Bartholomew Ryan - King of Owney

We are in search of a lost “King” and we are looking for your help!

We have found the grave of a man noted as the “King of Owney” in Tipperary and we are trying to find his living descendants. 

His name was Bartholomew Ryan, he was born about 1750 and died at Carrowkeale near Newport in County Tipperary in 1828. His “title” as “King of Owney” is alluded to in an old parish register recording the birth of his grandson Bartholomew Carey in Birdhill.

We think that it may be a reference to him being descended from the Chiefs of Owney O’Mulryan which roughly encompassed the modern area around Birdhill, Newport and Murroe. We hope to find some of his living Ryan ancestors and encourage them to take part in the Ryan DNA Project. We already have over 50 Ryans that have taken detailed DNA tests and it would be interesting to see how his ancestors compare with these.

Bartholomew Ryan is buried within the ancient church walls of Ballymackeogh outside Newport. To learn more about him and his family we need help to find his living descendants, of whom we know many remained on a small farm in the parish of Carrowkeale in Tipperary well into the turn of the 20th century.

Background.

Bartholomew Ryan was married to Margaret Collopy of Limerick, and we know they had at least one son and four daughters, and we know some of his grandchildren were still living at Carrowkeale in the 1901-1911 era.

Children:

Son PIERCE RYAN, Esquire:  c1792 – 1831, died Carrowkeale possibly unmarried.

Daughter ELIZABETH CAREY / CAREW  of Birdhill, c1794 – 1849, innkeeper and wife of Michael J Carey whose family had owned an inn previously where Elizabeth ran her business. Had a son BARTHOLOMEW CAREY 1827 – 1860 who lived in Birdhill, and married KATE SMITHWICK. Following Bart Carey’s untimely death his widow Kate remarried to JOHN HAYES of Killaloe.

Daughter ELLEN DARTNELL of Ellen St, Limerick, 1796 – 1852, wife of printer JOHN DARTNELL, who had a daughter MARY DARTNELL born 1835 in the parish of St Michael in Limerick.

Daughter BRIDGET CARROLL nee Ryan, 1799 – 1884, wife of PATRICK CARROLL of Kilteely and Carrowkeale. Large family lived on Carrowkeale up until at least 1911-1921 era.

Daughter MARY BOURKE nee Ryan, 1801- ?, wife of WILLIAM BOURKE whose father CAPTAIN ANDREW BOURKE was murdered near Newport, Tipperary in 1839.

So we are particularly looking for the families of the following, known to have lived at Carrowkeale (also spelt Carrickeal, Carhuecaoil etc)

- His grandson: Bartholomew ‘Bart’  Carroll (1840-1920) and wife Kate Young, who had 6 children at Carrowkeale between 1875 – 1889 (Bart Carroll was the son of Patrick Carroll and Bridget Ryan and inherited a farm at Carrowkeale from his uncle Pierce Ryan.)

Carroll children who survived to adulthood and who lived at Carrowkeale:

Margaret Carroll born 1877 and married PATRICK HOURIGAN and lived Carrowkeale

Mary Carroll 1878 – 1963

Katie Carroll born 1881 who married Jeremiah Hartnett

Samuel Carroll born 1882 died 1961 in Shannon Home, Limerick, but lived Carrowkeale

Annie Carroll born 1889 and died 1945 Carrowkeale.

Tobbernikelly or Tobernakilla - links to an inauguration landscape?

 

The Civil Survey mentions a landmark known as Skaghnygon which is some kind of prominent bush in the landscape. It is mentioned in "The Sacred Trees of Ireland" by Lucas as being a potential "sacred tree".

I have only recently discovered a bit more about Lucas he was a president of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1969 to 1973 and director of the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) from 1954 to 1976.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_T._Lucas

One of the landmarks near it mentioned below is Tobbernykelly. I just assumed that it was a name of a well associated with a family. However recently the penny dropped that there was a Tobernakilla marked on the old OS maps to the south-east of Ballinahinch village. It is only recorded as a well rather than a holy well and there is a suggestion that it may have been associated with a Church marked on the Down Survey maps whose exact location is unrecorded.

Now there is really no evidence to say it was "sacred" only that it was well enough known to be a landmark. However putting my antiquarians hat on again, there is a lovely landscape of ring-barrows located to the east of Tobernakilla. Could they along with the Skaghnygon be part of an inauguration landscape?

(Pg 171 of Civil Survey of Tipperary Vol. 2) "And from thence to Tobbernyropp bounded on the North east wth. the pfd of

Shesiraghnygrough in the Parish of Tample really and from Toburnyropp to the Bush called Skaghnygon bounded on the South wth. the pld of Shesiraghnygrough afforeid on the North, and from Skaghnygon to the Brooke or well called Tobbernykelly bounded on the South east wth. the sd. pId of Shesiraghnygrough and from Tobbenykelly to the Brooke called the Brooke of Dromunbane bounded on the West wth. the lands of Killmcstully afforesd."

