Kilgalligan
Encyclopedia
Cill Ghallagáin is a small Gaeltacht
coastal townland
and village
in the northwest corner of Kilcommon
Parish, County Mayo
, Ireland
, an area of 852 acres (3.4 km²) in size. Off the northern coast of this townland lies Kid Island, an island of 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) rising on steep cliffs to a height of 311 feet (94.8 m) above sea level. The island is used for grazing sheep in the summer months
. Kilcommon
Parish consists of two peninsulas - Dún Chaocháin (on which Cill Ghallagáin lies) and Dún Chiortáin, to the west.
In Kilgalligan graveyard which is close to the beach at Broadhaven Bay
there is a large mound about which there are many stories. It has never been archaeologically investigated. It may be the remains of the early Christian church of St. Galligan, from who this townland takes its name. Galligan himself is considered to have been buried within the large cairn. Nearby is a holy well to which people come on pilgrimage on the 14th August, the Eve of St. Galligan's Feast.(Corduff, Irish Folklore Commission). In the 1830s a survey reported that "the cairn was caused by accumulated burials until a sort of pyramid has been formed that, at a distance, has a curious effect with the headstones and small crosses covering all sides of its conical surface. Another writer at the time described it as "here are the ruins of a monastery".(Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary)
There was a promontory fort known as Doonkeeghan (Dún Chaocháin) which probably dated from the Bronze Age
. In 1318 it belonged to the De Exeter-Jordan family. The family appears to have lived in the area for a long period of time as in 1905 a Dr. De Exeter-Jordan was Medical Officer of Knocknalower dispensary on the Dún Chiortáin peninsula of the same parish - Kilcommon, Erris.
The Barrett clan built a fortified residence on the site of an earlier promontory fort in the 14th century AD. In 1580 the second husband of pirate queen Gráinne O'Malley is believed to have owned this fort, known as Doonaniron. Richard Burke owned large tracts of land along the north western coast of Erris. In 1618 the fort at Doonaniron became the property of Michael Cormuck who resided in Inver Castle on the Dún Chiortáin peninsula further west. This fort must have been an imposing structure. It had a lofty enclosing wall with a large arched gateway which was taken down by the great gale of January 1839. (Westropp
, Promontory forts and Otway
, Sketches in Erris and Tyrawley.
In 1838 there was a coastguard station, a watch house, boat house and signal post at Rinroe pier.
During the Irish famine the area was badly affected and many perished. In November 1850, Robert Savage who was the postmaster at Bangor Erris
wrote to Dublin Castle
reporting that eighteen sheep on his farm at Kilgalligan had been destroyed and several others badly injured. The police investigated but found no truth in the claim. It turned out that Mr Savage's objective was to have a police barracks built at Kilgalligan. Mr. Savage intended building a fishing industry on his land at Kilgalligan which he described as "a wild and mountainous district and with very disturbed neighbours and he is very scared of doing so until a police station is built on his lands." This wild townland was seen in a different light by Samuel Lewis, who claimed that "Kilgalligan Head is unrivalled in beauty and grandeur".
for instance. Kilgalligan is well known for its strikingly detailed microtoponomy. Due to one man with a wonderful memory, over 800 minor place-names were recorded in this one townland in the mid 1970s. The names recorded for Kilgalligan townland are mainly in Irish
. They reflect the centrality of the bog, settlements, fields, caves, cliffs, coves, rocks and the history and views of the people more than a century ago. The names also reflect the transitional state of the Irish language
locally in the later decades of the 19th and 20th centuries and give detailed accounts of much local folklore and beliefs. The book was researched by Seamus O'Cathain and Patrick O'Flanagan
.
Field name
s can be seen as representing a key to a very local world, the local landscape which like the houses and yards are part of a private family space inaccessible to outsiders. The parish and the townland are knowable to the outsider - they are on the map and are signposted. But an unknown world of fields (and rocks, hills and other hidden spaces), labelled with homely and sometimes inexplicable names, slowly emerges out of the landscape
and the memories of local people.
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
coastal townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
and village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in the northwest corner of Kilcommon
Kilcommon
Kilcommon is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants...
Parish, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
, an area of 852 acres (3.4 km²) in size. Off the northern coast of this townland lies Kid Island, an island of 32 acres (129,499.5 m²) rising on steep cliffs to a height of 311 feet (94.8 m) above sea level. The island is used for grazing sheep in the summer months
Transhumance
Transhumance is the seasonal movement of people with their livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter. Herders have a permanent home, typically in valleys. Only the herds travel, with...
. Kilcommon
Kilcommon
Kilcommon is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants...
Parish consists of two peninsulas - Dún Chaocháin (on which Cill Ghallagáin lies) and Dún Chiortáin, to the west.
