'The Earliest Settlers in County Sligo
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
(?* THE rCORRAN HERALDÍ A E3allymote Heritage Group Production ISSUE 14 JUNE EDITION 1988 PRICE 40p 'The Earliest Settlers by Martin Timoney In County Sligo Mesolithic was of life. They were hunters, fishermen and gatherers. Have you ever wondered just How far back can we go? At how long people have been living Their way of life was based on what point can we say that there what I like to describe as `the fruits in this County? Most of the was nobody living in Co. Sligo? buildings in the county date to the of the forest' taking that in its Men began living on this island of broadest sense. Anything that 19th and 20th centuries. Ireland about 7.000 B.C., mainly Ballymote Castle dates to about nature provided was used. Deer, along the north and east coasts. wild animals and birds were 1300 A.D. There are burial By 4,000 B.C. or at the latest 3,500 mounds close to Ballymote dating hunted. Fruits, birds eggs. nuts, B.C. these people had reached Co. berries, leaves, herbs, shellfish, to before the time of Christ and Sligo. These first settlers did not others dating to the earlier bronze honey, mushrooms, seaweed, leave great or even simple grasses and nettles were gathered. age, about 2,000 to 1,400 B.C. The monuments and so proof of their cairns on Keash and Carrowkeel They fished for all sorts of fish in existence is hard to find. rivers, lakes and in the sea. All date to the period of our earliest These first settlers in Ireland farmers 3,000 to 2,000 B.C. these helped give a good varied lived what we call today a diet. Agriculture, cattle, grain, vegetables and potatoes were all centuries away in the future. Not all these foods were available at the same place all the year round. So Mesolithic groups would have moved to where the food supply was and this varied with the seasons. This migration cycle ruled out substantial dwellings. Their huts were of light timbers and hides, either like the wigwam of the American Indians or like a large inverted basket. When the group moved on only post holes and fire places remained. We know by comparison with modern day peoples living a mesolithic way of life that these people probably had sacred ritual sites and designated burial areas on their seasonal circuit. Besides meat, a deer was a source of bone and antler, usable for tools and hide for clothing and containers. Less appetising to us is the eating of blood, mixed with seeds, or the eating of brain or the half digested contents of the stomach. Also, sinew and gut had 5 cm *heir uses. Seals are a source of , ns for clothing, fat for l h' anti 11 12 -on 1.r :r ² A variety of Flint Tools, scrapers and points used by Mesorithic people in Irerand. 2 A Late 18th Century by Mary B. Timoney In the northwest section of the graveyard at Ballymote Friary, is an interesting late 18th century headstone. The limestone headstone measures 74cm from ground level to its curved top. It is 48cm wide and 13cm thick. The top of the stone follows the outline of the decoration which consists of an I.H.S. in a full sunburst with an hour glass on either side. On the arched bar of the H is a cross with splayed terminals. I.H.S. is the monogram for Christ and the hour glass symbolises death, the short passing of life. The sun is symbolic of Christ, as the source of all energy symbolising glory. The sunburst is well executed; the Headstone rays alternate with every second this century, in his book `Stone period after 1776. Perhaps we one straight or flamed. Many Mad.' The itinerant masons could tend out what brought sunbursts on gravestones in Co. would travel around the country Toomy to Ballymote. Sligo are treated in this manner. working on buildings such as Fitzmaurice established a Hour glasses on gravestones in churches, court houses, bridges thriving linen industry in Co. Sligo are relatively rare. and big houses which involved the Ballymote about 1774. He erected The incised inscription in good quarrying, shaping and the bleach mills and eighty weaver's clear lettering reads: dressing of stone. He would have cottages at a cost of £50 each. This Here lyeth the carved decorative pieces for door period of prosperity would have body of John Kerin and window lintels, columns, seen a variety of itinerant workers, who departed this fireplaces and pulpits. While in including masons, in Ballymote. life August ye 12th the area they would be The Toomy headstone belongss to 1776 aged 59 yrs commissioned by local wealthy this period of prosperity. The Jams. Toomy people to do individual pieces of name Twomey