Lunatic Asylum, Limerick,
21st August 1835.
My Dear Sir,
The intervention of a wet day enables me to take up my list of forts
etc., and as I intend to confine myself to the right bank of the lower
Shannon, I will
commence by observing from two miles below Kilrush to Loop Head, a distance of
twenty miles, tapering from four miles in breadth to a point; the country is
very thickly studded with these primitive remains. This triangular tract is almost
equally divided by a line of bog running its whole length, and on the other side
of this bog, towards the Ocean and the Shannon, the old forts are very numerous,
and point out very distinctly by their positions, the divisions of Territory
among the ancient Chiefs and Clans of this district at least. Commencing where
my last letter stopt, Cill-Fhinídeach, a line of the old forts runs across
from Ráth Úna on the Shannon to Lios Mac an Dágha on the
Ocean, a distance about two miles. Another line runs (east of this nearly a mile)
from Carriagholt through Belleh to Cnoc na cCearthamhan on the Ocean (from this
to near Kilrush the bog makes a decided division of the land). From Carrigaholt
east about a mile and a half, a line of seven forts runs from Lios Mhac-Fhinn
on the river to Lios Fhinn on the very edge of the bog, distance about one mile.
They are all in one Townland named Lis-Fhinn and have nothing remarkable about
them. About one mile east of this another line of eight forts runs from the river
to the bog very close to one another. The sixth only, from the river up, has
a name Dún Athaicc, or Lios na Fuadh, and surely it still retains evidence
of the political if not physical dimensions of the personages whose name it bears.
It occupies the extreme edge of a moderate ridge, which terminates here pretty
abruptly, skirted west, south and east by a noisy little stream. The extreme
edge of the aclivity is topped by the remains of an earthen mound, circular and
very low. Within this circle and at a radius of about three hundred feet, another
circular mound, rising to the height of about eight feet on the outside and about
thirteen on the inside; say, mean breadth eight feet. Between this and the Dún
is a foss of about twenty feet inside, which I believe was kept full of water,
though now it is partly choked up with the earth crumbling from the stupendous
banks on both sides of it.
Within rises the Dun, about two hundred
feet in diameter, the bank or wall about seven feet high on the inside
and about twenty on the outside. There is one large gap or entrance on
the east side. There are some appearances of remains of ruins inside,
and I am inclined to think that there are some subterranean chambers in
it too. I know this spot well, being born and reared within forty paces
of it. There are many spots about the place traditionally known as the
graves of persons slain in combat by Fuaid na h-Adhairce, such as Tuama
Thadhaig Ui Laoghaire, Tuama Cheatharnaicc an Chuíbhrin, and Fuadh
na h-Adhairce still maintains a respectable and prominent place in the
numerous legends of this neighbourhood, as my bare shins and toes could
well attest on many a hard winter night some twenty years ago. About half
a mile east of this runs another line of four forts from the river to
the bog; they are inconsiderable and nameless. About a mile east from
this another line of four or five forts runs from the river to the bog;
they are inconsiderable and nameless, except the lowest which is called
Cór Lios from its occupying a little angle made by a small but
handsome creek with the river. From this to the Ferry within two miles
of Kilrush, the lines at the same distances are quite distinct, though
the number of forts is considerably less. Now, after fourteen years’
absence, my recollection (I write from recollection) touching the forts
on the north of the bog is not so distinct; however I am, rather was,
very well acquainted with the most remarkable of them. Taking your departure
from a point of one mile east of Cór Lios and proceeding due north
two miles, you cross the bog and on its northern verge you meet a handsome-looking
fort.
Ráth an Uisge or Lios na Falainge. It is a clean single enclosure, the
wall about ten feet high. It is the principal abode of the “good people” of
this quarter, and various stories of their good and evil acts are on current
record in the surrounding district.
Passing over many others we come to Kilkee where we find a fort worth
looking after. It is called Lios an Chairn. It is a plain Lios, the
wall about nine feet
high on the outside, the floor inside on a level with the top of the wall. This
striking circumstance passed unnoticed for ages, until about seventeen years
ago a cow got into it and remained there till after her companions made their
way home in the evening without her. The owner, on missing her, made his way
at once to the field and seeing her up on the fort apparently resting on her
haunches he approached and was surprised to find one of her hind legs stuck in
the ground to the ham; all his exertions to make her pull it up did not avail,
so calling some of the neighbours they proceeded to dig, and after sinking about
sixteen inches, they came to a flagged floor and found the cow’s legs firmly
jammed between two of the flags; they removed them, released the cow and discovered
a narrow passage, covered at the sides with stones and flagged over; they descended
with lights and found the whole area composed of narrow passages crossing one
another in various directions. They found nothing but some shells and bones.
I have not heard that it has been visited since and I am sure it was not fully
explored at that time. Convenient to this are Lios Luinn-Eacháin, Lios
Duínn, with many others. I will leave you to draw your own inferences
from the position of the forts on the banks of the Shannon, but from what I have
shewn you will perceive that Ráth, Dún and Lios are synonymous.
I will not write you again till I hear from you.
I
remain, my dear Sir,
Very
truly yours,
Eugene
O’Curry
The hand that writes this has held intimate acquaintance with a spade
during the last fortnight.
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