 

The Battle of Roscrea

The Battle of Roscrea

St Peter and Pauls or the 29th of June was when a great fair was held in Roscrea. In 942 folklore records that a huge hoard of Vikings attacked the fair in the hopes of making off with the wealth there. However they hadn't bet on just how hardy Tipp and particularly Roscrea people are!

"The Danes, under their commander, Olfinn, attracted by the great wealth, which was gathered together at the Aenach, marched on the town, and were annihilated. A description of this battle is found in O'Halloran's "History of Ireland," which is so vivid, it is here quoted in full :---
A great annual fair was held at Roscrea on the festival of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29th - but which continued during fourteen days. As this was nearly in the centre of the kingdom merchants resorted to it, not only from different parts of Ireland, but from foreign countries, to dispose of their wares ; for the country was even then called by the mercantile world .... An island rich in resources, precious stones, garments and gold.
The Danes of Limerick and Connaught had formed a bold scheme to surprise the merchants at the Fair .... Olfinn, chief of the Connacian Danes, conducted the enterprise, and marched his men in detached parties to the borders of the Shannon, where they were to meet ... forces from about Limerick. As they took different routes, and no considerable bodies appeared anywhere together, their intentions were more secret and less alarming. But no sooner did they appear on the Tipperary side of the Shannon, but notice was given by lighting fires at the different stations in Lower Ormond, by which the country became alarmed. They plunged into their barks as soon as possible. Their landing in Ormond was effected in two hours, and of this notice was also given.
From the place of their landing the object of their destination became suspected and soon known. As everything depended on expedition they formed and marched off as soon as landed. The soldiers who guarded the approaches to the Fair assembled, and were joined by the merchants, their clerks, and numbers of gentlemen and others assembled from all quarters on such occasions. On consultation it was decided not to remove the shops, the stages, the ware-houses or merchandise, but let them remain where erected, by which means those persons immediately interested would acquit themselves better. It was also agreed on to march out, and meet the enemy, and not wait to be attacked by them.

Those resolves inspired the people with confidence ; for troops advancing to the charge must collect more resolution, than those who wait to be attacked. As soon as the Danes appeared they gave them no time to form, but assaulted them on every side with such firmness and resolution, neither of which was expected, that the Danes were very soon broken ; and in this battle, and in the pursuit which followed, about 4,000 Danes were slain, with most of their principal officers, amongst whom was Olfinn himself. The place where this battle occurred was near Carrick Hill, which made this hill so remarkable, that it gave a title afterwards to the house of Butler.

The flight of the Danes after the battle was towards Moneygall, which means the shrubbery or bog of the foreigners and the route followed by the Danes has given names to the intervening places to the present day ; Owris, an Irish word means a delay or hindrance, the Owris is a stream ; Clonegana from Cluan, a retired place or meadow, and geanan a sword ; Clashagad, from Glas, lamentation, and giodad, a wounding ; Fin glas, from fion, troops, and glas, a lamentation ; Loughawn, from locc, a pool, and un, evil. Along the track of the Danes, numerous bones were found at the beginning of the nineteenth century in pits between Clonegana and the high-road, and in the bog between Cullenwaine and Moneygall."

From the History of Ely O'Carroll Territory by Rev John Gleeson pg 378-380

I love how a story from over a 1000 years ago can still be remembered in the placenames today. I have included the locations mentioned above and their supposed meanings. I think some of the translations are a bit fanciful. For example Clashagad is given as "The stream of the thief" on logainm. https://www.logainm.ie/en/41822

Some wonderful sculptures have been erected in the town of Roscrea by Jerry Cahir to commemorate this event.
https://www.nenaghguardian.ie/2023/07/09/62365/

Oisin and the Rock of Cashel

 

Is there an effigy of the great mythological figure Oisin somewhere at the Rock of Cashel?

Or perhaps an imprint where the bull in this story ran into?

I wonder does it have anything to do with the Sheela na Gig on the walls of the Rock? (See comments for a picture).

"When St. Patrick was building the great church on the Rock of Cashel, the workmen used to be terribly annoyed, for whatever they put up by day was always found knocked down next morning. So one man watched and another man watched, but about one o'clock in the night every watcher fell asleep as sure as the hearth-money. At last St. Patrick himself sat up, and just as the clock struck one, what did he see but a terrible bull, with fire flashing from his nostrils, charging full drive up the hill, and pucking down every stone, stick, and bit of mortar that was put together the day before. "Oh, ho ! " says the Saint, "Til soon find one that will settle you, my brave bull"

Now, who was this but Usheen (Oisin) that St. Patrick was striving to make a good Christian. Usheen was a very crooked disciple. When he was listening to pious reading or talk, his thoughts would be among the hunters and warriors of his youth, but he loved the good Saint for his charity to himself. The day after St. Patrick saw the bull, he up and told Usheen all about what was going on. "Put me on a rock or in a tree," says Usheen, " just by the way the bull ran, and we'll see what we can do." So in the evening he was settled comfortably in the bough of a tree on the hill side, and when the bull was firing away up the steep like a thunderbolt, and was nearly under him, he dropped down on his back, took a horn in each hand, tore him asunder, and dashed one of the sides so hard against the face of the wall, that it may be seen there this day, hardened into stone. There was no further stoppage of the work; and in gratitude they cut out the effigy of Usheen riding on his pony, and it may be seen inside the old ruins this very day."

