east side the hill is a harbour for shiping, and the parish church just by, at the hill's foot. There is an old fortress of a down on the top of the hill, which gives name to Balyndown, Balyndown haven, Balyndown parish. St. Flannan", of the noble Tuamonian bloud, consecrated by Pope John the Fourth, Anno 640, first bishiop of Killaloe, is patron of this parish; and therein his festival day kept, the 18th December. On the west side of the hill is a well in memory of the seaven daughters. About two miles hence, is Kennlemy or the cape of Slimhead, the furthest into the sea and most western point in those parts. Here a great whale was cast in, the last day of December, 1650; and another about forty years before. Westward of this point is Olen-lacan, or Duck Island, where there Castletown, in the county of Meath, Esq., in lieu of their forfeited estates in Leinster. See Rot. Pat. 29°. Car. II. 3. p. f. r. 4. In this castle the Mageoghegan family resided, until the early part of the last century, about which time the occupiers of the old Irish castles began to erect more commodious habitations. The then proprietor of Bunowen built a handsome residence near the foot of the hill of Doon, Cnoc a Dúin, mentioned above; and the castle, thus abandoned, speedily went to ruin; but its massive walls remained in tolerable preservation till a few years since, when they were altogether pulled down by the present proprietor, John Augustus O'Neill, Esq., to obtain materials for enlarging the mansion-house of Bunowen. This respectable gentleman is the present head of the Mageoghegans of Ireland. For further particulars of his is branch of that race, see the Additional Notes. ■ St. Flannan.-Patron of this parish of Ballindoon, Baile an Dúin, the townland of the dun or fort. In addition to the notices above given of this saint, see Colgan's Acta SS. p. 154; Ware's Antiq. and Bishops; and Lanigan's Eccl. History, c. xix. §iii. The well of the seven daughters is still to be seen on the west side of the hill of Doon. It is called in Irish, Tobar na seaċt n-inġean, or na seact m-ban-naom; the well of the seven daughters, or the seven female saints. For Kennlemy, or Slime-head, mentioned above, see p. 6, note, ante. This headland is universally called Ceann Téime (i.e. Leap Head, or the Head of the Leap) by the natives of Iar-Connaught. • Olen-lacan. Now called Inis Tacan, or Duck Island. It lies in the is a chappell and well of St. Cailin, bishiop, disciple of St. Benign, and of the antient Conmacny family, who is worshipped in his abbey of Fidhnac, in Conmacny-rein [Fenagh, in the County Leitrim] the 13th of November. There is another miraculous well of St. Cailin, in the continent of Slimhead, on a little height within a stone, which never overflows the stone nor becomes drye. Beyond Duck Island is Olenimioll", or Bordering Island, as being ocean, opposite the townland of Ballynaleame, of which it forms a part. The ruins of the chapel of St. Caillin are still to be seen here; and near them is the holy well mentioned above. On this wild point of Ballynaleame, there lived for many years, a valued friend and relative of the Editor, the late Robert Coneys, Esq., whose stormy habitation may be seen marked on Larkin's large and small maps of the county of Galway. This gentleman held all Ballinaleame, including Duck Island, at twenty shillings yearly rent. Before the erection of the light-houses at "Slyne" head, in A.D. 1836, he saved many lives from shipwreck, and his humanity was often rewarded by "windfalls," as flotsam and jetsam are familiarly termed in Conamara; but these "windfalls" have considerably decreased since the erection of light-houses on the coast. To sickness he and his family were strangers. He used to boast that a doctor was never known to visit Slime-head; and he considered it a bad omen, when one of the faculty settled so near as NewtownClifden, though several miles distant. P Olenimioll.-In Irish, Oileán Imill, the Border Island. Here are situate the two light-houses of "Slyne" head. Mr. Nimmo, in his Piloting Directions, observes that, a light-house might be placed on the Skird rocks, which would serve as a guide into the harbours of Round-stone, Birturbuy, Casheen, and Kilkerran, the only good harbours for great ships between the Shannon and Lough Swilly."-p. 178. On the adjacent island of Dun na bhfál, i. e. the Dun of the walls or inclosures, are the ruins of a Firbolgic Caher, smaller than Dun Aengus. in Aran, but apparently as old. There are also the remains of ancient Cloghauns, or stone-roofed houses, similar to those there described. See ante, p. 81, note f the outmost border of the west. of seales in their due season. Here they use to have a slaughter Northward of Slimhead, towards the east, is Manin Bay, over which is Knocktuaskert towards Slimhead. In the same bay is Irrosflannan Point, and Ardberra haven'; wherein is an oyster bank; and Manin Bay. In Irish, Cuan Manainne, is still so called. It is said to have been named after Manannan Mac Lir; for whom see p. 20, note ". Irrosflannan, mentioned above, is now incorrectly called Urrislannaun. See Irrosbeg, note, p. 107, ante. Ardberra haven.-In Irish, Cuan Airdbéapa. Here resided, during the last century, the elder branch of the respectable family of Coneys, now so numerous in this district. Tradition relates, that the first of the name that settled here, was Thomas Coneys, who came to Ireland with his two uncles, who were officers in Cromwell's army; and that he was stationed at Innisbofin. This may be, but I find the name O'Coney among the Irish families enumerated in the collections of Doctor Raymond, formerly Fellow of Trinity College, Dublin; and which are now preserved in the Library of the Royal Irish Academy. The first who settled in Iar-Connaught was Thomas Coney; who, on 21st August, 1677, obtained a "transplanter's certificate for a grant to him and his heirs for ever, of the lands of Towerskehin, Loughana, and Crosslehaine, in Ballinahinch barony: saving to Hugh King, an inno cent,' all his rights thereto."