as a host should, h'or one man Byrne interceded in vain. This man had prevented his comrade from firing the pistol which was pointed at the Pirate's head and thus carrying the joke too far. But Byrne's intercession failed, and the man was hanged — the hangman " jumping on his shoulders to put the life out of him." Thus one little ])Ieasant incident has come down to us of life in and around Castletown Mount.
When we first heard the story we thought it was merely a pictures(iue fiction invented to strengthen the local colour of which the Irish are so fond ; but upon examining the court book of that particular period we found tradition corroborated.
We were lucky to get the extract from the court book, for it had left Dundalk. But previous to its removal it had been lent to one of the residents and from his copy I got my information. The court book solenuily says that Patrick Clarke. Philip M'Cormick, Michael Hickey, John Griffiths, Patrick Rourke, John Keariis and vSimon Doyle were indicted " for that they, on the niglit of the third of May,
'nil. i?\i<Ni:s ()!■ corN'iY r.oirrn.
twciitirtli (.1 till' KiiiK (i7''^o), ;i1 C'asi lei own , did hrcak and enter tlie dwelling liouse ot ratiu k I'.N iiie. and tlieieont feloniously took " ; and iiere it j^ives a list of knee l>urklrs, sail shovels, laid<ards, seals, j^old rin^s, twelve ])air of stoekin;i;s, seventy |)(»niids in inone\-, and " one small pieee of fine linen, valued
ll tlieii .i;oes on to ^\\<' the result. vSinion Doyle was found "not ^'uilty." All the others were found " K^ii^^Y " " senteneed to be hanged by the neck
until dead, on Saturday, the 2nd day of vSe])tend)er next."
We lea\e the ruined chapel with regret, for there is evidence of interesting early Ci'lf ic work al)()ut it mixed with that of the sixteenth and seventeentli centuries, and w<' tread a c^uitious way among the mounds which veil what once was human, until \ve stand before the roofless building erected by Pirate Byrne as a family tomb. With the aid of grass from the neighbouring graves the lettering under the mermaid family c rt'st bec-ame distinct in the stone above the doorway of the vault, and I read the ([uaint e])ita{)li for the famous Pirate :
" NEPTlTNE'vS WAVEvS AND BOREAvS' BLAST " HAVE TOSSED ME TO AND FRO " UNTIE NOW I AM COME AT EAST " TO HARBOUR HERE BEEOW
" WHERE I HOPE MY BONES WIEE BE AT REST " UNTIL THE JUDGEMENT DAY SHALL BE '• O GOOD CHRISTIANS WHO READ THIS " I BEG YOU WILL PRAY FOR ME."
There's no one quite knows who wrote the verses. Some say the Pirate him- self did it, and more say that he isn't buried here at all, and that he only used the vault to hide things in, that he was smuggling, and that there's a secret passage from here to the Blount. But we've not found it yet.
But time is running away, and we must do hkewise. P'^or is there not a house below at the bottom of the hill by Castletown river, and was it not the living place of John, Pat's brother ? But there is no house there now, only a few loose stones and the remains of one or two outhouses. For they say that pikes were found in the garden in '98, and the zeal of the yeomanry was roused — or their sense of plunder to be had for the asking perhaps. John knew nothing of the plot which was being hatched against him in Dundalk, but the yeomanry officers loosed their tongues rather too freely about it over their cups after dinner, and one of the waiters took an early opportunity to escape from the room, and once outside fled with the speed of loyality and love to acquaint the friend of the people of the danger he was in. They say that Captain Seaver, of the Bog, who commanded the Yeomen, was so enraged at finding the prey flown that he swore " the bird is gone, but by G — we'll burn the nest," and they did. The house was burned to the ground.
And all the while John was hiding in Castletown river up to his neck in the water, and at nightfall he got clear away and escaped from the country, and went to join Pat as a brother in misfortune, and served in the Thirteenth Regiment of Austrian Light Horse. In one of Pat's letters, written from Prague in eighteen hundred, he says, " John comes to a troublesome place 'on the Rhine perpetually day and night before the enemy, and no rest." And a little later, " when you write to John direct to him ' Monsieur O' Byrne Lieut, dans le Regt. du Vincent, triezieme Chevaux Legers, au service de sa Maj : Imp : R. ; et Apost : sous les ordres de Monsr. Le. F : Z : M. Conte de Sztary (pres de Mannheim)," and then somewhat naively adds. the 13th Light Horse is John's Regt."
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Yet he did not stay loiii; in this rcL^iincnl with the ,L;iaii(lil()(jucMit titU-. lor ,i year afterwards we find him writing houK- to his iiiotlK-r in Duhliu that lu- lias ol)- tained his " dismission." and that he intends to walk all the wa\- to IlaiiihuiL; (700 miles) in order to get to England, as "1 would sooner starxe in Ivngland than he a General here." He seems very troubled in this letter, and yet. Irish likr. h.is a mind to describe the fashions of the day. " If the girls wish to know Prague fashions, the ladies wear red pantaloons with yellow gau/.e o\-er tlu-ni. and Tat wears a brown surtout and a Welch wig."
The Duke of Cumberland took a fancy to " the braxc John O'lix ruc." as lit- is called in the dismission from the Austrian army, and not only to the man. but also to his dress. From that time the sleeveless jacket worn by CoriRt ()'P.\ riR' was introduced into the English army, not to be discarded until after the Crimean War. John served in the Fifteenth Light Dragoons until someone with whom he had a quarrel denounced him as a papist and former rebel. His brother otticc-rs backed him up, and signed a declaration that he had " always conducted him- self with great loyality and zeal, and behaved in every respect as an oihcer aiul a gentleman."
Yet, after this, he left the arm^^ and retired into private life at W'orceslrr. where he lived to a good old age, a well-known character in the town. A caricature from the window of a Worcester bookseller is the only likeness we possess of him.