"A person pretending to have been on the rock, says there is a rude mark, as of the side of an ox, on the outside of one of the walls, and a knight mounted on a diminutive quadruped in bas-relief within."

From The Fireside Stories of Ireland (1870), 153-4 - Patrick Kennedy.

Galloping Hogan's House near Puckane

Is the remains of the famous rapparee Galloping Hogan's house? (Original photo is in the link).
The folklore (below) suggests that it is in the townland of Johnstown near Puckane in North Tipp. There is another map associated with the same school and it gives it in an eastern area of Johnstown near the road.
I took a look around that area recently but there was no sign of it. Luckily I met with a local man while there, he doesn't recall any folklore linking Galloping Hogan to the area. He recalls his father telling him a story that when Hogan was being executed, that Hogan asked the crowd, "was there anyone there from Hogan's Pass?". However he didn't recall any stories in the local area about Hogan.
This is a story that I have seen mentioned before in relation to rapparee's or highwaymen and generally the idea is that he wanted to tell someone where his treasure was buried.
There is another story in the School's Manuscripts that records this event but it is at a place called Clash near Toomevara that the treasure is said that been located.
Unfortunately after nearly 100 years I would be surprised if the walls photographed are still standing.
I'd love to hear if anyone knows any stories linking O'Hogan to Johnstown? If you see my storymap below of Sarsfield's Ride, I reference two of O'Hogan's hideouts in the Arra mountains. One in particular at Labadiha.
There are a number of different birthplaces given for O'Hogan - one being Ballycahill near Holycross but considering his surname I would think he was a descendent of the Arra Hogans.
"Ruins of Hogan's house in Johnstown
'Galloping Hogan' was a famous raparee who lived in the time of King Jas. II. Hogan lived in Johnstown. He owned a very quick-footed steed. If Galloping Hogan was being pursued by the English he could change the shoes on his horse. When the English saw the mark of the shoes they thought Hogan was gone in the opposite way to that in which he was really gone.
One night Galloping Hogan gave a feast in his house. During the night he saddled his horse and set out to rob the mail car at Hogan's Pass. When the news of the robbery of the mail- car reached Johnstown everyone said that Hogan had not robbed it because he did not leave the house that night.
Galloping Hogan was a well educated man and was popular with Sarsfield. He knew every pass and defile and was familiar with every rock and roadway; with every road and bog.
When Sarsfield was going to Ballyneety Hogan was the best man that could be obtained to give effectual assistance to the grand exploit of the dashing dauntless Irish General.
Some of the party, which went to Ballyneety, were conducted by Galloping Hogan. They went on well until they came to Labadhy Bridge, near Boher. Here Hogan's party was startled by a curious incident. Sarsfield discovered, near the Bridge, a number of men, on his left, who alarmed him. He ordered his horse to halt apprehensive that he had been betrayed by Hogan.
The delusion was dispelled in an instant. The men who caused the alarm were a body of raparee who had a den here in which htey were accustomed to conceal whatever provisions they had taken in their excursions throughout the district. Whey the Irish reached the hill overlooking Ballyneety Sarsfield and Galloping Hogan were the first two to approach the English Camp. After the destruction of the siege train Hogan presumably returned to Limerick with Sarsfield.
The amnesty that followed the Treaty of Limerick was proclaimed in a short time after the signing of the treaty. According to Stoney, the Williamite historian, Galloping Hogan took advantage of the amnesty and was murdered soon afterwards near Roscrea by certain raparees who had not submitted."

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b128277d99d04d7fa5e5d6b1bc03179b?fbclid=IwAR0l8f4vl20HUak08kXPoQni5wgAio5kdp3ztBPE1hohr3PtSajop73hq3I

https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922134/4855180/5012190

St Kevin's Well (Bullaun Stone) near Clonmel

Known as St Kevin's Well in the Schools Manuscripts, it is actually a bullaun stone rather than a spring well.

I visited this years ago and only just happened upon this folklore related to it recently.

"Rath-Caoimhighin, which means Rathkevin or the Fort of Kevin is situated about four miles from Clonmel and six miles from Cahir and is reached by a field from the main road.

It is a thickly wooded fort surrounded by a white thorn hedge. It was supposed to have been the abode of the Danes in olden times and was protected from enemies by a Moat, and inside the Moat was a wall. A drawbridge was placed over the moat and on the side fo the moat was an iron gong and beneath it a stout club.

