Parish of Oughtmama

1. Situation & Name; Old Church, a beautiful specimen of the primitive Irish Churches or Daimhliags; Holy water font of great antiquity in which two strange figures are sculptured near doorway in W. gable; Stone W. of doorway now considered blessed and used for superstitious purposes, supposed to be the top stone of the window of E. gable

2. Oratories E. of the Daimhliag; Oughtmama old Town, in Irish Seanbhaile Ochta Mama (site of a village so called) E. of the Oratories

3. St. Colman Mac Duach’s Well (Tobar Cholmain) a square enclosure of stones with a white thorn bush growing in its centre ¼ of a mile N.E. of the Churches on the slope of the Maum; Sruthan-na-Naomh (the Riverlet of the Saints) a new name given to the same well which has migrated from its original position & broken out a short distance lower on the slope of the hill; Its extraordinary virtues has the power of removing pearls from the eyes when washed therein; “Patterns” held annually at do. on 5th November in honor of St. Colman; The stream flowing from the well once conducted through an artificial channel in the direction of the Churches, at a short distance to W. of which it turned a mill which belonged to the Clergy of Oughtmama; Site of the mill still pointed out; Beagh, described in Archdall’s Monasticon as a Monastery of St. Francis, not the same with this place

4. Old Castle (remains of) at Turlagh Village called in Irish Turlaghan na gCoilean; Mentioned in list of O’Loughlin Burren’s Castles preserved in MS. Lib. Trin. Col. Dub.; Uamhainn na Turlaighe (the Cave of Turlough) a cave around which there was originally a Caher in Turlough Townland; Liaha a district which a branch of the O’Kanes obtained from the Abbot of Corcomroe Abbey in 14th century; Gortaclare a part of do.; Loughaun na Liaha, a small lough situated on do.; Quotation from MS. of Shane O’Kane in Lib. R.I.A.

5. Knockycallanan, on top of which is a remarkable Carn or sepulchral pile of stones without a name; Cregan Aonaigh (the Crag of the Fair) a place consisting of small circles of stones so called, and supposed to have been a market or fair place; Cromlech called Leaba Dhiarmada agus Ghraine (Bed of Dermot and Graine) in Cragbally Connoal; Lighe the original name of Cromlechs, now popularly called Dermot & Graine’s Beds, which were raised as monuments over the bodies of Pagan Chieftains and heroes slain in battle; Gleann na Manach or Valley of the Monks, the valley district comprising the greater part of this Parish and that of Abbey, popularly so called; Is the Duibh-gleann so often mentioned in the Wars of Torlogh

Other references to Oughtmama Parish in the Ordnance Survey Letters:

• Sliabh Cairn mentioned in Annals of Innisfallen, now Slieve Carn in this Parish.