Killimer Parish In the Irish calendars under the date of the 13th August, a female saint named Iomhar is commemorated. Whether she is the patron of this parish cannot be said with any degree of certainty. The remains of her church are of great antiquity, going back to the ninth century. In the eastern gable was a window formed on the best models of the primitive style of Irish architecture, round headed inside and outside, and in almost perfect preservation. With very questionable taste, it was removed from its proper position in the end of the old church, and built into the tower of the modern Catholic church of Kilrush. About one hundred yards on the east side of the church is Leac Iomaighe (the flag of St. Emma), and a little way off is a holy well called Tobar Iomaighe, at which stations are still performed, but no particular day of the yeare is remembered as her festival. In the parish of Killimer is the castle of Doonnagurroge, which in 1580 belonged to Teige, son of Murtagh Cam MacMahon.
Kilmurry (MacMahon) Parish The ancient church of this parish was pulled down about ninety years ago to supply materials for the existing Protestant church which stands upon its site. It was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as its name implies. In the townland of Kilmore was another church, but to whom dedicated cannot be ascertained. In this parish stood the castle of Clonderalaw, the principal residence of MacMahon, chief of East Corcabaskin. Only a few fragments of the building can now be seen. It belonged in 1580 to Teige MacMahon. The other antiquities of the parish are holy wells, little burial places, and earthen forts not of sufficient importance to call for detailed description.
St. Michael the Archangel is the patron of Kilmihil parish. The church is comparatively modern. About one hundred yards distant is a holy well dedicated to St. Michael, and in the townland of Kiltumper, another sacred to the king of the Sabbath, Ri-an-Domhnaigh. In the lake of Knockalough is the ruin of one of the castles of Turlogh Roe MacMahon, a chieftain well known by tradition as Toirdhealbhach ruadh, an foill agus an eithig, Do mharbh a bhean is a leanbh a-n’ein feact. Knockalough castle is not included in the list of the Trinity College MS. Neither is the castle of Cahermurphy, the ancient family residence of the MacGormans, situated also in this parish. About one half mile from the church of Kilmihill, on a piece of land called Termonroe, are two standing stones called Liagáns. They are over seven feet high, and exhibit no markings whatever. From veneration of the spot, a small piece of land is left uncultivated around them. It is possible they were set up as marks to show the boundary of the church land. A curious account exists of the discovery of the holy well of St. Michael. It is to this effect: “About the yeare 1632 an honourable lady, Mariana MacGorman widow of Thomas MacGorman, of Tullycrine, then aged about 52 years, had long suffered extreme agony from gout and other complaints of a kindred character. She dreamt on three several occasions that St. Michael the Archangel appeared to her and directed her to go to his church at Kilmihill, and dig for his well at a little distance, where she should find some reeds growing. After hearing mass, she consulted the parish priest, whose name was the Rev. Dermot O’Quealy, and he, accompanied by herself and her son, young Thomas MacGorman, soon discovered the spring on the spot indicated. She drank the water, and was immediately cured of all her ailments. The report of the miraculous discovery of the well and of its healing effects spread abroad, and thousands of sick people had recourse to it as a remedy for their diseases. Among those who came was John Moloney, the Catholic Bishop of Killaloe, who suffered from some disorder, and instantly obtained relief.”
Tuath Echtghe This district, comprising the greater part of the celebrated mountain of Sliabh Echtghe, from which it takes its name, is mentioned in MacNamara’s Rent Roll as a distinct territory, but in no other authority is it referred to in that character. It comprised the whole of the large parish of Feakle. We do not find that it formed the estate of any particular sept at any period of our history. Before the yeare 1318, it was a part of the country of the Uí Bloid, and it is still placed in the Deanery of that name, or as it is Anglicised, O’Mullod. It is likely that it originally formed part of O’Shanahan’s country. From Feakle Parish, Two churches, in other parts of Ireland, derive their name of Feakle from St. Patrick’s teeth, one in Tipperary, and the other in Armagh. According to local tradition, the patron saint of the parish is Mochonna; but out of the eleven saints of that name in the Irish calendars, it is difficult to choose the particular one who was reverenced at Feakle. Further difficulty is thrown in the way of finding out the good man by the fact that the only holy well in the parish, situated in the townland of Flagmount, is dedicated to St. Mochuillé, the patron saint of the parish of Tulla. The ancient parish church, which stood in the village of Feakle, was thrown down in 1780, to make room for the Protestant place of worship. The castle of Feakle (properly Lecarrow), belonged in 1580 to Donald Reagh MacNamara, and is now utterly demolished. One other castle existed in the parish, namely, that of Leaghort, the property of the same Donald Reagh. In the townland of Ballycroum is a well, called Tobar Grainé, placed in the middle of a bog, with a large flag over it. Although not named after any saint, large numbers of people flock to it for the cure of their diseases. About two hundred yards to the west of this well is a curious cromlech, now called Altoir Oltach, from the circumstance that a priest, who had fled from Ulster in the penal times, made it an altar for the celebration of Mass. No other object of antiquarian interest remains in the parish except a small church and graveyard, in the townland of Fahy. The lake of Lough Graney, so-called from a district designated Grian Echtghe, in the topographical poem of O’Doogan; and in other writings described as forming the extreme southern boundary of the principality of Hy Mania, means the lake of the district called “Grian,” and it is situated in this parish. The word, as applied to this lake has no connection whatever with the sun. The lake is celebrated in the facetious poem called Cuirt an meodhan Oidhche (“The Midnight Court”), the production of Bryan Merryman MacNamara, a native of the district.
In the locality Killofin parish is known as the Rinn, because it forms a promontory into the Shannon. Its name is derived from a family called O’Finn, one of those of Thomond as given by MacFirbis in his genealogies. The ancient church is in good preservation, and adjoining it is a very extensive burial-ground. In the townland of Kilkerin stands an old church of the same name, small in size and of great antiquity. It is dedicated to St. Kiaran, but it is difficult to decide which of the saints so named is its patron. A little way on the east side of this church is St. Kiaran’s altar, with a cross sculptured on one of the stones. In the townland of Knocknacross, now modernized into Mountshannon West, is a holy well dedicated to the same St. Kiaran, but the festival day of the saint is not remembered. Ballymacolman, or Colmanstown, has the remains of an old castle, which belonged in 1580 to Teige MacMahon, of Clonderalaw.
All Irish genealogists and historians agree that the country of Corcabaskin derived its appellation from the descendants of Cairbre Baiscain, son of Conaire the Great, the 122nd Monarch of Ireland, and brother of Cairbre Riada. For Corc, when thus prefixed to the name or cognomen of an ancestor always signifies progeny, race, or offspring, and is nearly syno[n]ymous with clann, cinel, or sliocht. The race of Carbre Bascain inhabited the district, and were its chiefs till the twelfth century, when the offspring of Mahone O’Brien (hence called MacMahon), conquered them. West Corcabaskin was nearly identical, as to its boundaries, with the present barony of Moyarta, the difference being that the parish of Killard belonged to it in ancient times. The original chiefs of the district had the name of O’Donnell, but they, as here stated, sunk under the MacMahons, the descendants of Brian Boroimhe. They have however, retained some property in the district to this day and are far from being extinct. In the account of the county of Clare made out for Sir John Perrott, it is stated that Turlough M‘Mahon was chief of the barony of Moyarta, and that he possessed four castles; while Sir Daniel O’Brien, of Dough, was owner of two, and the Cahanes of two others in that district.
The great Saint Senanus of Scattery Island was a native of this country, being descended from Bolc, the son of Dace who was baptized by St. Patrick, and the life of the saint throws much light on the original topography of Corcabaskin. It shows that the western point of the county of Clare, extending from Traigh-an-Iarla (recté Traigh an Earlamha) which is situate a short distance on the west of Kilrush, to Loophead, was originally called Iorras Iarthair that is, the Western Erris. This is the district now called the west par excellence by the people living along the banks at the Clare side of the Shannon. When St. Patrick was preaching to the Uí Figeinte, and baptizing them at Cnoc Phaudrig near Shanagolden, at the Limerick side of the Shannon, the Corcabascin, with their king Bolc MacDecé, came to him in a fleet from the north across the Luimneach and entreated him to preach and to baptize them on that day. The Saint requested them to wait till the next day, pleading fatigue as his excuse. Being still pressed by them, he ascended his chariot so that all might see him and hear his voice, and he preached to the multitude and baptized them in a neighbouring river. They further begged that the holy man should cross over into the territory to bless and baptize their wives and children, but he declined alleging sufficient reasons for his refusal. He, however, blessed the country, and left to Corcabascin the “gift of fleets.”