In the same tin box in which we found the declaration by the officers of " The Fifteenth " was an old deed relative to lands held by the Byrnes in Count}- Louth in the time of Charles I., with a full length seal effigy of the King attached. ( )ne of the words decipherable in the forest of doggerel Latin of which the deed is com- posed is " Rossmakea."
In conclusion, let us take a birds-eye view of the descent of the County Louth branch of the Byrnes from the time that John Byrne came from Wicklow in the year 1588 to the time of my grandfather John and my granduncle Pat. The following table puts this portion of the genealogy in perha])s the most succinct fashion :
John Byrne (of Wicklow) i^MS. Edmuud Byrne in. Margaret Taaffe.
Thomas Byrne. Gerald Byrne m. Catherine Pliinkett. John Byrrie.
Owen Byrne. Arthur Byrne. Henry Byrne. I-'rancis Byrne.
)n. Elizabeth Taaffe 1671
i
Wm. Byrne m. Jane MacDonnell. PATRICK BYRNE. George B>rne.
I The Pirate). (of S. at<nvn)
I
George Byrne Henry Byriit .
Henry Byrne in. Marie Begg. Margaret Byrne m. Thomas Russell. Cath( riii<- Byrii.MJi. Kichcl, B.irnrw.ill
PATRICK BYRNE. JOHN BYRNE He nry liyrne. Mary Byrne. Hli/.ilx th Byrne. Ann.- B\ni.-
1)1. Caroline Byrn.
Anna Maria Byrne m. William Kirwan.
PATRICK KIRWAN (the writi r of this anicU ).
mjc ©vifliu of ^(risl) motes.*
HE scientific investigation of Irish Earthworks is only in its infancy. The first Ordnance Surveyors in the 3rd decade of the last century seem to have been careful to mark on their maps all earthworks that they observed, and though many have been omitted, and though the different types of earthwork are by no means always distinctly indicated, and are sometimes indicated incorrectly, these early maps are a great help in guiding the field-worker and in preserving a record of earthworks which have since disappeared. The Ordnance Survey Letters (still unpubhshed) contain many useful notices of the princi- pal earthworks in each parish. The spade has hardly been employed at all, except ignorantly and mischievously, as recently at Tara. Much useful field-work has been done sporadically, by individuals, and their descriptions of existing remains in parts of the country lie scattered in our archaeological journals ; but much more remains to be done, and done more systematically, before we can obtain a complete and accurate survey.
It is necessary at the outset of an}- scientific treatment of Earthworks that some uniform system of classification should be adopted, and with this object archae- ologists cannot do better than follow the classification recommended by the Congress of Archaeological Societies, though some further sub-divisions may have to be made. The present paper is concerned with groups D & E in this scheme of classification, (koup E consists of " Fortified Mounts, either artificial or partly natural, with traces of an attached court or bailey, or of two or more such courts." With reference to this description it must, however, be borne in mind that the attached court or bailey may have been obliterated by cultivation or other alteration of the ground surface. Indeed, we have clear evidence that this has been done in several cases. The earthwork would then have the appearance of those of group D. — viz., " Forts, consisting only of a mount with encircling ditch or fosse." Indeed, the distinction between these two classes appears to be a subordinate one, and may for present purposes be ignored. Fortified mounts wholly or partly artificial, whether with or without an attached court or bailey, are commonly called in Ireland ' motes.' There is indeed good reason to think that the term ' mote,' which is not a native Irish word, but a French term introduced by the Normans in the twelfth century, was originally, applied exclusively to such fortified mounts, though afterwards, as we shall see, the use of the term was extended.
Ireland possesses some spe*^ al advantages over England as a field for the study of the origin and use of motes. Existing motes are perhaps more numerous than
This payier was read at the Dubhn Meetintr of the British Association in September, 1908.
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those of the sister country, and contain among them some exami)lL'S less mutilate. 1 than any to be found there. Moreover, from the known history of Ireland, tlu' peoples to whom the erection of motes can be ascribed are practically reduced" to three : — i. ' The Celtic Tribes,' meaning thereby the race or races that exclusively occupied Ireland prior to the Scandinavian invasions of the ninth and tenth centuries. 2. ' The Scandinavian invaders ' themselves. 3. ' The Normans ' (including tlu-ir followers of whatever race), who first came to Ireland in iifx). W e are therefore not disturbed by any possible theory of a Roman origin for those earthworks ; nor can they be ' Saxon burhs,' once a favourite, but now a nearly ex})loded, theory with regard to motes in England. Irish motes must be either Celtic. Scandiiia\ ian, or Norman in origin.
(A.) The hypothesis of the Scandina\'ian origin of Irish motes, though once widely held by the learned in Ireland, and still perhaps the popular belief, has little to recommend it, and is now generally discredited by those who have studied the question. Fortified mounts of the type in question seem to be at least \'erv rare in the countries from which the Northmen came, and their distribution in Ireland does not coincide with the districts which seem to have been dominated by the Vikings. Thus they are rare or non-existent in, or in the innnediate neighbour- hood of, the great vScandinavian seaport towns : Dublin, Wicklow, Arklow, Wex- ford, Waterford, Cork, and Limerick. ^ They are not to be found in the County Armagh, though Armagh is stated to have been for some years the seat of Tuirgeis. Nor has his dun at Lough Ree, nor Amlaff's dun at Clondalkin, nor the longporl at Linn Duachaill, been identified with a mote.^ Motes are very rare in Connauglit and West Munster, which, in the 3'ears preceding the time of Brian Borumha. seem to have been specially dominated by the Northmen. The ' Danish theory of motes,' which is as old as Edmund Spenser, was supported in the eighteenth century in this way. Because great sepulchral mounds had been observed in Denmark it was rashly assumed that all the great Irish sepulchral mounds — e.g., New (jrange, ^:e.. were Danish. The theory of a Danish origin was then extended to fortified mounds of the mote-type, as bearing a superficial resemblance to the sepulchral mounds, and even, quite gratuitously, to the Irish ecclesiastical Round Towers.
