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Kilmihil
Places of Interest
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CAHERMURPHY CASTLE is located in
the parish of Kilmihil. The MacGorman stronghold once stood in the
middle of a broad marshy valley near a little stream running westwards
through Cahermurphy lake. When the original earthworks were built
the valley was probably a large shallow lake. Only the north-west
corner remains. The work is unique in Clare, and only for its sloping
site is closely similar in plan to certain early Norman earthworks,
with a square bailey and low motte castle. It may have been laid out
by the MacGormans from their recollection of some such structure in
Leinster.
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THE MACGORMAN FAMILY fled from
Leinster in the twelfth century and settled within the area covered
by the parishes of Kilfarboy, Kilmurry Ibrickan and Kilmihil. Murchadh
was succeeded by his son, Cuebha, from whom the descent ran in an
unbroken line to Melachlin Dubh MacGorman, the Chief, in 1498, from
whom all the landowners of the later family were derived. His grandson,
Domhnall, is said to have built the castle of Cahermurphy, though
it may be far older than this. The family kept themselves apart from
the crimes and petty wars of Thomond. They "nourished poets and
fed the poor for 400 years". Daniel and Mahone MacGorman of Cahermurphy
took an active part in the siege of Tromra Castle in 1642 but the
family was still in possession of Cahermurphy in 1655. By 1675 Viscount
Clare held Cahermurphy and other surrounding lands. Cahermurphy was
confiscated again in 1688 and sold to Francis Burton, Charles Mac
Donnell and Nicholas Westby. The MacGormans continued to live in Drumellihy.
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CAHERMURPHY STONE FORT gave its
name, the caher or fort of Murchadha, to the area. Situated in a commanding
position at the northern end of the valley on a steep green hill,
one of the outposts of the plateau from Mount Callan, it was a stronghold
which could resist almost any enemy.
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CASTLEPARK HOUSE to the north of
the old castle is a nineteenth-century house built on the site of
an older house of the same name. It was here that Thomas the Chevalier
O'Gorman was born in 1732.
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KNOCKMORE LAKE has been the scene
of several interesting archaeological finds. A type of enclosure was
uncovered which may have been designed to hold goats or sheep. In
1980 a cooking place was discovered close to the enclosure. In 1934
a bronze-bound medieval casket was recovered from Knockmore Bog. It
is now in the National Museum.
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KNOCKALOUGH LAKE has been partly
developed as a recreational and picnic area. The attractively wooded
island in the lake is believed to have been a crannog or lake-dwelling.
The ruin of an old castle still stands upon the island. This is Knockalough
Castle, one of the castles of Turlogh Roe Mac Mahon, a chieftain well
known by tradition as "Turlogh Roe, the liar and deceiver, who
by one stroke killed his wife and child". In the townland of
Knockalough the big event of the year in the early 1900's was the
"races". These races attracted huge crowds of spectators,
hawkers and traders from all over West Clare. THE LIAGANS are two
standing stones about a half mile from the church of Kilmihil. They
are over seven feet high and were supposed to mark the bounds of St.
Senan's Church land here at Termonroe.
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