Parish of Drumcrehy

1. Situation & name; Old Church & graveyard.

2. Three Castles in the Parish mentioned in list of Castles of O’Loughlin Burren preserved in MS. Lib. Trin. Col. Dub.; Ballyveaghane, now Ballyvaghan Castle (Situation of); Called in an Irish Deed published by Mr. Hardiman, Baile Ui Beachain, i.e., O’Beahan’s Town; Now destroyed and its site encroached upon by the sea; Shanemuckin’s Castle, now generally called Castle of Ballynacregga & repaired by Capt. Kirwan of Dublin; Uaithne Mor (Antonius Magnus) the last O’Loughlin who, according to tradition, lived in do.; Muckinishoe (i.e., New Muckinis) old Castle in Muckinish east; Pouldoody, a place celebrated for oysters, on the brink of which the Castle stands - 80. Newtown Castle inhabited by Chas. O’Loughlin locally styled “King of Burren”; Called Baile Nua by Mac Firbis in his pedigree of the O’Brians, a branch of which family he places there.

3. Lough Rasg, celebrated by Magrath in his Wars of Thomond; His account of the hag who appeared on the margin of the Lough to Donough and his hosts when proceeding on an expedition in 1317 against Torlogh O’Brien who, with his forces, was encamped within the precincts of Corcomroe Abbey; Site of a furious engagement which took place between two parties of the Dalcassians outside the Abbey still pointed out; The hag still well known in the country by the name of Caileach Cinn Boirne or the Hag of Blackhead.

4. Cahers or primitive Pagan Forts sometimes called Ooans (Uamhainn - Speluncae) from their containing artificial caves; List of do. in the Ph.

Other references to Drumcreehy Parish in the Ordnance Survey Letters:

• Notice of Ballyvaughan in Annals of IV. Masters; O’Beachains now called Vaughans.

• Cnoc-Dangan or Dangan Hill mentioned in Annals of Innisfallen & incorrectly called Cnoc Dloghain in the Caithreim (Wars of Torlogh).

• Lisduane, mentioned as in this Ph. in the Covenant made in 1675 between Hugh & Cosney O’Davoran; But does not now exist in it; Lisnaloughrauna also mentioned in the Covenant as in this Ph.; but not given in the Field Name Book.