(B.) The theory of the Celtic origin of motes was the one most favoured by writers of the last century, and its claims to acceptance have been re-stated and strenuously urged in Ireland within the past few years. We may here note some of the difficulties which this theory has to encounter.
1. — The local distribution of motes is impossible to ex])lain on any hypothesis which would ascribe them to the Celtic tribes generally. Motes are found in numbers throughout the eastern parts of Ireland, but are very rare or non-existent in I'lster west of the Bann, in Connaught, and in West Munster. No atteni])t has been made by the upholders of the Celtic theory to account for this curiously irregular distri- bution.
2. — Though there are descriptions in native Irish Literature of Celtic fortresses surrounded by ram.parts and ditches, and of stockaded islands, no allusion to a lofty artificial mount as part of a Celtic fort has been produced or is known to me.
1. The Norman caHtle at Wexford, now represented by barrack.^, was on a mot*-. I)iit tlnm- is no reason to ascribe it, any more than the castles to the Scandinavians. Then- was a St anchiiax ian iii.iiiiil outside Dubhn, but there is reason to think it was not a fortress -mount .
2. Linn Duachaill wa,s a ship-shelter of the Nf)rthmen near the junction of the rivers Clyde uid Dee in the Co. Louth (see note Wars of the Gaedhill irith tlw C.hUI, p. l.xii). The longfxrrt at l.inii Duachaill (Ann. Ulst., 840) can I think be confidently identifiet. >vith a headlan<l fort at thr mouth of the Clyde, called Lis na Rann (probably liof iia junn). Set Fiisttiry of KiLs.iran. by thr It. v. J. B. Leslie, p. 93. T. Wright figures it in lonthinvn, an<i calls it a Damsh fort by the Pass of l.yiiiis upon the banks of the sea." For once I believe his Danish ascription is < orn ( t. and thr fort. win. Ii contains no mote or moimt, is a most valuable example of a ( h arly idrntifird Danish forV.
52
'iiir. oKiciN oi' iKisii M')ii:s.
]. Tlicrc arc i^ood grounds tor t liiiikiii.i; tlial at the time ol the Xoriiiaii Iiu asioii tlic Irish had few oi no pi ix alc casllcs ol aiiv sorl . Only seven pre- Noniiaii casll^'S {C(tis/cin) are uieiit ioiie'l in the Irish Annals. Their ])recise ihaiaetn is unc-ertain, hut onls' at one ot the i)hiees mentioned as their sites — \i/.., Alhlone, is tliere a mote: and a Norman easlle was erected at Athlone in ijiu, and its suec-essor still surrounds the original mote.'^
.}. (ierald de Harri, who had coniplele means of knowing the facts, as regards tile east of Ireland at any rate, says : " The Irish pay no attention to castles, but usf the woods as their strongholds and the marshes as their entrenchments."''
5. 'idiough we ha\e two nearl>' contemporary detailed accounts of Strongbow's inv asion, there is no mention in them, or in any other source, of the siege or assault of an Irisli Castle.
Those who believe in the Irish origin of motes do not indeed contend that they were in use when the Normans came. They think that they had been long aban- doned, and their origin so far forgotten that they represent (mistakenly indeed) (ierald de Barry as ascribing them to Turgesius the Dane.^ In short the only rival to the Norman theory current to-day is one which ascribes motes to the very dawn of Irish history, to the time of St. Patrick, and even to the previous legendary period of heroes, demi-gods, and full-fledged divinities.
The main argument relied on to prove this theory is that in some few cases there is documentary evidence referring to the existence in the fourth to the tenth centur3\ or even in some entirely pre-historic period, of a dun, rath, lis, cathair, or other Celtic fort, in a more or less closely defined locaHty, where a mote is now to be seen. Hence it is concluded that the mote is the dun, &c., mentioned. A more fallacious argument it is not easy to imagine. No one would think of applying it to any structure sa\'e an earthwork. Even assuming that the exact site of a stone structure built by some particular people, say in the tenth century, was recorded and clearly identified, who would think of asserting that a stone building (known, too, by an alien name) existing on that site was the tenth century structure, without at least first proving, on independent grounds, that the existing building conformed in class and style to other buildings erected by that people at that period ?
(C.) When we examine the remaining hypothesis that to the Normans was due the introduction and use of motes in Ireland we find a mass of facts of various kinds all tending to demonstrate its truth. These may be summarily stated as follows : —
(I.) The Normans had already adopted this type of fortress in Normandy in the eleventh century. This is not disputed, and is indicated by the enormous nund^er of motes in Normandy at the capita of Norman fiefs, by some contemporary allusions, and by pictures of them in the Bayeux Tapistry.
(2.) The first castles erected by the Normans in England and the borders of Wales have been shown by Mrs. Armitage and others to be nearly all of this type, and we actually have in the Bayeux Tapistry a clear picture of Normans raising a mote fortress, called a castellum, at Hastings. This again is, in the main, generally admitted.
The Normans then were mote-builders, and the hypothesis that the Irish motes w^ere built by them postulates, so to, speak, a vera causa. It is true .that the Normans
;i. See my paper on Athlone Castle, Journ. R.S.A.I., vol: xxxvii. (1907) p. 257.
4. Gir. Camb., vol. v., p. 183 : Hibernicus enim populus castella non curat. Silvis namque })ro castris, ])ahidibus utitur pro fossatis.
5. This locus classicus from Giraklus Cambrensis, vol. v., p. 182, is quoted and the various render- ings discussed in my paper on ' Motes and Norman Castles in Ireland,' Journ. R. S.A.I, vol. xxxvii. (1907), pp. 148-150.
