: LOUGH CORRIB, ITS SHORES AND ISLANDS WITH NOTICES OF LOUGH MASK. BY SIR WILLIAM R. WILDE, M.D., VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY; AUTHOR OF "THE BEAUTIES OF THE BOYXE," "CATALOGUE OF THE MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL IRISH ACADEMY; ETC. ETC. Illustrate faith numerous <$loo0 (Engrabittgs. SECOND EDITION. DTJBLIX: C M GLASHA]N & GILL, 50, UPPER SACKVILLE-STREET. LONDON: LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO. 1872. : DUBLIN ^rtnteB at tije ©m&ewltiJ $ress, BY M. H. GILL. WW PREFACE. Well acquainted in days gone by with the Shores and Islands of Lough Corrib and Lough Mask, I ,was not a little surprised, when returning there a few years ago, to find that, notwithstanding its perfect accessibility, this interesting district was comparatively unknown to tourists, and the true character and history of its monuments were neither appreciated nor understood by its inhabitants. In the hope of removing, in part at least, some of those deficiencies, and as a pleasing occupation during leisure hours, I have written this book, for several of the illustrations in which my readers are indebted to the liberality of the late Sir Benjamin L. Guinness, Bart,, to whom, and to the various other friends in the AVest, 2921 iv PREFACE. of all classes, who have promptly afforded such informa- tion and assistance as I required, I beg to return my best thanks. I had intended appending some notes on the of the district zoology and popular legends, &c., ; but subjects of so much more general and popular interest have crowded upon me since the publication of the first edition, that I am again compelled to apologise for the Appendix, the subject matter of which I hope to bring out on a future occasion. 1, Merrion-Square, Dublin, January 1, 1872. ——— CONTENTS. CHAPTER I.—Introductory. Page, Character of* the Scenery of the West. Objects of the Tour, and special Subjects of Interest. .Route from Dublin to Galway. An Hour's Ramble through "The City of the Tribes." Its Celebrities, Name, and History. The River Gallieve, and Lady Gallvea. Plan of the Ex- 1 cursion. Hotels and Conveyances, , CHAPTER II. Description op Lough Corrib. Territories adjoin- Lough Corrib : its Direction, Name, Extent ; Ancient Division ; Knockmagh ; Scenery and ing ; Sources, Rivers, Turloughs ; Mountains surrounding Lake ; Geology, Mines, Natural "Woods ; Drain- IS Navigation, the Eglinton Canal ; Outlets, the Friars' Cut, ... age ; CHAPTER III; Galtvay to Annaghdotvx. Parish of St. Nicholas. Terrilan Castle. Annals of Galway. The De Burgos. Menlough. Parish of Oranmore. The Lower Lake. Clare- Galway Parish, Castle, and Convent Church. Ancient Ploughs. Knock- natuath ; the Battle of the Chieftains ; the Irish against the Irish ; the Book of Howth ; the Engagement, and the Rout. Cregg Castle; Athcloiggeen ; the Hag's Castle, 39 CHAPTER IV. Annaghdown to Kylebeg. Annaghdown Parish, and Ancient Bishopric ; St. Brendan. The Desmond and O'Donnell Costume. The Monastery and Abbey. Ancient Tombs. The Nunnery. Window of Modern Church. The Cloichtheach of — — — VI CONTENTS. Page. Annaghdown. The Castle and Holy Wells. Castle Creevy. Kilcoona Parish ; Church, and Round Tower. History and Writings of St. Coona. Parish of Killeany. Cloch-an-Uaibher Castle. Lee's Island. Knock Ferry and Kylebeg, 63 CHAPTER V. Kylebeg to Inchiqtjin. Cargin Parish. Church and Castle. Killeens. Iniscreawa. Annals of Lough Corrib. Irish Pagan and Christian Architecture. Cahergal. Clydagh. Killursa Parish. History of St. Fursa. Inchiquin. Castle of Annakeen. Cairns. Giants' Graves. Church of St. Fursa. Early Irish Church Architecture. Ross-Errilly. The Locust Plague. Moyne Castle. The Black River, S7 CHAPTER VI. Inchiquin to Inchangoill and Cong. County of Mayo. The Islands of Lough Corrib. Inishanboe. Parish of Shrule. Ballycurrin, Ballisahiney, and Moceara Castles. Forts. Pa- rish of Cong. Inchangoill. St. Patrick's and the Saint's Churches. Stone of Lugnaedon. South-east border of Cong Parish. Castletown. Inchruicatreer. Cross. Ancient Churches of Kilfraughaun and Killar- sagh. Moytura. Lackafinna. Lisloughry. Cong Islands. Kinlough. Ashford. Strand Hill. Cong, 128 CHAPTER VII.—Cong. Cong Village. Rivers. Annals. St. Fechin. The Abbey, and its History. The O'Duffys. Ireland's last Monarch. Ashford. The Street Cross. The Irish Language. Reliques ; the True Cross ; the Tooth of St. Pa- trick. The Black Bell. Wayside Monuments. The Castle of Augha- lard. Caves. The Pigeon Hole, 161 CHAPTER VIII. The Battle and Battle-field of Moytura. The Primitive Irishman. Fomorians. Partholan. Nemeth. The Firbolgs. Tuatha de Danaan. The Plain of Moytura. Knockma. Ceasair. Kings Eochy and Nuadh. The Battle-field. The Warriors, Druids, and Phy- sicians. Existiug Monuments ; Cairns, Caves, Cahers, Stone Circles, and CONTENTS. Vll l'age. Pillars. The Four Days' Fight. The Meane Uisge. Sepulchral Urn. Standing Stones at Inishowen. The Dagda and the Fathach. Nymphs- field Monuments. Caher Mac Turc. Belor of the Magic Eye. The Neale Monuments. The Hill of Cam. Caher Eobert. History of the Moytura Manuscript, 210 CHAPTER IX.