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| History
of Lissycasey Lissycasey
Church Lissycasey
Landmarks & Placenames
History of Ballynacally Ballycorick Church Ballynacally Placenames |
Ballynacally is a picturesque village situated approx. 10miles south west of Ennis, on the coast road to Kilrush. It is the custom of the villagers, and the people of the surrounding areas to make an annual visit to a Blessed Well outside the village, which is dedicated to St. Martin, patron of Gaul in France. St. Martin’s Shrine and Holy Well can be reached by a path from the road in a matter of minutes. The clear spring well is overhung by a concrete alter, on top of which stands, in a niche, a beautiful statue if St. Martin. The well and shrine is located in just the sort of seclusion that had always in his lifetime an irresistible appeal for the Saint. The Shrine, hollowed in a rocky area on the brink of a gently flowing stream, is sheltered by stately cypress trees and flowering shrubs. On St. Martin’s Day 11th November, every year, it is an inspiring sight to see the constant stream of pilgrims make their way to the shrine, some old, many in the full flush of youth, but all with a deep faith in the ability of the Saint to cure their ills.
They kneel on the concrete surface of the sanctuary and pray and light candles. Only the murmur of the waters and an occasional gust of wind through the trees disturbs the silence. Before leaving, they drink the refreshing waters from the well, and in a little pool nearby into which there is a constant flow of water from the well, they bathe their eyes. It is widely believed that blindness, rheumatism and many minor ailments can be cured here, and at all times throughout the year people suffering from various complaints make novenas here in supplication to the Saint.
St. Martin was born in Italy in 316, reared in Milan and came to Gaul as a soldier. At the age of eighteen, he was baptised and having become a disciple of St. Hilary, he founded a monastery in Liguage, near Poitiers. Many years later, he was made Bishop of Tours, near which he founded the famous Abbey of Marmontiers or Martin’s Monastery. His fame was first brought to Ireland by his friend, St. Ninian, who knew and loved St. Martinand who founded a monastery like those in France at Whitburn , in Scotland in 397. The Monastery of Candida Casa had much to do with the spread of monasticism to Ireland. St. Martin lived ‘till he was nearly eighty years old. His death occurred in Candes, near Tours, on November 8th 397. His tomb is famous through many miracles and attracts large numbers of visitors.
Ballycorick
Church, which is at present undergoing a major renovation, was according to
Monsignor Ignatius Murphy’s ‘The Diocese of Killaloe’ dedicated on
February 17th 1861 by Bishop Flannery of Killaloe. It was built on a
site given by Thomas Rice Henn (Barrister at law) of Paradise, together with the
sum of £50.The story goes that there was rivalry between the Henns of Paradise
and the Balls of Fortfergus and that Mr. Henn gave a site overlooking the Ball
estate.
The
Church is built of cut stone and is now a listed building. There is a beautiful
stained glass window at the rear of the main altar. At the time of it’s
dedication, Fr. Dinan was Parish Priest and according to Monsignor Murphy he
“was after building within a very short period two elegant churches in his
extensive parish”.
According
to the local newspaper of the time – The Clare Journal “The reverend
gentleman has, although labouring under the greatest disadvantages from the
remoteness of the locality from any place where the necessary materials for so
great a work could be procured and the want of adequate means, has succeeded by
indomitable perseverance in erecting a suitable temple for the Lord in this
small and rather poor parish”.
The
paper goes on to tell us that Fr. Dinan laboured at his task for three years
and that now (1861) the people of Ballynacally have a handsome and imposing
edifice instead of a few wretched cabins knocked together.
Thirty
years ago, in 1970 there was much work carried out . The gallery at the back of
the church was removed and the Baptistery was taken from the back of the church
and placed at the side of the main altar. The bell was taken down from the
spirit and a new belfry was built in the church grounds. Central heating was
installed at this time and new seats were put in the long aisle.
(Compiled
by the Student Summer Job Scheme 2000)
Lissycasey
(half of the Clondegad – Kilchrist Parish) Straddles the Ennis –Kilrush road
for 2.2 Miles. The Area stretches East-West from Caherea to Crown and
North-South from Frure North to Cloncolman.