When people came to it they struck the gong with the club and the people inside heard it and looked out to see whether it was a friend or an enemy. If a friend they raised the portcullis and let fall the bridge. There was a saint named Kevin living there, hence the name Rath-Caoimhighin. There is an obling stone with a hole in the middle, which is always filled with water, it is said that it never went dry, On this stone is the print of the saints hands and knees, where he used to pray every day. The water in this stone is supposed to cure warts on people's hands. This saint died in the fort, and was buried there."

https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922227/4862584/5020939

The Devi's Track near Kilcommon, North Tipp

 The Devil's Track near Kilcommon, North Tipp.

"At Knocknabansha just on the roadside about half mile east of the village is the Devil's Track. It is a large stone embedded in the soil. On it is a large track resembling a horses's hoof. It is deep at the toe about 2 1/2" and shallower towards the back. The devil put it there by stepping on the stone on his way to Cashel from Barnane."
https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922168/4857932

This stone supposedly near the village of Kilcommon in the Slieve Felims isn't recorded on any maps. I did a little searching for it recently and asked around in the local area if anyone knew its location. Unfortunately no one that I met had even heard of it.

Besides it having wonderful folklore linking it with the story of the Devil's Bit near Templemore, I had also wondered whether it had the potential to be unrecorded rock-art.

If anyone knows someone from the area, they might pass on the info and see if anybody locally has heard of it or its location.

#folklorefriday
The picture is my own sketch, not an actual drawing of the stone.

Lough Thuile and the lake monster

Lough Thuile near Kilcommon in North Tipp.

A Mountainy Lake Monster?

"On top of a Hill in townland of Garrycummer is a lake called Loughthuile. It has no outlet. An attempt was made to drain it hundreds of years ago but when they looked back as they were just letting go the water all the houses in the valley below were on fire and so the lake was left as it is. ....

Like all mountain tarns a monster guards the lake. A Huge Eel appears there occasionally and when a death is about to take place a light crosses it. It is said that no man could swim it that the monster would suck him down in the middle. It is frequented by plover, wild duck and wild geese but contains no fish of any kind."

https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4922168/4857884/5018877

There is similar folklore about the draining of Lough Muskry in the Glen of Aherlow, when they tried to drain it, there houses ended up on fire back at home.

Also similar to Lough Muskry - there is a story of a lake monster.

The Kings Stone near Knockgraffon, Cahir, South Tipperary

Has anyone ever hear of "The Kings Stone" in the River Suir near Knockgraffon / Cahir in South Tipp?

It is referenced in the book The Suir - from its Source to Sea by L.M. McGrath with the attached photo of it (which is pretty inconclusive to me in terms of location).

Why is it important?

Well it is said that it was the stone on which the most ancient ancestor (Fiacha Muilleathan) of the Eoganachta or original Kings of Munster was born. Seemingly being born here on a stone between boundaries was to fulfil a prophecy.

In McGrath's book it says "It lies in the river-bed within sight of the mote, not far from where Ballydrehid House now stands." (The mote being Knockgraffon).

There is nothing marked on the old OS maps in the river near Ballydrehid House but there is to the north of Knockgraffon Motte on the River Suir. 

 

There is a stone marked in the river and described in the SMR as follows ""Indicated as a rock or outcrop in the River Suir, adjacent to the N bank, on the 1st (1840) and 1900-05 ed. OS 6-inch map and named 'Cloghnahenar' [An chloch ina h'aonar; literally translated as: Stone on its own]. It appears to have marked a fording point which is indicated on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map. The river was swollen at time of inspection and the stone was not visible. Church (TS068-098----) located c. 300m to N and enclosure possible (TS068-099----) located c. 310m to NE."

However you would imagine that the SMR might mention it in relation to the Eoghanachta legend? Plus how does its name tie in with that story (if it is it)?

So I'm looking for any local knowledge about the location of the Kings stone in the River Suir?

I had read about it in McGraths book but it was brought back to my attention on another facebook group by a poster there who is also keen to discover its whereabouts.

Where is the Brehon's Chair on Kyle Hill on the Offaly / Laois border

 

Does anyone know the location of Kyle Hill on the Laois / Offaly border just to the east of Roscrea or even better still the location of the Brehon's chair that is said to be located on the hill.

I have not been able to find the exact location of the hill to date.