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did not come to Ireland until a century after the battle of Hastiiii;s. and in tlu- iiu-an- time had built many stone castles in Englan.i. but it is easv to sec tliat llic con- ditions of their occupation in Ireland would necessitate tlicir a(loj)tiiiL^ a Ivpc of fortress inferior indeed to a great stone structure, but one witliui llicir powers and not unsuited to their immediate requirements. When they first began to settle down in parts of Ireland, principally in Leinster, Meath, and Eastern Tlstc-r. what they wanted immediately was a stronghold in each manor in which the lord and his retainers could defend themselves against a sudden attack, until a sullicicnl force could be collected to meet the enemy in the open. They could not wait to build a regular stone-keep with a high-walled bailey, nor could they easily connnand the materials and the skilled labour necessary. On the other hand l)y c()nd)inati<)n amongst themselves and by the assistance of friendly tribes (and we ha\-e e\-idence that both of these means were adopted) they could command the unskilled labour requisite for erecting a mote and digging the necessary fosses. Plentiful forests supphed the materials for the palisades and tiirris-lii^jicd . And the result was a well protected tower, set on high, fro.ni which a handful of archers could kee]) an unarmoured host at bay.
(3.) There is unimpeachable, direct, documentary evidence that the Xornians did in fact erect certain motes in Ireland. Thus we are told in the " vSong of Derniot that Richard the Fleming erected a mote at Slane and kept a goodly force there of knights, archers and sergeants to destroy his enemies ; and that Hugh de Lacv's chastel at Trim comprised a mote surrounded by a fosse and palisade. The mote at Slane still remains on the top of the hill, but that at Trim was probably le\-elled to form the great platform with scarped side towards the ri\'er, within the enceinte of the later castle. At Roscrea we have the evidence of an inquisition that a iiiofu et hritagium was erected in 1213, but this too must have been levelled lor the Edwardian castle built there in 1277-8.'' Then we have an allusion in a Wexford charter to a mote raised [motam quam levavit) by a Norman on the l)oundary of the forest of Ros ; and an allusion in the Irish Pipe Rolls (1298) to building a wall round the mote {mota) which still exists at Newcastle, Co. Wicklow ; and an incpiisition of 1307 shows that there was then a mote {mota) within the enceinte of Kilkenn\ Castle. It is known then that the Normans were mote-builders, and that the\ built motes in Ireland, and these facts have not been proved of an>- other peo})le.
Having thus established the position that the Normans were, so to speak, a vera causa of mote-erection in Ireland. I have proceeded to test in e\ ery wax- open to me the hypothesis that they were the sole cause of mote-erection there. First of all I made a list of all the townlands in Ireland (about 52 in nund)er). which involve the term ' mote ' as an element in their names." and I found that these t(.)wn- lands all lie within districts occupied by the Norman in\aders in the late twelfth and first half of the thirteenth centuries. In general at least they point to a forti- fied mount of either class 1) or class E as the origin of their names. In some cases, however, especially in Connaught, to which the Normans did not ])enetrate so early as to the eastern parts of Ireland, these mote-names seem to ])()int to a rectanguhu fortress surrounded by a ditch, often a wet ditch, belonging to eitlier class V 01 (\. in which the enclosed platform is only raised a few feet above the general level. There is reason to think that these rectangular fortresses, of which there are nian\ examples in districts occupied by the Normans, were also of Norman construction : and the inference seems to be that the term mote, originalh a])])lie(l onl\- to the
(■). For the authorities as to Shine ati-l 'riiin sc(> Kmilish ll,sl,„ical li, m ir ( I'.MiT). |.|. •_>:{:{ I ; .iii<! as to Roscrea ihid, p. 454.
7. See my paper on ' .Mote and I'.rdcsi lie I'.uildin^ in Inlatid/ F. iitjl 1 1 i.-<lnnr,tl H, n, ir (I'.MXi). pp. 417-444.
II
54
Tin: ()i<i(;iN oi livisii Mo'J'i'S.
l(»lt\- moiiiids ot classes 1) and IC, was at tcrvvai ds soiiict iiiics cxttMidcd U) (leiiotc tlu- irctaii.L;ular I'orts ol" which the (htcli was the chief feature. The transference would he rendered all the easier if I am ri.i^ht in sup])()sin^ l)()th chisses of fortresses to he Norman, and the douhle use of the term may possihly have originated the .unhiguity which to-(hiy hesels the word ' mote ' or ' moat.'
(5.) Hut the naming of townhuids is ca])ricious, and I next joroceeded to apply a more crucial test. I made a list of the ])r(>l)able sites of those castles in Ireland the erection or existence of which prior to the close of King John's reign is recorded, or in some few cases may safely be inferred, with a view to ascertaining whether these sites include earthworks of the mote-type." It is not easy to state the result in unimpeachable figures, for to some minds a few of my identifications may not be conx incing ; but there are about 82 castles on my list the approximate sites of which may i)e considered established, and I do not think I am exaggerating in stating that in about 80 per cent, of these cases the mote which probably formed the original castle-site can be pointed out. That is to say, either an existing mote is the only known castle-site in the place indicated, or, where there exists or is known to have existed a later stone castle, there is a mote, or in a few cases clear evidence of the former existence of a mote, in immediate connexion with, or in the near neigh- bourhood of, such castle, and the inference I draw is that the mote in each case represents the original castle-site. About nine per cent, of the recorded castles were probably from the first situated upon a rock, which sometimes served as a ready-made mote, while in the case of about eleven per cent, no mote or actual evidence of a mote has been traced at the apparent sites..