Archaeology and History
This townland has many forts and ancient buildings.In Kilgalligan graveyard which is close to the beach at Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
there is a large mound about which there are many stories. It has never been archaeologically investigated. It may be the remains of the early Christian church of St. Galligan, from who this townland takes its name. Galligan himself is considered to have been buried within the large cairn. Nearby is a holy well to which people come on pilgrimage on the 14th August, the Eve of St. Galligan's Feast.(Corduff, Irish Folklore Commission). In the 1830s a survey reported that "the cairn was caused by accumulated burials until a sort of pyramid has been formed that, at a distance, has a curious effect with the headstones and small crosses covering all sides of its conical surface. Another writer at the time described it as "here are the ruins of a monastery".(Samuel Lewis, Topographical Dictionary)
There was a promontory fort known as Doonkeeghan (Dún Chaocháin) which probably dated from the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. In 1318 it belonged to the De Exeter-Jordan family. The family appears to have lived in the area for a long period of time as in 1905 a Dr. De Exeter-Jordan was Medical Officer of Knocknalower dispensary on the Dún Chiortáin peninsula of the same parish - Kilcommon, Erris.
The Barrett clan built a fortified residence on the site of an earlier promontory fort in the 14th century AD. In 1580 the second husband of pirate queen Gráinne O'Malley is believed to have owned this fort, known as Doonaniron. Richard Burke owned large tracts of land along the north western coast of Erris. In 1618 the fort at Doonaniron became the property of Michael Cormuck who resided in Inver Castle on the Dún Chiortáin peninsula further west. This fort must have been an imposing structure. It had a lofty enclosing wall with a large arched gateway which was taken down by the great gale of January 1839. (Westropp
Thomas Johnson Westropp
- Early life :Westropp, a notable antiquarian in Victorian Ireland and a collector of folklore, was born at Attyflin Park, Patrickswell, County Limerick. Westropp's family were of English origin and settled in County Limerick in the mid 16th century. The family married into the O'Callaghans of...
, Promontory forts and Otway
Caesar Otway
Caesar Otway was born in Nenagh, Co. Tipperary, Ireland in 1780. In 1803 he married Francis Hastings with who he had five children, John Hastings Otway, Caesar George Otway, Loftus Otway, Jane Otway and Frances Otway. In 1810 he graduated from Trinity College, Dublin with holy orders...
, Sketches in Erris and Tyrawley.
In 1838 there was a coastguard station, a watch house, boat house and signal post at Rinroe pier.
During the Irish famine the area was badly affected and many perished. In November 1850, Robert Savage who was the postmaster at Bangor Erris
Bangor Erris
Bangor Erris is a town in Kiltane parish in Erris, County Mayo, Ireland with a population of 500. It is on the banks of the Owenmore River and is the gateway to the Erris Peninsula linking Belmullet with Ballina and Westport, nestled at the foot of the "Bangor Trail" a 22-mile mountain pass across...
wrote to Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle
Dublin Castle off Dame Street, Dublin, Ireland, was until 1922 the fortified seat of British rule in Ireland, and is now a major Irish government complex. Most of it dates from the 18th century, though a castle has stood on the site since the days of King John, the first Lord of Ireland...
reporting that eighteen sheep on his farm at Kilgalligan had been destroyed and several others badly injured. The police investigated but found no truth in the claim. It turned out that Mr Savage's objective was to have a police barracks built at Kilgalligan. Mr. Savage intended building a fishing industry on his land at Kilgalligan which he described as "a wild and mountainous district and with very disturbed neighbours and he is very scared of doing so until a police station is built on his lands." This wild townland was seen in a different light by Samuel Lewis, who claimed that "Kilgalligan Head is unrivalled in beauty and grandeur".
Microtoponomy
Toponomy is the art of place-name collection such as the various townlands within a parish. Microtoponomy is the gathering of local place-names within a townlandTownland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
for instance. Kilgalligan is well known for its strikingly detailed microtoponomy. Due to one man with a wonderful memory, over 800 minor place-names were recorded in this one townland in the mid 1970s. The names recorded for Kilgalligan townland are mainly in Irish
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
. They reflect the centrality of the bog, settlements, fields, caves, cliffs, coves, rocks and the history and views of the people more than a century ago. The names also reflect the transitional state of the Irish language
Irish language
Irish , also known as Irish Gaelic, is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family, originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish people. Irish is now spoken as a first language by a minority of Irish people, as well as being a second language of a larger proportion of...
locally in the later decades of the 19th and 20th centuries and give detailed accounts of much local folklore and beliefs. The book was researched by Seamus O'Cathain and Patrick O'Flanagan
Patrick O'Flanagan
Patrick O'Flanagan is an Irish geographer and academic.-Career:He is emeritus professor of the at University College Cork, Ireland. He was the former Head of this department...
.
Field name
Field name
Field name can mean a number of different things:*In computer science, a field name identifies a field in a database record or other data structure....
s can be seen as representing a key to a very local world, the local landscape which like the houses and yards are part of a private family space inaccessible to outsiders. The parish and the townland are knowable to the outsider - they are on the map and are signposted. But an unknown world of fields (and rocks, hills and other hidden spaces), labelled with homely and sometimes inexplicable names, slowly emerges out of the landscape
Landscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
and the memories of local people.
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland