Parish of Kilnaboy

1. Situation; Name

2. Old Church; Sketch of window in E. gable; The Church said traditionally to have been battered down by Cromwell’s forces, and subsequently rebuilt by the O’Briens of Inchiquin; Archway of cut stone near E. gable, said traditionally to have been the entrance to the family vault of O’Quin; Monumental stones with inscriptions inserted in the walls.

3. Round Tower (remains of) N. of Church; St. Innywee’s (Innyboy’s) Well E. of Church, resorted to for the cure of diseases of the eyes and of delicate children; “Patron” held formerly at do. on 29th December; Another Well dedicated to St. Innywee on border of Inchiquin Lake at which Stations are occasionally performed; Patron day still observed as a holy day by several persons in the Ph.; Tobar Baighdean Holy Well.

4. Cros Innewee (Cross of Innywee) fixed in a rock about a mile S.W. of Church; Dutton’s account of do; Sketch of do; Is one of the three crosses that marked the Termon of St. Innywee on the S. & W.; Elm Vale (house of) called by the peasantry Tigh na Croise or House of the Cross, near which stood a second cross; Crosárd or the High Cross, a place so called where the third cross stood.

5. Cahirmore, a large Caher within a few yards of the cross.

6. Comhad (Coo-ud) old Church; Tombs with inscriptions in and about do; The Church said to have been built by Catherine Keightly, wife of O’Brien of Inchiquin and grandmother of the present Sir Lucius O’Brien of Dromoland, as a Chapel of Ease to Killinaboy & to vex the rector with whom she had some quarrel; Comhad Townland pronounced Coo-ud, formerly part of Killinaboy Townland; Origin of the name; Pillar stone in do. called Comhad or equal length which gave name to the Townland and from which Teige O’Quin (O’Brien) of Inchiquin was surname Taidhga Comhfhaid i.e., Teige of the Equal Length (with the stone); Celebrated race course formerly in the Townland.

7. Cill Bhaighdeain (Baighdean’s Church) an old graveyard so called; Mortice in pedestal of a Cross to the S. of do. containing some water in wet weather, resorted to for the cure of warts; Children’s burial place in do.; Corrin or Carreen and Cahermochunna burial place for children; Caher in Cahermochunna said to have been the residence of O’Hehir; Bullan Phadraig Holy Well in Poullnalour; Toberaduff (Well of the Black) Holy Well in Cahirfadda; Black sediment found at its bottom and from which it is named, used by the peasantry for colouring wool as well as for applying to swellings of the eyes and limbs; The dye stuff also produced in other places which are not considered holy.

8. Castles in the Parish mentioned in list of Castles and their owners preserved in MS. Lib. Trin. Col. Dub.; Castle of Inchiquin inhabited by the Baron of Inchiquin (remains of); Ballycrottry old Castle, called on Petty’s Map Ballycortrea, and now Ballyporty (Baile Puirtriag) inhabited by Mahown McBrene O’Brien; Leim an Eich old Castle, inhabited by Teige Mac Morough O’Brien; set down in College list as in O’Conor’s country; Gateways in neighbourhood of do. through which it is said no person was allowed to pass without permission of the Lords of the Castle and their Ladies; Conor O’Brien Lord of do. and Mary his Lady, commonly called Maire Ruadh or Red Mary, of whom many deeds of treachery & bloodshed are recorded all over the Co. Clare, still well remembered; Tomb inscribed to their two daughters & dated 1651 in Church of Cood (Comhad).

9. Square Courtyard with remains of two square towers S. of Killinaboy Church called by some Cobhail an Chlaraigh Mhuair, or the great De Clare’s ruin’s, & by others O’Quin’s ruin’s; Said traditionally to have been the residence of the great De Clare before his expulsion and subsequent death by the O’Deas.

10. Extracts relative to Killinaboy Ph. from Annals of IV. Masters; Cill Caeidh in Territory of Hy-Fearmaic; Bealach-an-Fhiodhfail; Cill-Inghine Bhaoith (Killinaboy); Ard-na-Babog where the River Fergus mingles with the Shannon; Corofin.

11. Bothar-na-Mac-Riogh, or Road of the Seven Sons of the Kings, situation of ; Ruadhan (near the Port, the native place of the late Master of the rolls, Sir Michael O’Loughlin, Bart.); Bearna-an-Chaillin; Leacht (Monument of O’Loughlin’s daughter); Tully O’Dea; Loch Beasynatan (not now remembered) situation of ; Caraidh-Mad-Amboirion (Bridge over the River Fergus); Mullach-Gaoil (the Hill immediately to the W. of Killinaboy).

12. O’Quin family from whom the lake is named; Reference to do. from O’Huidhrin’s Topographical poem; Story of O’Quin and the Lady of the Lake; Dunan-Ui-Chuinn.

13. Pedigree of the family by Duald Mac Firbis; Do. of the Baron (Earl) of Inchiquin by same.

14. Cromleachs in Reabhachan; Large carn in do; Cromleach in Coteen or Commons, now used as a bed chamber to a hut attached, which is inhabited by a man named Michael Conneen.

15. Slieve na Glaisé, the Mountain of the celebrated cow called Glas Goibhneach; Account of Lon Mac Liomtha, the first smith that ever made edged weapons in Ireland (who lived on the mountain) and of his cow; Teascach (the over flowing) a Townland so called W. of Slieve na Glaisé; Origin of the name; Leaba na Glaise (Bed of the Cow) a spot so called in which Lon’s cow is said to have slept every night in a small valley on the E. of the mountain; Another spot near it called the bed of her calf; Impression of the cow’s feet still seen in many parts of the country around the mountain; Garraidh na Céartan, a field so called in same valley; Céarta Loinn Mhic Liomtha (the Forge of Lon, Son of Liomtha) a cave in a rock in said field in which are shewn the cinders and dust of the forge; Remarkable Cromlech on summit of Slieve na Glaise under which many poor families have lived; Lon Mac Liomtha and Fionn Mac Camhail; Binn Edair Mic Ghannlaoigh, now called the Hill of Howth; Ceann Sleibhe Hill on summit of which Fionn Mac Camhail and his warriors cut to pieces a party of the Tuatha De Dananns with swords made by the smith; Principal corras (or causeways on the pass leading to do.) Cora Mhic Buirrin near the Castle of Ballyportry. Corofin one mile W. of it. Cora Mhic Eoghain one mile W. of Corofin, & Cora na Maididhe farther to the W.; Suidhe Finn (Sessio Finni) a spot on summit of Ceanntsleibhe Hill; Bones of the Dedanites slain by Finn daily dug out of the graves in which they were interred; Shane Reagh O’Cahane, tailor of Corofin who supplied the account of Lon Mac Liomhtha and his cow, the most illustrious Seanchaidhe of the Kenel Owen now living and senior of the Thomond O’Cahauns.

Other references to Killinaboy Parish in the Ordnance Survey Letters:

• Leim and Eich, mentioned in Annals of IV. Masters.

• Killineenboy mentioned in Annals of IV. Masters.

• Shane Reagh O’Cahane; His pedigree.

• Gleann Caoin mentioned in Annals of Innisfallen; Its situation.