In Coleraine, a conspiracy of the natives having been formed to seize the place, in 1615, military stores were sent hither from London; and by a vote of the common council, a citadel way built for its defence in the following yeare; it was a strong fortress, commanding the ferry, and was kept in repair and well garrisoned by the Irish Society, till the erection of the bridge in 1716. The bridge, which was wholly of wood, was so much injured by floods that it fell in 1739; and in 1743 a new bridge was built, with pillars and buttresses of stone, towards the erection of which the Irish Society gave the timber and £2050 in money; in 1806 it was widened, at the expense of the county, by transverse beams supporting a foot-path of four feet on each side. The growth of the place was exceedingly slow, and so little had its trade advanced that, in 1633, the customs of the port, for the half yeare ending on Lady-day in that year, amounted only to £18. 9s. 8½d. On the breaking out of the war in 1641, the town was attacked by a body of 1000 insurgents, but was vigorously defended by the garrison and inhabitants, amounting to 200, who defeated the assailants. It was taken by General Monk for the parliament, in 1648, but was afterwards given up to Sir C. Coote. On the advance of the forces of Jas. II into the north, in order to repress the Protestant party, Mount-Alexander, Rawdom, and other leaders, stationed themselves with a force of about 4000 men at Coleraine, which they fortified and kept possession of with a view to prevent the Irish from passing the Bann. They were here Joined by Lord Blaney with his party from Armagh.
Their sphere of influence encompassed the area known as "The Route" (Rúta), particularly surrounding the Bush River (Buaise), its valley and north to Dunseverick on the coast. They held the castle of Dunseverick as their seate from circa 1610 to 1651. They were allied and related to the Eoghnacht clans, particularly the Úí Naill (O'Neil), and later with the Irish Mac Dónaill (Eoin Mhóir) and the Earls of Antrim.
Coleraine the town, which is the second in the county in importance, and is rapidly increasing, is situated on the east bank of the river Bann, about three miles from its influx into the sea, and is connected by a handsome bridge with the village of Killowen, or Waterside, a considerable suburb on the opposite bank of the river. It is large and handsomely built, consisting of five principal streets, a spacious square called the Diamond, and several smaller streets the houses in the Diamond, New-row, Church-street, and Bridge-street.
The priory of St. John, or ‘Kil-Eoin’, from which the suburb on the western side of the Bann, now Killowen, took its name, has altogether disappeared; a part of that establishment formed the old parish church, on the site of which another was subsequently erected, the remains of which have been converted into a school-room. Not far distant was the monastery for Canons Regular, founded by Carbreus in 540, and the site of the castle which was built on the ruins is now occupied by Jackson Hall. In sinking for foundations in the part of the town of Coleraine which occupies the site of the ' ancient abbey of St. Mary, stone coffins, human bones, and other relics of antiquity, together with foundations of some of the conventual buildings, are frequently discovered. One mile south of the town is Mount Sandel, one of the largest and most perfect raths in the kingdom; it is 200 feet high, surrounded by a deep dry fosse, and encircled near its summit by a magnificent terrace; in the centre is a deep oblong cavity, called the Giant's Grave, formed apparently for the purpose of concealment. There is also a very high and perfect rath a little west of the Cranagh; another close to the church of billowed; and a very curious fort near Ballysally.
Coleraine has been celebrated from the earliest annals of Irish history, and has produced many eminent lawyers, senators, and divines: among the latter was Dr. John Vesey, born here in march, 1635, and successively Archdeacon of Armagh, Dean of Cork, Bishop of Limerick, and Archbishop of Tuam. From this last dignity he was driven by the harsh conduct of Lord Tyrconnell, and remained in London in great poverty till he was restored to his see, on the accession of William III; he was three times after his restoration made lord-Justice of Ireland, and died in 1716, aged 84. John Abernethy, an eminent Presbyterian divine, was born here in 1680. Coleraine has given title to many noblemen; the last was that of baron to the family of Hanger.
The MacCloskeys of Co. Derry are a branch of the O'Kanes, being descended from Bloskey O'Kane, slayer of Murtagh O'Loughlin - heir to the throne of Ireland in 1196. The best known of these in modern times was Dr. MacCloskey, Archbishop of New York, who was created Cardinal in 1875. Another branch became MacEvinney or MacAvinny (Mac Aibhne in Irish), the eponymous ancestor being Aibhne O Cathain. MacEvinney is also the anglicized form of the Breffny surname Mac Dhuibhne. Apart from the prowess of the O'Cahans in Ulster in medieval times, the Thomond O'Cahans, or O'Keanes as they were usually called on the continent, supplied many distinguished officers to the armies of France and Spain in the eighteenth century, notably Eugene O'Keane (killed in action 1693), one of fourteen brothers four of whom served in France. This name has become corrupted to Kyan in Co. Wicklow where, according to Edmund Hogan S.J. and other authorities, a leading branch of the O'Cahan sept of Co. Derry were settled in the eighteenth century at Ballymurtagh. Of this family was Esmond Kyan who was executed (half an hour before pardon arrived) for his part in the 1798 Insurrection. He was one of the few insurgents with previous military experience. The name Kyan is quite distinct from Kyne.
The other sept was of Uí Fiachrach, located in Co. Galway. Though numerous they were not of great prominence in Connacht in the history of the province, where, however, they are still to be found in large numbers, usually called Cain or Cane. Finally, the name Kean, usually nowadays without the final e, is that of a Co. Waterford sept quite distinct from O'Cahane, the surname being O Cein in Irish. This sept, situated in the territory between Kilmacthomas and Bunmahon, is mentioned by O'Heerin and is still represented there. Several notable Keanes came from Munster.
Kilfearagh Parish (West Corcabaskin, Clare; Thomond) Of the various saints of the name of Fiachrach, or Fiachra, mentioned in the Irish calendars, it is impossible to name the particular one after whom this parish is designated. No holy well or patron day indicates the man; his church is level with the ground, but a large burying-ground identifies the place where it stood. Another graveyard now deserted, stands on the townland of Kildimo, dedicated to St. Dioma, but to which of the saints so called cannot be decided. A third burial place is found in the townland of Bawnmore namely, that called Cill-na-mban-órtha that is, the church of the pious women, and in the immediate vicinity is a well of the same name. At Kilkee is the site of a little burying-ground, from which that town has its name, and about two miles away, on the verge of the cliff, opposite Bishops Island, is a holy well dedicated to St. Caoidhe. In the town itself is a fine spring, which supplies the inhabitants with water, and is dedicated to St. Senán. As regards the Bishop’s Island above mentioned, no authentic history exists to throw light upon its name, but the purposes for which two little buildings now standing upon it were erected can be easily explained. They consist of an oratory and cell, both belonging to the very earliest ages of Christianity in Ireland. On the townland of Killnagalliagh in this parish, once stood a church called the Church of the Nuns, but no trace of it now remains. It was founded by St. Senán. Two burial-places for children are noticed in the parish, namely, Farrihy and Emlagh.