Ordnance Survey Letters by John O'Donovan and Eugene Curry, 1839

Parish of Templemaley (b)

The following references to Baile Ui Aille are from the Annals of the Four Masters:-

A.D. 1559. The Earl of Thomond (Conor, the son of Donogh, who was son of Conor O’Brien) encamped opposite Inchiquin in the month of June to oppose the sons of Morogh O’Brien. Donogh, one of the sons of Morogh was in the Town (Castle) but Teige the other son of Morogh had been constantly with the Earl of Desmond from the time of the expulsion of Donall O’Brien up to that period. Teige had complained of this distress to the Earl, and had said that he feared he should be left without either home or brother, unless he obtained immediate succour. The Earl was grieved to hear this complaint of Teige, and thereupon assembled the entire of his forces as he should have done, and proceeded directly with boldness and intrepidity across the waters of the limpidly rolling Shannon. As soon as the Earl of Thomond had heard that this army was marching towards him he departed from Inchiquin, leaving the garrison unguarded and went to solicit aid of his faithful friend the Earl of Clanrickard. His solicitation proved of service to him, for the Earl did not remain to be requested a second time, but set out immediately and made no delay until he came with the Earl of Thomond. As to the Earl of Desmond, he marched directly to the green of Inchiquin and returned the same night as far as Baile-Ui-Aille. The camps of the two Earls were not widely separated from each other on that night. The Earl of Desmond rose on the morrow at day break and marshalled his youthful warriors in battle array and fighting order, for he was convinced that he would not part from the two nobles who were pursuing him without a battle. This was true indeed, for they proceeded to fire at each other from their camps and to skirmish from thence to the summit of Conc-Fuarachoille (Baile Ui Aille lies about two and a half miles north of Ennis and I know of no hill that would answer to the name of Cnoc Fuarchoille, but Cnoc-Urchoille, now Spancel-Hill, about three miles east of Baile-Ui-Aille, in the Parish of Clooney.) where it was the will of destiny and the permission of fate to bring them to the field. The success, however, attending the battles of the Dalcassians, did not attend them on this day. Hitherto they had been accustomed to drive the Geraldines before them from every hill on which they had fought, but though it was on a hill they had fought this day, when Teige, the son of Morogh O’Brien, joined Garret in the fight, it so happened that Garrett and Teige managed to avoid the engagement until they had gained the hill from the two noble and vigorous Earls, who had been anxious to gain it first. Whereupon their youthful warriors, being left exposed to the weapons and power of their enemies, were cut off with dreadful slaughter.

A.D. 1599. Professor O’Niallain, James, the son of Donall, who was son of Auliffe, who was son of Donogh O’Niallain, a man who had kept a house of open hospitality, died, in the month of October, at Baile-Ui-Aille in the Barony of Quince (Quin) in the Co. of Clare.

A.D. 1601. Teige, the son of Torlogh, who was son of Donall, who was son of Conor O’Brien, entered into a confederacy with the sons of John Bourke, and in the course of three days afterwards requested them to accompany him on an excursion into some part of Thomond. This request was not refused for he was accompanied by some of the Chiefs from the camp with their kerns. On leaving the camp they passed along the borders of Kenel-Aodha na h-Echtge and Kenel-Dunghoile. They sent forth marauding parties on both sides of the River Fergus into the upper part of the Territory of O’Fearmaic, and the upper part of Clann-Culein. Some of these advanced to Baile-Ui-Aille and Clonroade and returned that night with spoils to Cill Reachtais in upper Clan-Cuilein.

There is an old Castle called Caislean-Maol, i.e., Bald or Gable-less Castle, in the Townland of Ballycarroll.

In the list of Castles preserved in MS. T.C.D., E.2., 14, the Castle of Baile-Ui-Aille is mentioned as having belonged to James Nellan (Niallain) as well as the Castle of Ballycarton (not identified) and the Castle of Ballycarroll, i.e., the Caislean Maol just mentioned, to Conor Mac Glanchy.

The O’Nealans, the ancient proprietors of Baile-Aille are still a very numerous tribe in the district to the north of that place.