The name Lissycasey comes from “Lios Ui Chathasaigh” (Fort of the Casey’s) The “Priomh” Lios is believed to be south of Tom O Rourke’s House and east of McSweeneys. This Lios is surrounded by six Sub Forts in a Celtic (Pre Christian) layout.
Tobarniddaun,
A Sacred Place.
The
Blessed well and cilllin At Tobarniddaun, is a place where the sacred legends of
old saints stand in sharp contrast to the tales of Unbaptised babies buried on
unconsercrated soil
The
well, located a short distance down a side road near the Boree log, commemorates
St Niddaun (Aidan) and it has been visited by people from the area for countless
generations. The nearby Cilllin, or burial ground, was used up to about 40 years
ago as a final resting place for unbaptised babies. Also before the present
graveyard in the parish was developed there were a number of adult burials at
the cilllin.
While
people still visit Tobarniddaun on a fairly regular basis, some of them hoping
to experience its reputed curative powers many of the visitors are not fully
aware of its history, which goes as follows:
Many
years ago two Saints met at the Cascade in Ballyclohessy, Ballynacally and were
debating which of them would stay and which would go north to Lissycasey. Their
names were St Scriovhan and St Niddaun. They blessed two sticks and threw them
into the river and the one whose stick flowed north would go north to Lissycasey
and the other would remain.
St
Niddaun travelled to Tubber and the name was changed to Tobarniddaun. It is
believed that he is buried near the blessed well.
The
name Clondegad is derived from this incident Cluain de Gad: Valley of the two
gads or sticks. St Scriovhan well is located near the Cascade in Ballyclohessy.
The
well at Tobarniddaun is said to have healing powers for the eyes. Visit on three
evenings after sunset and wash the eyes with the water and say one Our Father,
One Hail Mary and one Glory. Some say that this also applies to the ears and
that one should pick Moss, wet it, place it on the eyes and ears and return to
the exact spot from which it was taken.
The
Fas scheme revamped the area and on June 19th 2000, there was a
blessing And prayed ceremony.
This blessed well is situated in the townland of Frure on the lands of Johnie & Anne Kelly. Nearby is a children’s graveyard, which was used as a burial Ground up to 40 years ago.
Local Historians would claim that the well which was discovered, by Margaret Carrig from Frure West, By Michael Kelly Coolbawn and some others who had dreams about the place that led them to the spot near the river. They discovered the spring water and people began to come & pray. A local man Jim Glynn from Frure Upper was known to have his sight restored and he returned every Sunday to recite the Rosary at the well.
Namely a series of Forts, Croch a Chaora-a hill with legendary tales,
Lough a Chruach supplying the local group water scheme.
There are many sulphur wells located beside this lake.
The Owenslieve River (River of the Mountain) Is the main drainage for the Eastern Area and is reputed to have many unexplored potholes.
Caherea. (Cathair Aodha) The fortress of Hugh divided into two divisions Caherea East and Caherea West
Lismorris. (The Fort of Muiris or Morris)
Reaffa (Reidh Fia) the lands of Rays
Benedin (Beann Eadain) The Peak of the Brow (linking Caherea with Decomade)
Decomade (An Deichiu meid) The tenth Part
Gleannagonee (Gleann Coinini) The Valley of the Rabbits
Tubbernadaune or Tubber. Well of the Stream
Music Hill (Named in 1850 when the Ronan Family played Music there)
Raelach “The Ray with the pools of Water”
Coolderror Bridge is situated south of Kearney’s public House on the Road to Ballycorick. The River is the “Cul Daire “
Frure or Furrour originated from For Bharr (High Look out Point)
Gurtyageeheen “Garden of the Wind”
Baile Na Gos “Home of the Stem
Baile Na Seanna. “The home of the Shea’s
Cloncolman. Cluain Colman “The meadow of Colman”
Cluain Draighneach “Meadow of the blackthorn
Cappanageragh. Ceapach Na gCaorach. “Paddock of Field of the Sheep.
