A^ THE LIBRARY k OF ^ THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES ^ ^- "Cw, . ^ i^^^ft^-i' •-. > / • COUNTY ,r~7'H- O F XILDA Ji£ CO 17 N T r F W I C K L O \^ 1 c A HISTORY OF THE COUNTY DUBLIN THE PEOPLE, PARISHES AND ANTIQUITIES FROM THE EARLIEST TIMES TO THE CLOSE OF THE FIGIITKFXTH CENTURY. PART THIRD Beinsj- a History of that portion of the County comprised within the Parishes of TALLAGHT, CRUAGH, WHITEGHURCH, KILGOBBIN, KILTIERNAN, RATHMIGHAEL, OLD GONNAUGHT, SAGGART, RATHCOOLE. AND NEWGASTLE. BY FRANXIS ELRINGTON BALL. DUBLIN: Printed and Published hv Alex. Thom & Co. (Limited), Abbuv-st. 1905. :0 /> 3 PREFACE TO THE THIRD PART. To the readers who ha\c sliowii so ;^fiitifyiii^' an interest in flio progress of my history there is (hie an apolo^^y Tor the tinu; whieli has e]a|)se(l since, in the preface to the seroml pai't, a ho[)e was ex[)rcsse(l that a further Jiistalnient wouhl scjoii ap])eai-. l^lie postpononient of its pvil)lication has l)een caused hy the exceptional dil'licuhy of ohtaiiiin;^' inl'orniat ion of liis- torical interest as to tlie district of which it was j^roposed to treat, and even now it is not witliout hesitation that tliis [)art has heen sent to jiress. Its pages will he found to deal with a poidion of the metro- politan county in whitdi the population has heen at no time great, and in whi(di resid( ncc^s of ini])ortanc(> have always heen few\ Su(di annals of the district as exist relate in most cases to some of the saddest passages in Irish history, and tell of fire and sw^ord and of destruction and desolation. To invest such scanty records with life would require a more skilful pen than mine, and I can only conunit the pages which follow to the forbearance of my readers as necessary to the com]iletion of the history of the county as a whole. Considerable material for the fourth part has been already collected, and its publication may be expected next year. It is again my pleasing duty to achnowdedge assistance kindly and generously given. The Eoyal Society of Anti- quaries of Ireland, in the pages of whose Journal some of the information in this part has ah'eady appeared in a paper on " Eathmichael and its Neighbourhood," and in the itineraries for two excursions made by its members, has not ceased its help and encouragement. The Council of the Eoyal Irish A 2 715173 IV PREFACE TO THE THIRD PART. Academy has given its permission in this, as in tlie previous parts, for the reproduction of drawings in its possession. The Deputy Keeper of the Records, Mr. James Mills, and Mr. C. Litton Falkiner have read the proof sheets and Jiavc cjnce more given me the benefit of their historical knowledge; Mr. Thomas J. Westropp has lent me the aid of his pen and pencil in describing the little known objects of archaeological interest in the district ; Dr. P. W. Joyce has supplied me with the derivation of ])lace names ; Mr. Tenison Groves and the Eev. William Eeynell have continued to furnish me with transcripts of ancient documents and references to authorities ; and amongst others who have aided me m this part 1 nuist especially mention the INIost Eev. Dr. Donnelly, Bishop of Canea, IMr. M. J. M'P^nery, Mr. G. D. Biu-tchaell, Eev. P. Dineen, Mr. E. Clarke, Mrs. Knox, and Mr. W. H. Eobinson. The records in Ulster's Office have been placed at my service by the kimlness of Sir Arthur Vicars, and research has been made pleasant in Trinity College I^ibrary by Mr. Alfred de Burgh ; in the National Library by INEr. T. W. Lyster ; and in the Eoyal Irish Academy by Mr. J. J. INPSweeney. To the officials in the British Museum and Bodleian Libraries my thanks are also due. The Controller of His Majesty's Stationery Office has permitted me to make use of the Ordnance Map for the purposes of the frontispiece, and the Idock's from which some of the illustrations have been produced have been lent me by the Council of the Eoyal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. F. ELEINGTON BALL. Dublin, December, 1904. CONTENTS. Page Parish of Tallaqht . The Village of Tall ight, 2 Jobstown, . 14 Belgard, 15 Newlands, . 19 Kilnamanagli, 20 Tynion, 21 Tempieogue, 23 Knocklyon, 29 Killininny, 30 Old Bawn, 31 The Tallaglit Hills, 37 Ecclesiastical Histo y, 41 Parish ok Cbuagh : Killakee and its neighbourhood, 48 Ecclesiastical History, 63 Parish op Wuitechurch: Marlay and the Whitechurch neighbourhood, Ecclesiastical History, 63 Parish of Kilgobbin : Kilgobbin and its Castle, 65 Ecclesiastical History, 69 Parish of Kiltiernan : Kiltiernan and Glencullen, 73 Ecclesiastical History, 77 VI CONTENTS. Page Parish of Rathmichael : Shankill and Shanganagli, . .79 Ecclesiastical History, . .90 Parish of Old Connaught : Little Bray and its neighbourhood, . .98 Ecclesiastical History, . .108 Parish of Saggart : Tiie Vilhige of Saggart and its neighbourhood, . Ill Ecclesiastical History, . .116 Parish of Rathcoole : The V^illage of Rathcoole and its neighbourhood, . .118 Ecclesiastical History, . .125 Parish of Newcastle : Newcastle Lyons, . .127 Ecclesiastical History, ..... 