John Feehan in "The Landscape of the Slieve Blooms" pgs 212 & 213 says the following

"The hills here, rising to over 275 metres in Laughil and to nearly 250 metres in Ballyduff to the south-west, were called Slewnemoronty, which is probably sliabh na mórdhala (-áltaí?), the mountain of the assembly, which is not unlikely in view of the traditions associated with Saint Thomas' Seat which is a conspicuous outcrop of Old Red Sandstone at the top of the mountain in Ballyduff. Known as the Fairy Chair (the hill is called Fairy hill), this outcrop is described by Seward in Topographica hibernica (1795) as the judgement seat where the brehon of the Fitzpatrick held his court. Tradition attributes a group of small round impressions on top of the rock to the saint's fingertips. On a flagstone below the seat itself is a mark resembling a horse's hoof, marking the spot whence the animal leapt away south into the bog of Monelly. A stone circle occurs near the summit of Kyle hill in Kilcreman and beside it is a standing stone, a little over a metre high."

This "stone circle" does exist - it is a ring-barrow that may have had a number of stones standing in its ring at one stage.

Royal Inauguration in Gaelic Ireland by Elizabeth Fitzpatrick pg 135 says broadly the same thing except it gives a location that it "is found adjacent to a small stone enclosure at the northern end of Kyle Hill on the Offaly-Laois border."

John Gleeson in "History of Ely O'Carroll Territory" pg 619 says it is located on "the slope of the Slieve Bloom mountain".

& On pg 640 he references Seward's Topographia Hibernica 1797 "it is near the top of the hill on its east side, and formed from solid rock." He goes on to say

"The MacGeoghans, or MacEgans were brehons of the Fitzpatricks. This chair is situated near a point where three counties meet, King's Co. and Tipperary in Ely O'Carroll, and Queen's Co. in Osory. It is situated near the ancient road which led from Cloncourse Castle to the King's Co. The Brehon's Chair is a rock on a sharp eminence within a circle of mountains, with a small plateau in front. Underneath the chair there is a small round cavity in the rock, which is known as the Ink Bottle. In Christian times it was given the name by which it is known in the locality at present, St. Thomas's Seat".

Rev. Gleeson was based in Knock and Kyle as a priest there for a time, so his knowledge should have been fairly accurate.

I've marked the "stone circle" and two of the townlands mentioned - Ballyduff & Kilcreman. There is a peak (757) on the border of the two townlands. There is however a higher unmarked peak to the east of here (which I have marked). That seems to be the highest point.

 

What was the druid Mogh Ruith's "Rowing Wheel" and how did part of it end up near Tipperary Town?

© John Gilroy

I was reminded recently about a standing stone near Tipperary Town that was reputed to have been part of Mogh Ruith's "Rowing Wheel". 

I first came across a reference to it in John Gilroy's book "Tlachtga - Celtic Fire Festival" (which was published in 2000) and went to look for it a few times around 2008. 

© John Gilroy

In his book he says on pg 80 about the "Rowing Wheel" (he calls it a "Flying Wheel") "O'Curry tells us that it was finally destroyed at the Battle of Sollyhead about three miles west of Tipperary in or about the year 941AD. One part of the Flying Wheel remains as a curiously sculpted stone pillar in the townland of Dromline, outside Tipperary town." 

He also includes a photo of the stone which is included here above. 

At the time I would have only had Discovery OS maps and I searched around the townland of Dromline for any standing stones (There were none marked I believe). There were two stones in the nearby townland of Knockballynoe and while looking for those, I spoke to a farmer near there who thought there was a stone in "Kavanaghs farm". I also emailed the author at the time about it but didn't hear anything back. 

Knockballynoe Standing Stone / Menhir – The Modern Antiquarian.com

In 2023 I have a lot more tools available to me than just boots on the ground. I went back to Gilroy's book and he gives a reference to O'Curry's work. It is slightly incorrect but he seems to be referring to "Lectures on the manuscript materials of ancient Irish history" by O'Curry which is available online here. 

I did a search within it and found the paragraphs relating to Tipperary in it. On pg 402/ 403 it says

"As to the first prediction, that is, the coming of what is called the Brat Baghach or Flag of Battles, it is evident enough that this was to be a fleet of the Danes or Northmen, who were to be broken against the pillar-stone of Cnámhchoill. Now Cnámhchoill was an ancient wood situated near the present town of Tipperary ; and the history of the pillar-stone which stood in it, as it is handed down to us, is shortly this :- Mogh Ruith, the Archdruid of Erinn, having, as we have seen in a former Lecture, exhausted, the druidic knowledge of the best masters in Erinn and Scotland, travelled with his daughter into Italy, where they put themselves under the tuition of Simon Magus, and assisted him in his contention with the apostles. And it was with their assistance that Simon was said to have built the Roth Ramhach, or "Rowing Wheel", by means of  which he sailed in the air, to show that his miraculous powers were greater than those of the apostles. The Druid and his daughter (whose name was Tlachtga) returned home afterwards, the daughter carrying with her what remained of the materials of the Rowing-Wheel, which appears to have consisted of two pieces of rock, one of which she set up in Forchairthinn (somewhere in the neighbourhood of Raith Chúmhaill (Rath Coole, I think, in the present county of Dublin), and the other at Cnámhchoill (in Tipperary). These rocks or pillars, it was said, retained their shape of the destructive influence of the "Rowing Wheel", as every one who looked at them was struck with blindness, and every one who touched them, with death. The reason, we are further informed, why this fearful Rowing Wheel, was to pass with destruction over Europe in the latter times, was, because there was a pupil from every nation in Europe at the school of Simon Magus, assisting him in the contention with the Apostles (see same APP.). Now the three events predicted were here appear to me to have occurred in the years 941, 979, and 1096, and were, I am very sure, well known historical facts at the time that this poem was written. 

