Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839: Part II. Hy Cormaic

VI. Hy Cormaic

The name of this Territory, which was the patrimonial inheritance of O’Hehir, is still well known to the natives, who say that the Country of Hy-Cormaic lies between the Mountain of Sliabh Callain and the Town of Ennis, on the River Fergus. They all agree that it comprises the entire of the Parish of Kilmaley, but they do not agree on its extent to the south east, but there can be no doubt of its exact extent.

I was once of opinion that this Territory was co-extensive with the Barony of Islands, but now it is clear that it was not, as the Parish of Clondagad, forming the

Map of Ibrickan and Hy Cormaic
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south west part of that Barony, was a part of Corco-Bhaiscinn; but when this Parish is cut away the remaining part of the Barony is unquestionably the Territory of Hy-Cormaic. The Parish of Kilmaley is still locally called Hy-Cormaic, and the Parish of Drumcliff is also called Ogormuck in ecclesiastical documents. Hence we may safely conclude that the Territory of Hy-Cormaic extended from the mountain of Sliabh Callain to the mouth of the Fergus. It was bounded on the north by the Territory of Kinel-Fearmaic, on the east by the River Fergus which separated it from the Territories of Hy-Caisin and Tradree, on the south by Corca-Bhaiscinn East, and on the west by the Territory of Corca-Bhaiscinn East, and the north west by the Territory of Kinel-Fearmaic, which it meets at the Mountain of Sliabh Callain. The following passage in the Annals of the Four Masters will shew that this Territory extended to the mouth of the Fergus:-

A.D. 1573. A civil war broke out in Thomond. Teige, the son of Conor O’Brien, encamped with a large body of gallowglasses at a place called Ard na gCabog, where the River Fergus mingles with the salt water. From this he marched (to wreak his vengeance on the inhabitants of the upper part of Thomond) through the eastern part of the Territory of Hy-Fearmaic, and they plundered the unfortunate people as they passed along; after which they proceeded to Killinaboy, etc.

This passage shews that Hy-Cormaic extends to the mouth of the River Fergus, for it is stated that Teige O’Brien’s forces marched from Ard na gCabog, which is at the Mouth of the Fergus, through the eastern part of the Territory of Hy-Cormaic. This is enough.

The principal difficulties which attended the proving of the extent of this Territory were these two; where did it meet the Territory of the Corca-Bhaiscinn, and where did it meet that of the Kinel Cuallachta which formed the southern portion of the Country of the Kinel-Fearmaic? These questions are now answered.

ORIGIN of the NAME and HISTORY. Cannot be written at present for all we know of this Territory is that its Chief was called O’Hehir, now Hare, and that he was not of Dalcassian origin but of the race of Daire Cearb, the ancestor of the Hy-Figinte, who were located at the other side of the Shannon in the present County of Limerick. See Keating Pedigree.