(6.) But of course there were many castles erected by the Normans of which no record has reached us. Another obvious test then is to examine the local distri- bution of motes, and see whether it coincides with the districts occupied by the Normans during the presumed mote-building period. We must, however, bear in mind that owing to the extreme paucity of records we cannot be certain that we know accurately the entire field covered by the Norman occupation. Moreover, to apply the test thoroughly, we should have a complete systematic survey of all earthworks of classes D and H, and this survey has unfortunately not yet been made. I have, however, specially compiled for my own guidance as full a list as I could, including not only such motes as I have myself visited and verified, but all others of which I consider I have trustworthy notices. This list is too imperfect to publish at present, but the result is a total of 245 motes, distributed as follows : — In the Lordship of Ivcinster there are 75 motes. In the lyordship of Meath (which included Westmeath and parts of Longford and King's County) 63 motes. In the Ivordship of Ulster (or the Counties of Down and Antrim, to which I have added English Uriel, approximately the County Louth) 50 motes. In what I may call " Crown Lands/' viz.. County Dublin, the eastern part of County Wicklow, the County Waterford and the Castles of Athlone and Roscrea, 25 motes. In the rest of Munster, mainly in the counties of Tipperar}^ and Limerick and in places which appear from our records to have been occupied by the Normans prior at least to the year 1215, 23 motes. In all Connaught I can count only 7 earthworks which can be classified as motes, and these are in parts to which the Normans appear to have early penetrated. While in all Irish Ulster (the counties of Donegal, Londonderry, Tyrone, Armagh, Fermanagh, Cavan, and Monaghan) I know of only two motes — viz., Kilmore in Cavan, and Clones in Monaghan, and these,' very significantly, are the recorded sites of out-lying Norman castles.^
8. English Historical Review (1907), pp 228-254 and 440-467.
9. The Castle of Kilmore was restored to Walter de Lacy in 1215: Cal. Docts. Irel., vol. i.. No. 612. Its identity with Kilmore, Co. Cavan, appears ibid. Nos. 1203, 1204. For the Castle of Clones see Ann. Ulster, 1212.
COUNTY LOTTH ARCH.^- OLOG UWL JOTIvNAL
The list is probably iucomplete. Indeed, I have omitted some ])ossihle examples — all in the Nornianized districts however — which on present information seem to be doubtful. The list too, from faulty information may perhaps wrongly include some few earthworks which ought to be assigned to a different class. Xe\-erthe- less I think it will be found to represent fairly the local distribution of motes in Ireland ; and taken in connexion with the known history of the Xorman occupation, the distribution of motes can, I think, only be explained on the hypothesis tliat they were erected by the early Normans. They are to be found where the Normans settled, or at least attempted to settle, within about 50 years of their coming, where else.
The connexion of motes with Norman castles becomes e\-en more certain when we examine their precise positions, for in most cases it can be shown that they were at the capita of early Norman manors. Furthermore it seems probable that the large majority of these motes were erected before the close of the twelfth centurw though some were certainly erected in the first two decades of the thirteenth. Hut by this time, in the more settled districts, stone castles began to be erected. These very often included the original mote, and were sometimes little more than a re- placement of the original wooden defences with stone. Thus we find stone castles, or the ruins or traces of castles, or other stone defences, on the summit or in the bailey of the following (among other) motes : — Castleknock. Carbury. Athlone. Clonmacnois, Newcastle (Co. Wicklow), Castlekevin, Knocktopher. Wexford. Durrow, Granard, Moylagh, Diamor, Derver, Rathwire, Ardnurcher, Kilbixi. Donaghmoyne. Killany, Faughart, Castlering, Castleguard, Rathskeagh, Shanid. Knockgraffon, Kilfeacle, Donohill,^° and the list might be largely extended, with- out mentioning the castles of Kilkenny, Trim, Mullingar, Roscrea, and Thurles, where w^e have clear evidence of the former existence of a mote. Altogether, stone castles, or at least traces of ancient masonry, have been obserxed in connexion with the earthworks of upwards of 50 motes.
Probably the use of motes as part of the earthworks of early Norman castles will no longer be contested, but those who cling to pre-conceived ideas still maintain that the Normans may have merely occupied and utilized ' Celtic motes.' assuming such to have been in existence. Now that the Normans made use of Celtic raths and duns when in suitable positions, and raised a mount within them, is very prob- able, and the supposition may account for peculiarities in some of their baileys and defences ; but to suppose that mote-fortresses were in use when the Normans came would, apart from all other objections, lead to this incredible conclusion, thai the Normans effected an early conquest and settlement }jrecisel>- in those parts of Ireland which were amply defended by mote-fortresses, but were repulsed and failed in those parts where there were none. While to maintain, as has been done, that the nu-te- fortresses were prehistoric and had been abandoned by the Irish long prior to the Norman invasion, would involve the equally incredible proi)()siti()n that the type of fortress adopted by the Normans, the foremost military engineers of the eleventh and twelfth centuries, had been known to and used by some Irish tribc-s from the dawn of history, and was afterwards abandoned by them for tlu- ])rotcction ol woods and morasses.
I must add a word of caution. .Motes must of course \)v distinguislu-d from sepulchral mounds, but further they nuist be distinguished fr<,m Inauguration mounds, Assembly mounds, mounds used at the great Celtic .\onachs. originally perhaps for some primiti\'e religious rites, afterward>^ as ' grand-stands ' to \-ii-w
10. I have contribiite<l mono^'raphs on the Castle.s of .Athlon.-. .\'cu ca-^t Ir (( '... Wickhiw). mu\ ("iistlc- kevin to the Journal R.S..\.I. I'HXi-T, and a })ai)er on the County Lontli .M..t.- ( H.sllert apprared 111 the same Journal for 1908. pj). •241--2(){>.
56
'I'HF". oRKiiN oi- ii^isii vroTics.
llu siX'i ts, 'iMu'Sc nioniids I luiii]) t o^cl licr ))i ovisionally as ' Ccrimonial Mounds.'