—Lough Mask. Parish of Ballinchalla. Lough Mask Castle. Edmond de Burgo. Inish- main. Eogan-Beil and St. Cormac. Inishmain Abbey. Ancient Fort. The Penitentiary. Inishowen. The Hag's Castle. Boss Hill. St. Pa- trick's Church. Upper Lough Corrib. Doon and Castle Kirk. St. Fe- chen's and St. Enna's Wells. Caislean na Kirka. Maam, 249 CHAPTEB X.—Maam to Galway. Parish of Kilcummin. Oughterard. Lemonfield. Gnomore and Gnobeg. Killeroon Church. Aughnanure Castle. Killannin Parish. Lough Na- neevin. Kilbrecan. Boss Lake, Castle, and Churches. The Fossil "Wood. Teampul-beg-na-Neave. Moycullen Parish, and its Churches. The Battle Stone. Danesfield. Bahoon Parish. Conclusion, . 278 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. No. Name. Dra'wn by. Engraved by. 1 Terrilan Castle, Wakeman, 2. Menlough Castle, ,, 3. Clare-Galway Abbey, .... ,, 4. ,, „ Ploughs, .... Rogers, . 5. Tollokyan Castle, Wakeman, 6. Annaghdown Ruins, ,, 7 „ Tomb, „ 8 „ Church Window, . Photograph, 9. „ Window Ornament, Wakeman, 10. ,, Castle, .... ,, 11. Kileoona Round Tower. Photograph, 12. Cargin Castle, Miss E. L. Staunton, 13. Inniscreawa, ,. 14. Cahergal Fort, Wakeman, 15. „ Steps, „ 16. Clydagl Photograph. 17. Annakcen Castle, ,, 18. Ross-Knilly Wakeman, 10. D'Arcy's Cottage, Photograph, 20. Ballycurrin Castle ». "W ikeman, 21. Inchangoill, Lugnaedon's Stone, „ Inscription, ... „ LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. IX No. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. No. Name. Drawn by. Engraved by. ' 54. Sepulchral Urn, . "Wakeman, 55. The Flagstones of Caelchu, . ,, 56. Caher-Speenaun, „ 57. Nymphsfield Circle, W. Wilde, 58. ,, „ Wakeman, 59. Long Stone of The Neale, ... ,, 60. Neale Inscription, Rubbing, . 61. Eochy's Cairn, Wakeman, 62. Lough Mask Castle, .... Rubbing, . 63. Inishmain, Doorway in, . Wakeman, 64. „ Abbey, „ 65. Capital Pillar, . ,, of ,, 66. King Beil's Fort, „ 67. The Penitentiary, ,, 68. ,, Interior, . Rogers, . 69. The Hag's Castle, W. Wilde, 70. Dun Aengus, . \ . Cheyne, . 71. The Hen's Castle, Wakeman, 72. Lemonfield, ,, 73. Aughnanure Castle, ,, 74. „ Window, .... ,, 75. St. Annin's Church, R. Willis, 76. The Fossil Yew, Kinahan, . LOUGH CORRIB. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. CHARACTER OF THE SCENERY OF THE WEST. OBJECTS OF THE TOUR, AND SPECIAL SUBJECTS OF INTEREST. ROUTE FROM DUBLIN TO GALWAY. AN HOUR'S RAMBLE THROUGH " THE CITY OF THE TRIBES." ITS CELEBRI- TIES, NAME, AND HISTORY. THE RIVER GALLIEYE, AND LADY GALLYEA. PLAN OF THE EXCURSION. HOTELS AND CONVEYANCES. Westward, ho ! Let us rise with the sun, and be off to the land of the West—to the lakes and streams— the grassy- glens and fern-clad gorges —the bluff hills and rugged moun- tains —now cloud-capped, then revealed in azure, or bronzed by evening's tints, as the light of day sinks into the bold swell of the Atlantic, and leaves his reflection in long level streaks of crimson, green, and orange, among the greyish- purple robe of twilight, when the shadows of the headlands sink deep into the placid wateis of the lake. But, whether seen in sunshine or in shade — curtained by the mist, or B 2 THE SCENERY OF THE WEST. with the bright light of morning playing upon the brown scores and landslips on the mountain side, or when the streamlets form threads of molten silver as they gleam through the purple heather and the yellow-lichened rocks ere they leap into the lake—the land we invite you to is ever beau- tiful in outline, and graceful in form ; and as the warm breezes, carried on to us with the great Gulf stream, steal in among the West Connaught, Joyce Country, and Conna- mara ranges—the Jura and the Alps of Ireland—and give fitful atmospheric changes to the colouring of the landscape, from bright early dawn to sombre eve, scenes of beauty and sublimity are presented that leave us nothing to envy, even in the everlasting snowtops with their vine-clad slopes and dark pine-robed sides, the mighty glaciers, the rushing ava- lanches, nor the deep ultramarine skies of other lands. Let us then be off to the Far-West, to which (with a choice for a warmer region) the inhabitants of other portions of this island were transplanted some centuries ago ; —to the ancient home of the aborigines—the land of the Firbolgs, the Tuatha de Danann, and the Milesians—the last resting- place of the Celt, ere, fulfilling the destiny of his race, and the earliest impulses of mankind, he has followed from the cradle of humanity the declining sun. Here we can view the battlefields and civic vestiges of our Pagan ancestors, crowded with caves and cairns, raths, tumuli,