136 Index, . ,140 INTRODUCTION TO THE THIRD PART. The ))afislu's iiicliKlcd in this pail of the history foi-m the southern holder of the ]iietroj)()litaii county. Tlioy are situated ill the haroiiies of Katlidow n, U]:»pei'cross, and Newcastle, and are hoiiiuh'd to the east by the sea, to the soutli and west by the Counties of Wicklow and Kildare, and to tlie north by the jiarishes of KilMiu'V, Tully, Taney, Kathfarnliam, Crumlin, J)rnnna^h, Clondalkin, Ivilbnde, and Kihuaetaiway. Witliin their limits lies the ran^^'e of hills known as the 1)ii1)Imi mountains, and owin.i;' to their situation they difler in their circumstances from the parishes already treated <jf in this history. A ("reat extent of the lands which they contain is unprolilable or oi little value, in the remainder, insteatl of a vast increase of population, thc^-e has been a dimimitinn in tlie number of the inhabitants, and, instead of advancing prosperity, a loss of importance in the villages and country residences. When our history opens this district, then portion of the country of the people of Cualann, was held in much veneration and was chosen as the bui'ial ])lace of tdiiefs and warriors whose deeds were connnemorated by the cromlechs, cairns and pillar stones which are still to be found in exceptional numb(M's in the niiblin mountains. Later, under the Celtic ('hui'cdi, sacred edifices began to be built and monastic establishments, like that of Tallaght, were founded. The Scandinavian imasions with their devastating effects next ensued, and left their traces on a large tract in the south-eastern portion of the district, which became the possession of Scaiulinavian proprietors known as the sons of Thorkil. via INTRODUCTION TO THE THIKD PART. Then came the Anglo-Norman Conquest with its far-reaching settlement. It fonnd the district under the rule of a Celtic chief called jMacGilliiniochuliiiog, to wliojii and wliose descend- ants some portion of the lands was left for a time, hut with this comparatively unimportant exception the district was then divided between the Crown, the Archbishop of Dublin as repre- senting the Church, and an Anglo-Norman magnate, Walter de liideleford, whose castle at Bray— for more than a century the principal dwelling to the south of Didilin —bespoke his power. At first the lands divided into nuincjrs were worked after the custom of England by the owners, by free tenants, and servile occupiers, and notwithstanding difference of race com- parative concord reigned amongst the inhabitants. But before long the Irish tribes rebelled and the days of the Pale began. Then the castle of Tallaght was erected as a house of defence, and the villages of Saggart, Bathcoole aiul Newcastle were enclosed with walls and fortified ; and afterwards castles were built at Tymon, at Belgard, at Shanganagh, at Shankill, and in many other places. The opening of the seventeenth century saw these castles converted into country residences, and houses like Old Bawn, in which comfort was more con- sulted, designed. The rebellion of 1641, and the ensuing disturbances greatly affected the district and left terrible traces ; but a hundred years later the parisiies under review had recovered in some measure from its eflVct and attained to prosperity which in the course of the last century has continuously waned. Espe- cially was this the case in Tallaght, where the Archbishop of Dublin's palace, the spa nnd residence of the Domvile family at Templeogue, and various shooting lodges in the mountains contributed to the welfare of the inhabitants. — AUTHOR ITI ES The authorities whose titles have been condensed, and the places of preservation of tho nianuscripts referred to. arc as follows: Journal R. S. A. I. refers (o the Journals of the Kilkenny Archaeological Society, of the Historieal and Archseological Society of Ireland, and of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, followin'/ the consecutive numbering of the volumes. Chartularies of St. Mary's Abbey refers to " Chartularics of St. Mary's .\bbey, Dublin," edited by Sir John (Jilbert in the Rolls Series. Fiants refers to the Calendars of Fiants in tiie Ttii to tlie •22n<\ Reports of the Deputy Keeper of the Records in Ireland. Christ Church Deeds refers to the Calendar of Christ Church Deeds in the 20111 to the 26th Reports of the Deputy Keeper of the Records in Ireland. Patent Rolls refers to *' Rotulorum Patentium et Clausorum Cancellarine HibernisB Calendarium," vol.