Tlu'V wvw ol'li'ii artiluial, and inan\ of llicni prohably originated in prehistoric tiuirs. TlicN' arc to he Inuiid a1 llic j^rcat ])o]iti(;o-r('li^ious centres of early Ireland : l'<tnain Maelia, Crna(-liaii, Ta'a, Ksnccli ; and at the inauguration places of indi- vidual lril)cs : TuUaghog, Cloglier, Carn Anialgaid, Carnfree, Magh Adhair, cK:c. Perhaj^s we mav detect Scandinavian ' Tliinglioges ' at Oreenniount near J.inn Duacliaill in Louth, and at the mound, called 'la Hogges,' which fortnerly stood just outside Scandinavian l)ul)lin. These mounds sometimes bear a superficial resemblance to motes, but even when not indicated by records or tradition they can generally be distinguished by their ])ositions, their styles, the absence of strong defences, the neighbourhopd of ])illar-stones, inauguration stones, and sepulchral mounds. To grou]) them with motes, or fortress-mounds of class D and B, is only to court confusion. It has nevertheless been done, and has created one of the chief obstacles to the recognition of the Norman origin of motes in Ireland. The false-grouping is probably partly due to a false etymology, the Romanic or French word juoia or inotte, ' a mound of earth,' having been confounded with the Teutonic word mot, ' a meeting.' Moreover the Saxon and Scandinavian meetings or assem- blies, to which this latter word was applied, seem often, like Celtic ones, to have taken place at an artificial mount. Thus to the superficial similarity of the earth- work was added a superficial similarity of the name.
GODDARD H. OrPEN.
Here lveththcbodu of mr patt hanlon^ who departed this life
IRT around with solinidje,. and graves stands the ruin of Ne wtown Church, and close by" its eastern wall lie the ashes of the O'llaiilous. They have been laid to rest in no ignoble company, for hitlier also death has borne spoils from the O'Reillys, the O'Neills, the- .M.ic- Canns — a recognition of kinship that he could not break, 'i'imo was when their stirring and warful career rang loud across the hills of Ulster, but to the visitor at their tombs no echo of it conu-s ; the^^ bivouac in peace upon the borders of the Pale. If he br an Irishman, truly he must have something of the spirit that -would pi-t.-|) and botanize upon his mother's grave," who could gi\-e undixided thought to archa - ology in the midst of such surroundings. vSuch, however, is my present task.
The O'Hanlon tond:) is not by any means the earliest stone in Newtown, but it has the distinction of a coat of arms and so challenges our cliief attention. It is a large recumbent block of chiselled limestone, six tc-i-t b\- three. be\elled and fluted on its lower edges and supported at either end by an u])right slab. Tudi-r- neath the coat of arms we read the following in.scrij)tion : " Ib-rc l\-i'th tlu- bo.U' "of Mr. Patt. Hanlon, who departed this life Deer., lyy), aged .}J years. IKic " also lies interred Margaret Hanlon, who (le})art(.(l this life on the 15th May. 17'>7. " aged 22 years. And Terence O'Hanlon father to both tlie former, who departetl " this life on the 4th of February, 1777. aged 90 years." The inscription as such scarcely calls for comment ; the omission of the ])rcri\ O from t lu- surname is possibl\-
58
I. OIIANI.ON 'lOMI'. AND AKMS.
arroiiiiird Ini 1)\ tlir o] )ci al i< ►! 1 ol tile pciial law' a^aiiisl (/aclic sin na iiics. hut I tliiiik il not likch . The 'rciciuc incut ioiicd was a ^raiidsoii ol the historic Redmond Count ()'llaidon. It was lu- who caiiic here and loundcd the Mount I'.a^nal family, and cHH tcd this stone to the nienior\- ol his children. ( )ne old shanac-hie I have nu't was able to tell nie that the name of the first O'llanlon of Mount I>a^n;d was Tuilouj^h Moi,^ a more Celtic- and more fitting name than thex'ersion on the toml>.
The illustration whieh aec-om])anies this articde will serve to ex])laiii the coat of aims better than could any words of a novice in heraldr>'. On the shield will he sec-u a hoar ])assant. lie is an ill-formed s])ecimen no doubt, and if the resurrected <)rijj;inal were on the lists for Ardee vShow I Tear he would stand a poor c-hauce for honours. Ilowex'er, he has a noteworthy history, which will be glanced at later on. The crest is a mailed right hand grasping a dagger ; the supports are ap])arently some eoiu eutional ornament wrought in at the whim of the sculptor ; the motto is " h'idelior Nemo," being in English " No one more loyal." The motto is incised, the rest is wrought out in bas-relief.
And now to the story of our " Boar passant." Authorities say once upon a time in the period of his " outlawry " Redmond O'Hanlon lay down in the woods to rest, and being very weary he fell asleep. He was awakened by a lizard which crawled and re-crawled across his face ; and not a moment too soon, for he saw a gaunt wild boar about to attack him. Seizing his arms he drove the boar into the depths of the forest, and while thus in the pursuit of it, a strong body of the English enemy came to the very place where he had been sleeping. Hence O'Hanlon immortalized his saviours the boar, and the lizard, by adopting their effigies for his shield and crest.
O'Hart, in his Irish Pedigrees, accepts this story, and quotes the quarterings of the Con^mghams of Letterkenny amongst whose forebears was Catherine daughter of Redmond Count O'Hanlon, but there is the suspicion of " plot " in the little drama. Anyhow it has heretofore been accepted that the " Boar " was the peculiar shield of Redmond and his lineal descendants,^ a " blazing hill " being the shield of the -clan as such. My shanachie has another version. The boar is none other than the " Black Pig"* of early Irish legend, and he was an O'Hanlon who killed it. As above, the hero fell asleep and was similarly awakened by the lizard, but as the exigencies of history do not demand a withdrawal, the boar is killed on the spot. Though it brings us to the borderland of myth and ante-dates the boar's arri\'al by a cycle. I prefer this latter version of the story. On referring to the ac- companying drawing one misses the lizard to which persistent tradition gives pride of place ; in its stead the hand and dagger appear. This I am unable to explain.
The present condition of the tomb calls for some notice. The supporting slab at the head is partiall}^ collapsed, with the result that the tombstone dips down to the ground level, careless feet and the lodgment of ever}^ rainfall have therefore full scope ; the w^onder is that the carving has been able to resist for so long these allied agencies of destruction. When we bear in mind that the tomb affords the only extant copy of the arms of O'Hanlon surely we might expect that the more loyal members of the now^ far-scattered clan will see to it. Much harm has been already done. The motto is practically undecipherable. ^ and it was only after
1. V. Year of Edward IV. That the Irishmen dwelling in the counties of Dubhn, Myeth, Uriel and Kildare shall go apparelled like English men, and wear their beards after the English manner, swear allegiance and take English surnames.
2. ni6|i ; this epithet =greatness, physically or socially.
3. O'Hart Irish Pedigrees, p. 434.
4. The very interesting story of the Black Pig is dealt with at great length by ^Ir. Dolan. M.A.. in the Co. Louth Archaeological Joiirnal of 1904, and asain bv loiicAn p.'llA niuijieA-OAi^ in the issue of 1905.
f). I have since learned that the O'Hanlon motto was ."sought for in every known source and without result, so that it had very nearly come to be a secret buried in the toml).
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.KOLCXi ICAL JOURNAL.
59
repeated rubbings that I got even a clue to it. I'ollowing the line of least resist anet- I applied to a friend who is the fortunate owner of a scries of plates shewing the Armonial Bearings of the leading Irish families : to my dismay I was informed that as in many other cases the motto is not given, and so I had to try it first hand. The scroll is so worn that there is not a perfect letter in it. save only " ()." the re- mainder is a succession of parallel and slanting lines suggestive of ogham : my initial difficulty therefore was to ascertain what language was used, and niv second and not greater was to determine the words. Howex er. I think the solntion sub- mitted is reliable.
The O'Hanlons are known in Irish history generally as the Lords of Orior" and hereditary Standard Bearers of Ulster, and the fact that the Kour Masters record the death of each succeeding O'Hanlon is the admitted liallmark of their nobility. Orior was truly a noble patrimony; commencing at the Primatial city and including the modern districts of Portadown (south). Goraghwood. Camlough, Forkhill and Dromintee. it rested on the northern boundary of the Pale. The seat of the family was at Tandragee. ' As one should expect, they were principals in mam' a hard fought fight with their border neighbours of the Pale, the De\'erdons, sometimes victors and sometimes the defeated. However, towards the end of the twelfth centurs* they were able to establish a claim to Black-rent^ from the Knglish of Dundalk and district, and in the year 1341 actually secured a treaty to that effect between themselves and the De Verdons of the time, which treatr was ratitiefl by the King of England. ^
The Mount Bagnal people, with whom this article is mainly concerned, are lineal descendants of Redmond Count O'Hanlon. he himself being of the southern branch of the Tandragee famih*. This unfortunate gentleman is — or was till very recently' — unfortunate even in his memory, for. three generations or so ago a jierson of the swashbuckler t^-pe who, whether by appropriation, or by right, bore the same name and choose the same localities for the exercise of his genius, set himself to emulate the deeds of the Redmond of history-. The result was a debased parody, but tradition has sadly mixed up their names and their exploits, and local memory fails to mark between the personalities whom more than a hundred years di\-ide.
Like many of his fellow Irish nobles Redmond won fame and a title^** in Conti- nental wars, and later, returned to give his sword for Ireland. Single handed he defied the English for a quarter of a centur\-. his only ally being as it is said, hope of aid from France. He v.-as no less brilliant as a scholar than as a .soldier, and a contemporary Englishman. vSir Francis Brewster. likens him in learning to ( )rrery
(). Orior is a moderately accurate renderins of v\i|icev\ji-- the F'astcru < <iuutry. It < o:ii|iri-^'-il practically the EaMcrn half of Co. Armagh. It niicrht here he adcJed tliat the lianis or l'>n-hons <if thr O'Hanlon.s were the O'Hamills ; there are wise lawgivers of that name still with ii.s.
7. The O'Hanlon of Ehzabeth's time- -Eochy, Oghie, or (now) Hugliie, took the tith- uf Sir. He mast have Vjcen a man characteristically Irish notwithstandinL'. for SfK-n.scr. speaking of thr rapid Irishi>ing of certain English families, said [Vieic of State of Ireland) they were " Com 5;.Mn.\r le roin tH >iv\nnlu.Mn as the proverb there is." The proverb is rertainly ex|>res.sivr l)nt not S|H-nsrriati.
8. A tribute in money or kind in return for which some of the inon- i'o\v«-rfiil < liii-fs would uiid.-r take the policin^r of the border.
9. History of flu Irish Viceroy.^, j). llfi ((iilljert).
10. Eriri M. S. O Hanluain, Bla< krock, Dublin, t<: whom I am indcbt*-*! f< r much valu iblr infor- mation, writes : " The fat t is tliat we have no more than a con.sensus «if opinion tliat H<dnuin<l was a Count of the Kingdom c f France. Were the old French newspajK-rs examined however, I have no doubt we should get more information on the point. James ('lark* l.uby gives it as his 0]>inion that it was merely as a recognition of his nobh- liirth that the Fren< h and other foreigm iH called Redmond 'Count."""
11. •* .\.s accomjdished as Orrery, or Os«ory. ... a scholar and a nian of part- This Irish
S'canflerberg who, considering the <lif!iculties he lay under an«l the time he continued did things in my opinion more to be admired than («lid) Scanderlx rw In ms( If."— Carte's Ormoud. .J»)urnal II . pp. "il-i- 513, original e<lition.
()()
rill'. o'llANLON AND ARMS.
111 (laiiiii; to Sr;i iK li-i 1 )ci i;. In I ( ).S i lie vv;is sliol while aslcfj), by a liiifd assassin. ()ii this otlicialh' plaiiiud iiiuKlcr \vc hcaiiily adopt llie worcls of the late Michael I)a\itt : "The 1 )laekest -hea rt ed seoiiiidrel that e\'er bore the name of Ormonde biibed a near iclativc to kill him, and the (k-ed of treatdiery is recorded in the vState I'apers signed b\- the K(!rd Lieutenant, this same assassin Ormonde." n^. li'ft behind liim three brothers. Louj^hlin, Ivudmonn and John, and two children^ Mai\. who married into the Conyn^hams of Lelterkenny, and James who was father lo 'I'erenee (Turlouj^h Mor), who erected the tomb in Newtown cemetery.