The first, the destruction of the Rowing Wheel, was, I believe, the great battle of the wood of Salchóid (or Sollyhead, about three miles to the west of the present town of Tipperary), near enough to Cnámhchoill for the verification of a post-prophecy." 

So it says explicitly that parts of the "Rowing-Wheel" was 'set up' at Cnámhchoill. "the daughter carrying with her what remained of the materials of the Rowing-Wheel, which appears to have consisted of two pieces of rock, one of which she set up in Forchairthinn (somewhere in the neighbourhood of Raith Chúmhaill (Rath Coole, I think, in the present county of Dublin), and the other at Cnámhchoill (in Tipperary)." 

When I was conducting other research on Holy Wells in Tipperary I came across the name Cnámhchoill in relation to a Holy Well in the townland of Springhouse. 

Today Cnámhchoill seems to be made up of the townlands of Corrogemore, Corrogebeg and Cleghile (according to Flynn in his paper from 1913 -  Ancient mounds and earthworks near Tipperary Town. North Munster Antiquarian Journal 3, no.1, 5-21. (Available here) They are just to the west of the townland of Dromline (The small townland of Knockfobole is between Dromline and Cleghile). 

This area seems to have been very important in antiquity and was a border place often defining where the Diocese of Cashel and Emly and the larger Ormond and Desmond met (see page 10 of Flynn's paper). 

In the townland of Corrogemore on the Historic 25" Maps are the following 

There were a number of mounds / mottes, a church / graveyard and also a standing stone called 'Coirthe Tlachgha". The Sites & Monuments record describes it as follows:

"In Dinneen's dictionary (1927) 'Coirthe' means a stone, particularly a memorial stone and 'Tlachtgha' means 'a seat of early rights'. In the 1970s the graveyard was incorporated into the adjacent quarry and at that time the standing stone was broken and pushed into the SE edge of the graveyard."

Unfortunately as this aerial photo (below) of the same area shows today, I'm not sure if that stone is still in place.  It is close to what looks like a very busy quarry and things like this have the habit of going missing in those kind of situations. The inspection by the NMS was carried out in 2014 so hopefully it is. 

The above description doesn't sound like the picture / area that we have of this standing stone that was included at the very top of this article from Gilroy's book "Tlachtga - Celtic Fire Festival". 

I wonder could the picture be another part of this broken standing stone that was maybe removed elsewhere for safe-keeping? 

The name Cnámhchoill is fascinating and is likely to come from "Wood of the bones". There is also a ridge in Cleghile known as "Hill of the Skull" and so this whole area is fascinating (See TS067-122001).

Is all this mythology connected? I don't know. You could also argue, I think, that the area around Cnámhchoill could be some kind of inauguration landscape for local kings. The standing stone known as "Coirthe Tlachgha" or "the stone of a seat of early rights" sounds like that to me, along with the mounds and its border location, could have been part of an inauguration landscape. 

The mythology surrounding Mogh Ruith is confused - he seems to span a number of different time periods. Was the identification of the stone at Corrogemore with the Mogh Ruith story based on the similarity of its name with that of Mogh Ruith's daughter Tlachtga? 

Mug Ruith - Wikipedia

What was the "Rowing Wheel" that could travel through the air and unleash mass destruction meant to represent? More questions than answers. 

However there are two avenues for further research, firstly to see if the broken standing stone at Corrogemore near Tipperary Town is still there. Then to see if it is the same as the one in John Gilroy's book. If it isn't is there another part of the "Coirthe Tlachgha" somewhere in the neighbourhood? 

Whether this stone is part of Mogh Ruith's "Rowing Wheel" or a stone linked to an inauguration landscape, both are fascinating and may even be interlinked. The later inauguration landscape could possibly be trying to use the prestige of being linked to this ancient mythology. 

Please note that the lands of Corrogemore etc are private property and permission must be obtained before accessing. 

Ballymackey Castle and the last Chief of the O'Meara Clan

 

Ballymackey Castle in North Tipp.