is predominantly Facit carving such as gravestones. It associated with Co. Cork. When The unusual feature of this would be interestng to discover found elsewhere it is ofter spelt headstone is that the sculptor has what major buildings were being Toomey or as in this case Toomy. cut his name, Jams. Toomy on it. built in the Ballymote area in the The last word, facit, is the Latin for made. The lettering for his name is done to the same size as The Earliest Settlers From Page 1 the rest of the inscription. H .is heat and their tusks were used as only in recent times that it is charms. Bird bones were used as common for stone masons to cut needles and, no doubt, colourful two mesolithic flints from the their namesd on their work. On feathers were used for adornment. seashore at Cliffoney. The 18th and 19th century signed Knowledge of metal was still simplicy.'y p' some of these tools headstones the sculptor's name thousands of years away in the makes them very hard to would not be in such a prominent future so these people had to use recognise, even by archaeologists. position or in as large lettering as what was at hand: Stone, timber, Anyone finding anything that in this case. Jams Toomy must antler and bone. Any sharp stone looks ancient should send it to the National Museum of Ireland or have been a mason of note, as can could be used as a cutting be seen both from the high quality instrument. Flint, a white glass give it to an archaeologist. I feel of his work and it would only have like substance, provides the best that the number of tombs been a superior mason who would cutting edges, but it is only found belonging to the subsequent put his name on a gravestone. in quantity in Antrim and some Neolithic farming period indicates There is no other gravestone in the may well have been traded from a high density of population, graveyard comparable to this there at this early period. Chert many of whom had their origins in work. It could have been that he provided good cutting edges also. the Mesolithic period. The was a traveling mason of note, This black limestone-like Carrowmore Project (1977 - 1982) who was visiting the Ballymote substance was ex p loited on has thrown up some controversial area for some other work and was Knocknarea at a later period, but results in this regard. Its Director, commissioned to do this we do not have an y certain chert Dr. Burenhult of Stockholm, goes headstone. Seamus Murphy, the tools of the mesolithic period so far as to suggest that the earliest famous Cork born sculptor, except for a few late ones from of the Carrowmore tombs were describes the travellings and work Lough Gara. The late Mr. F. T. built by people living a mainly, if of such masons at the beginning of Kitchin of Newpark showed me not totally, Mesolithic way of life. 3 MICHAEL dressing tunes. Some claim that he never played an aid the same way by Fiona Rogers twice. His amazing musical ability COLEMAN received special recognition and he was given long contracts in A period of 97 years has passed and clutch of chickens and she was New York, Boston and since the birth of the renowned calling 'Jelly, Jenny' to the hen. Philadelphia. Coleman's artistry Sligo fiddle player Michael With that Coleman said 'we will Brought his letters of admiration Coleman. It is believed that this call them `Bonny Kate' and from the celebrated Fritz Kreisler great fiddle player is a descendant 'Jenny's Chickens.' and the renowned Mischa Flman. of the Coleman Family, thought The latter. searching for the to he of Ulster stock. which settled When he was eighteen y ears of greatest compliment he could pay at Kellanada, Ballaghaderreen age Coleman emigrated to Coleman, called him 'Ireland's about 1840. His grand-father later England where he remained for a Kreisler of the Violin.' Kreisler in settled in the Killavil townland of tame working as a barman. and it turn is reputed to have stated that Knockgrania. was here he made his first he would not attempt the kind of Michael Coleman was the recordings. lie later sailed for the music Coleman played if he second son of limeburner Jamsey U.S.. settled in New York. hut 'practised for one thousand Coleman and his wife Ellen, soon became restless and joined years.' formerly Ellen Gorman. He Keith's Theatre Circuit. With this The Columbia and Vocation attended Killavil national school g roup he toured the princfp. Broadcasting Companies and the where his teachers at that time Americal cities and captivated hi, Decca Recording Company vied were John Lavin and Patrick audience with his renderings of with each other in distributing Benson.