M what ])rccise date 0'Hanh)n came to Mount P>a^nal is not now ascertain- able, lie died in 1777, and was ninety years of a^e, so that his long life stretchefl tlnouj;h the darkest of tlie i)enal da\'S. That he was able tc hold such a valuable l)roperty as the .Mount Bagnal farm can be explained only by ])resupposing the ser\ ices of some kindly Prbtestant, that he had the boldness to inscribe his family loud) with armonial bearings — mere Irishman though he was — proves that he had not forgotten to a])])reciate the dignity of his name.
The family which he founded ran through four generations, and at length succumbed to that very prevalent County Louth disease, old bachelorhood. The last representative James was, however, no unworthy scion of his house. A Barrister- at-Law by profession, he is still affectionately remembered in and around Dundalk as Councillor O'Hanlon ; but the title notwithstanding he was an infrequent figure in the Halls of Justice. All his talent, and it appears to have been many sided, he ga\ e to his country's cause, first as a Repealer and later in the ranks of the Young Irelanders, where he won not only the friendship but the admiration of men whose admiration was praise indeed. He died in the January of 1851, and amongst those who paid tribute to his memory was that other distinguished Dundalk man John Cashel Hoey. Readers of this article will be grateful for the following inset taken from a memoir of James O'Hanlon, which Hoey contributed to the Newry Examiner. 28th January of that year. : —
" But very few are aware that many a column of dashing disaffection in the " Dundalk Patriot^^ and many a sinewy appeal in the Newry Examiner against " ])ubhc wrong and local grievance, many a fancy-studded literary gossip, many a " squib redolent of racy mirth, and verse of no mediocre merit, were meditated " in the old Mount or by the pleasant Cooley shore, and shaped in the snug study " with the rose- wreathed windows."
I have one word more to add, though I fear this article has been prolonged unduh'. Amongst the claimants for an Old Age Pension some weeks ago there came from the mountain side of 5lAnn-mo|\ one Loiighlin O'Hanlon. After eighty-two years' wrestling with the stubborn earth he stands six feet high and looks a venerable and noble old man, as indeed he is. His name is uncommon and may without hesitation be taken as a guarantee of his descent. It will be remembered that Redmond Count O'Hanlon had three brothers Eudmon, John, and Loiighlin, and it is most likely that the present Loughlin is a lineal descendant of one of these. For thus did fortune deal with our old nobility — themselves de- classed, their heirs without inheritance, now —
•' Lodging in some humble inn In the narrow lanes of life,"
and perhaps with difiiculty procuring the wherewithal to pay the reckoning.
Confiscation may have accounted for their estates, but neither confiscation,
12. The Fall of Feudalism in Ireland.
I.'i. This Dundalk paper lived for only thirty-seven weeks.
COUNTY LOUTH ARCH.EOLOGICAL JOURNAL.
6i
nor wars, nor death, nor exile, has accounted for CU\nn Ui n Atml iiAiti. They : numerous in Orior still, and beyond its borders.
RED.AIOXD COUNT O'HAXLOX'S DESCENDANTvS :
Redmond Count O'Hanlon.
James in.
Terence of Mount Bagnal in. ? Known as Turlough Mor. Died 1777, aged go years.
Catherine m. Coyningham of I.ettcrkcnny.
James in. 1. Miss Ronan, Dublin.
m. 2. Miss Alice Coleman of Dundalk. I Marriage noted in Hib.
Magazine, July, 1783. I Coleman's house, now central
I portion of Marist College.
Neal m Miss A. Magee of Newry.
Patrick.
Margaret.
James, surnamed " The Terence. Councillor," died unmarried in 1851.
Eliza m. Martin, Dundalk.
Mrs. j. W. Horan, Louth, only child. Yet survives.
Mary m. Gernon of Willville.
Mary, Newry, who still survives.
(2) O'Hagan, Newry. No issue.
02
ffiarolantaniT.
() M E time ago An Claidheamh Soluis published a letter in Irish from the pen of the keen and painstaking antiquarian S. Kv(At>x<e on Carolan's Skull and other relics he had seen at Alderford. Translated, the letter runs thus : —
"I see in the Claidheamh Soluis of this week (19th Sep., '08) that our friend " Mr. Patrick Donnellan states that the head of Carolan the poet and musician is " now in Belfast, and that it was stolen over 100 years ago from the grave in " Kilronan (Co. Roscommon) where he was buried. I sincerely trust the story is
** not true. I am certain a part of it at least is not by any means, as I saw the skull about 40 years " ago in Kilronan in the year 1872 when spending my holidays in Gaothmaig. Kilronan is three miles " distant from that place in the Roscommon direction, near Alderford, whers O'Carolan lived with " the MacDermott Roe till the time of his death. He was buried in the old monastery. Long after, " when the grave was re-opened the skull was found and placed in a niche in the wall over the grave, " and an account attached to it with a green silk ribbon. I heard from the people that it was stolen " by a man from Ulster, but the friends of MacDermott Roe pursued and overtook him, and, having " taken the skull from him, brought it back. It was deposited in the same niche again and enclosed " with strong iron bars on the outside, sunk deep in the stones of the wall, for its better security in " the future. It was thus when I saw it and certainly it would be no easy matter to steal it then. " I did not hear what time or year the theft is supposed to have been attempted, but perhaps it was " the author of the story who wrote to the paper which our friend quotes, and I hope the skull is in the same place yet. The MacDermott Roe were O'Carolan's patrons from his youth till his death. " They educated him after he lost his sight. Their house he regarded as his home wherever else he " wandered during his life. Here he composed his poems and songs, and here he died. His room " remained as he left it ; the table, pen. ink-bottle and chair he used were shown to me, and, indeed, " the chair was by no means comfortable, for I was sitting in it. I don't remember where his harp " was known to be then. The old people had many of his songs and poems when I was there. " I heard one from an old man in Innishowen a poem which I had never seen in print. He told " me Carolan composed