It is probably best known as the residence of the last Chief of the O'Meara Clan - Morgan O'Meara.
"Morgan O'Meara, the last of the O'Mearas who exercised chieftancy over his sept, was heir to a patrimony which extended from Bennett's Bridge near Nenagh to beyond Toomevara itself, the burial place of the O'Meara's took its name from his family of which, heir male to the name, though not to the property, existed in the person of two nephews less than a century ago.
The O'Meara estates embraced a large portion of Upper Ormond. The residence of the O'Meara was at Ballymackey Castle, and there the old chieftain lived in princely style until he had gambled away his princely estates to a "friend" of his named Kilpatrick, from whom they were afterwards purchased by the Tolers, ancestors of Lord Norbury.
There was high festival and true Irish hospitality always kept up at Ballymackey Castle - the dwelling-house was attached to the old castle during the life of the O'Meara. He used to lay in a store of 30 pipes of claret at a time, and made one prolonged sitting of it while the liquor lasted. He was a first-rate sportsman, but he generally let others enjoy, while he drank, gambled or spent his time in similar enjoyments.
He was in politics a high Tory, and he saved the lawyers a great deal of trouble and his tenants a great deal of expense and annoyance by exercising a summary jurisdiction in cases brought before him in his magisterial capacity, his penalties being all imposed in a truly chieftain-like manner by thrashing the guilty parties with his stick. This stick is always carried in consequence of a lameness arising from having fallen out of a lofty vehicle which he was driving tandem-fashion accompanied by a companion.
O'Meara was perpetual Mayor of Cashel, the duties of which were performed by a deputy. He was also captain in the Nenagh Yeomanry, and his tall figure and attenuated features were remembered by old inhabitants. He always kept a piper to enliven his company, and a very clever artist he was. He was stone-blind and thought so highly of himself that he would drink nothing but claret. The piper's name was Forrester.
The usual change came slowly but surely - almost all the estates were gambled away, and O'Meara was enabled to preserve only a small annuity to support himself in his old age. He lived up to the year 1829, and his remains were interred in Ballymackey. His town house was Barrack Street, the present Garda barracks.
Above Morgan O'Meara was son of another Morgan O'Meara and Eliza Pennefather, who married in 1731. He had a brother, General Daniel O'Meara, commander of the forces in Jamaica, who married in 1798 Mary, daughter of Sir Joseph Peacocke of Barntick near Ennis. The General lived in Thomas Street, Limerick, and had two sons who were well-known and very popular in that city in the middle of the last century. He had a daughter who married Rev. Richard Studdert of Quin, Co. Clare, in 1818.
N.B. Balllymackey Castle mentioned above, originally an O'Kennedy castle, was once the residence of Sir Robert Cole. he acquired the Ballymackey estate from the Ffrank family of Frankfurt, Roscrea by purchase. He was M.P. for Enniskillen in 1661 and was knighted in 1671.
N.B - John Peacocke O'Meara of Castleconnel and Wm. H O'Meara, Surgeon. "Urgent", living in 1887."
Pg 51 & 52 from Sheehans Nenagh and its Neighbourhood: https://askaboutireland.ie/.../sheehan-nenagh-and-its-ne/

The castle looks to be much larger than a regular tower-house in North Tipp (even taking into account a possible residence that was added to it). It is located within a piggery. However it was possible to photograph it recently from the road.
I had searched for the grave of Morgan O'Meara in Ballymackey graveyard before but not been able to find it. If anyone knows its location that would be of interest. The whole story of Morgan O'Meara is fascinating (if true), he sounds like a really interesting character. Sometimes there is a certain myth involved in falls from grace such as this.

Round Towers of Ireland: Some common questions about them and an attempt at answering them

 

We don't know what the function of a round tower was? 

Round towers have been recorded in the various Annals as Cloigteach which translates as a Bell tower.

We don't know how old round towers are? 

This was dealt with as far back as 1845 by George Petrie in which he convincingly dated them to the medieval period. His paper is available to download here. 

https://archive.org/details/ecclesiasticalar00petr

Architectural evidence has always pointed to them being of medieval date, mainly by association with the neighbouring buildings but also similar architectural features. See O'Keeffe's Ireland's Round Towers 64-91.

Pg 71 "Why do we date these arched doorways - and the towers in which they feature - to this particular period? It is partly on negative grounds: we expect post-1130 doorways to be more elaborate. It is also partly on comparative grounds. The true arch, by which is meant an arch made with voussoirs, seems only to appear in church architecture in the later eleventh and early twelfth centuries. It was used specifically for the chancel arches of a small number of churches, and yet the churches in question continued to possess the older, lintelled, form of doorway. Indeed, the type of round-arched doorway which we find in the Round Towers was used very rarely in churches, so it is tempting to suggest the first true arches in Ireland were those in the towers. If true arches were in use in Round Tower doorways over a long period of time - before, say, 1050 - we might expect to find them being replicated on church doorways: in fact, the opposite happens: rather than churches borrow from Round Towers, the towers seem to borrow from the churches." 

Corlett, 26 "Round-headed doorways and windows first appeared in Irish church architecture towards the end of the eleventh century and flourished during the twelfth century, when the round arch was at the centre of Romanesque architecture and decoration." 