Lissycasey is part of the
united parishes of Kilcreest and Clondegad. The churches at those localities
were destroyed, tradition tells us, by Cromwell. The parish later was served by
churches at Mount and Lanna and
other Mass centres mentioned are Lavalla and Gurtygeheen.
In 1860, Fr. Michael Dinan,
P.P. built new churches at Lissycasey and Ballycorick and that church at
Lissycasey served the area until October1977, when it was demolished to make
room for the new church. The architects of this new church were Catherine
Dowling and John Quinn.
This new church is
dedicated to Our Lady of the Wayside. The old church was demolished after
efforts to retain it in modified form proved to be impractical.
The design solution for
the new church, which seats five hundred people, was inspired by the need to
meet the changes in Liturgical Celebration arising from the second Vatican
Council documents, ‘Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy’ and ‘Church in the
Modern World’, and provides a series of related spaces covered by a single
roof symbolising the oneness of the people of God united in the Liturgy of the
Eucharist
The particular form of the
building is inspired by 4,000-year-old portal dolmens found extensively in Co.
Clare.
(Compiled
by 4th Class, 2000 - Ballynacally N.S.)
We have many placenames around Ballynacally with
the word “lios”
in them which means ‘fort’. It
is clear that the area around Ballynacally was inhabited from the earliest
times.
We have forts in Lisduff
and Lisheen,
Lismorris
and Lissycasey.
A lios is circular in shape.
It is surrounded by a bank or ditch.
If earth was used in the making of a ditch the fort was called a
“Rath” or a “Lios”. If stone was used it was called a “Dun” or a “Cathair”.
In Lisheen there is a fort called Lisdubh which
means “Blackfort”.
Fort
– Fergus got its name from a fort convenient to the river
Fergus. In older times it was
called “Liscronin”.
One of the largest forts in the district is in Poulaphuca. The
gold which
is supposed to be hidden in a hole in the fort, is
guarded by the Pooka or fairy horse.
Leimnaleaha
The Leap of the Deer
The leap of the deer is the name of a townland on
the Lissycasey – Kildysart
road. In olden times the deer
were very plentiful. One
evening some dogs chased a deer and he took a most wonderful leap across a very
wide glen and that is how the place got its name.
Crininish
–Crainn Inis – “a wooded island”
Lack
–
Leac, which means flagstones.
Tonelegee
–
Tón le ghaoth - Back
to the Wind. A prominent hill in
this place
has its back facing the prevailing wind.
Clondrinagh
–
Cluain Draighneach – a place or meadow which abounds in
blackthorns.
Crahera
–
Craggy or rocky place.
Ballycorick
–
Béal átha chomhraic – Mouth of the ford of the confluence.
Comar
means “confluence”, The place at which two.
Lisnafha
– Fort
of the giants.
Drumquin-
Drom
caoin- smooth ridge.
Clondegad
–
Meadow of the two rods or sticks.
The name comes from the word daingean, which means
‘firm’ so called because of the strong fortfield castle of the McMahon
family.
It is really a tower house and it is one of more
than two hundred castles built in Clare during the Norman period.
There is a
legend attached to the castle. The chief McMAHON and his wife did not get on.
She planned to leave her husband and elope with another man. She left on the
horse’s back with him. She
strapped herself to him because they were travelling at high speed. A short
distance from the castle a forked branch swaying in the wind caught the
woman’s head and dragged it from her body. The man did not know this and
continued on his journey. After a few miles he turned around and saw the
terrible sight. He cut the headless body from its strapping. The place where
this happened was called Sruthán Fiáin. From our questionnaire we found out
there is a stream crossing a field in Lisheen called Sruthán Fiáin.
Knockasaggart
Cnoc an tSagairt – There is a rock on the top of the
hill in the townland of Fort Fergus.
In the penal
days the priests used to say Mass at this rock and
once
while one priest was offering Mass he was killed
and hence “Knockasaggart” got its name.
Clonfurish
:
Easy Meadow
Gort na Muc
:
Garden of pigs
Carhumeere
:
Meere’s Quarters
Crocadh
Pedlar
:
The cross near Ballycorick church is called
“Crocadh
Pedlar” A few hundred years from the cross a pedlar was hung from a tree.