An early excavation by Rev. John Browne on the interior of the Kildare round tower in 1843 found some fragments of mid twelfth century bracteate coins under the floor (Corlett, 26).

This was strengthened by a date of the mortar from the round tower in Clonmacnoise which was shown to be medieval in date. 

Also Rattoo has been radiocarbon dated to the later 11th century (O'Keeffe, 66).

Very recent excavations at Derry and Kilkenny have down that the towers were built over medieval deposits so it pretty conclusively dates them. 

Regarding Kilkenny 

"The exact date at which the tower was constructed is not recorded historically but its round-headed doorway, evidence for diagonal tooling and lintelled windows are suggestive of a date in the 12th century. Recent radiocarbon dates from human skulls in the National Museum of Ireland, from skeletons excavated under the foundations in the 19th century, dates its construction to after AD 990. It could be suggested that it was the formalisation of Kilkenny’s status as cathedral at the 1111 synod of Rathbressail that was the catalyst for the tower’s construction, perhaps by the then king of Ossory Domnall mac Donnchada Mac Gilla Patráic. In 1846 and 1847 James Graves investigated both the internal and external base of the tower and reported that it stood on a stone plinth that rested on ‘a black and yielding mould, from which protruded human bones in an east and west direction’. Inside the tower Graves noted a 2.3m deep dump over a mortared floor pavement that was on the same level as the external base course of the tower. These overlying layers contained disarticulated human bones, bird guano, animal bones and dolomite debris, considered as having derived from the tower’s construction. An intermediate layer showed evidence for burning and it was suggested it may have been associated with historically attested attacks on the church in 1085 and 1114. Graves also reported that five articulated human burials were encountered after the removal of the pavement. Excavations by Kilkenny Archaeology around the base of the tower in 2013 uncovered its offset plinth foundation which had been constructed directly onto the graveyard soil. When compared with a plan of the tower by Graves and Prim its foundations can be seen to have comprised a 1.2m wide circular ring. The excavation was funded by the Select Vestry of St Canice's Cathedral and the radiocarbon dates by the Heritage Council, with the permission of the National Museum of Ireland."

Kilkenny excavation 

This is based on an excavation by Coilin O Drisceoil

Regarding Derry

Derry Round Tower

There are also references to them being constructed in some of the medieval annals. 

See Annals of Four Masters &  Chronicon Scotorum for references to building at Clonmacnoise (AFM1124, CS1124), and at Annadown (AFM1238)

How did you get up into a round tower and why was the door so high up?

It is likely that a wooden staircase was used to get up into round-towers. Possible evidence of one these structures was found during excavations at Inis Cealtra / Holy Island in Co. Clare on Lough Derg. 

 

Round towers were to protect against pillaging Vikings and were used for defence? 

It seems unlikely other than for a very short space of time. They wouldn't offer great protection and if the timber stairs inside went on fire, the people inside would be in big trouble.

Round towers were laid out to the pattern of stars in the sky?

Any map this I have seen doesn't take into account the numerous towers that have been recorded in the annals but are now destroyed. 

​The Irish Round-Tower Star-Map Mystery - ANCIENT MYSTERIES (weebly.com)

The one here just ignores a lot of the standing ones also. 

Do round towers exude energy or are the on ley lines? 

Similar to the above, the proposed ley lines don't seem to take into account the known round towers that have been destroyed over the years. 

Regarding dowsing - I refer people to this - Dowsing - Wikipedia

Were skeletons located when cleaning out the "bottom" of the round towers votive deposits?

Unlikely, many round towers were built in and around existing early Christian sites. Many may have early burials that they may have came across while digging the foundations of the round tower. Maybe this area was just a convenient place to deposit the remains. 

Corlett, Chris. “Interpretation of Round Towers: Public Appeal or Professional Opinion?” Archaeology Ireland, vol. 12, no. 2, 1998, pp. 24–27. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/20558757.

Discovery of Bullaun Stone in Timoney near Roscrea

 

Always nice to help record a previously unrecorded monument. This bullaun stone in Timoney townland not far from Roscrea hadn't been recorded in the Sites & Monuments Record before. It is located about 40m from a nearby church and graveyard. It has at least bowls carved into an earthfast rock.

I think this is the 4th bullaun stone I have been involved with adding to the records in Tipperary.

I'm sure lots of people have passed this and just assumed that it was known about but as I always say if anyone has any doubts that something might be recorded drop me a PM and I will try help. Either that or contact the National Monuments Service directly.

Souterrains of Ireland and geology

The maps seems to suggest broadly that the underlying geology plays a big factor in where they are located. I think the underlying geology may also have been a factor in the location of some of the county boundaries also.

It may be tricky to read because of all the different soil / geology types represented.

The map is based on information from the National Monument Service of Ireland, Department of Communities - Northern Ireland Sites & Monuments Record, the Geological Survey of Ireland & Open Street Map Ireland contributors.