—Roll iii. memb. 101, Chief Remembrancer's Office, Dublin. This Thomas (who appears to have afterwards added an s to his name) was sheriff of Galway, A. D. 1694-See Hist. of that town, p. 221. From him descended Matthew Coneys of Ardbear, a near relative of the Editor; and an individual who, through a long life, bore the character of an upright magistrate and an honest man. He died at a venerable age, in A. D. 1806. His eldest son resided at Slimehead. See ante, p. 110, note o. Belathnabay.béal ára na báide, now called Ballinaboy. A monthly market held here from time immemorial, has been lately removed to the town of Clifden. The ruins of St. Flannan's church, Cill Flannáinn, may be seen in the townland of Kill (which townland should properly be called Kilflannan), on the north of Ballindoon parish; and near it a holy well dedicated to the saint. See ante, p. 109, note "; and Martin's account of the Flannan Islands in the West of Scotland, which are said to be called after St. Flannan.-Description, p. 17. This church "admits no buriall," i. e. bodies are not interred within it; and it is firmly be and the salmon fish comes on Belathnabay River. In Irrosflannan is Saint Flanan's church, which they say was the parish church antiently. This church admits no burial within the walls of it. Owanglinn river falling from the mountaines of Bennabeola into Ardberra haven, divides the north half barony from the south. Between Inistuirk and Imay islands', an arm of the sea runs up lieved, that should any person be so interred, the body would be found over ground the next day. See Martin's Description, p. 49, for a similar belief in the isle of Taransay; and for the mode by which the natives there were "delivered from this unreasonable fancy." The Owanglin river mentioned above, is that which flows under the bridge of Clifden. r Inistuirk and Imay islands.-There are other small islands here, the chief of which is called Tarbert; but the most remarkable of the group is Imay, called in Irish, lomaio, or lomaió Féicin, now anglicised Omey. Here the celebrated St. Fechin, patron of Fore in Westmeath, founded a monastery in the seventh century, as related in the supplement to his Life, ch. xxii. in Colgan's Acta SS. 135. It is said that the last pagans in Ireland were found by St. Fechin in this island of Omey. For those whom Cambrensis afterwards described as "homines nudi, qui non sciverunt nisi carnes et pisces; qui non fuerunt Christiani, nec audiverunt unquam de Christo," see Gratianus Lucius on this, p. 38. For more of this island, and of the tract of Bal by lymac-Conry, and the castle of "Down," mentioned above, see the Additional Notes. On a part of that tract, called Cloughan, Clocán, stands the new town of that name, fashionably anglicized Clifden. In A. D. 1809, there was only one house here, built by Walter Coneys, Esq.; but in A. D. 1841, there were, according to the Census that year taken, 182 houses and 1509 inhabitants. The ruins of the church of Athdearg, in Irish, Teampull Aża deirg, or the Church of the red Ford, lie west of a mountain stream of a reddish colour, which flows into that inlet of the ocean now called Streamstown Bay, north-east of "Ballymac-Conry." In this district there lately lived a neglected poetical genius, whose name was Michael Mac Sweeny, who, though held in high repute by his countrymen, was suffered to die in poverty; but this, it is said, often occurs in half-civilized communities, where pride and ignorance are generally prevalent. By the English-speaking portion of the people, Mac Sweeny was called the “ Bard of the West." He composed, in his native language, several by Balymac-conroy, to the castle of Down, where there is a harbour for shipping. The church of Athdearg near that castle, they say, was in antient time the parish church of this parish; but now the parish church is at Imay. The island of Imay lyes in the sea, so as on low water it can be entered dry foot. Within it there is a poole of standing water, and the soil is plain and champain. St. Fechin erected an abbey therein, but now the parish church is only extant; whereof St. Fechin is patron, the 20th of January worshiped, whose well is here visited, which of late proves very miraculous for restoring of health. St. Fechin, abbot, native of Lugny [Leyny] in the county of Sligoe, and of the same house of Fothart with St. Bridget of Kildare, was founder of severall abbeys; the chiefest of which are Fovar in Meath, Easdara in Sligoe county, and Cong. From Esdara he came to Imay; and his memory is kept in several places of this countrey. He dyed of the plagues, which, Anno 664, began in Ireland, the 20th of January after. poems and songs of considerable merit; which have become such favourites, that there are but few of the Irish-speaking natives, who cannot repeat some of them from memory. Many of these have been collected by the Editor; and if space shall permit, one or more of the most popular will be inserted in the Additional Notes, as a specimen of modern Irish versification, and of those compositions which afford so much social pleasure to the good people of Iar-Connaught. The plague. This memorable pestilence was called buide Chonnaill, yellow plague of Connell. Connall is supposed to have been the name of some distinguished man who died of it, for which see the Four IRISH ARCH. SOC. 15. Q In Masters, A. D. 664. For the particulars above related of St. Fechin, see Colgan's Acta SS. p. 130; also Ussher's Primord., p. 966, where by a singular error (first corrected by Mr. O'Donovan) he confounds Fabar, the name of the ancient town of Fore, in Westmeath, with leabar, the Irish name for a book! "Eum vulgò Feicin Fabair Fechinum Foveræ vel Fouriæ appellant: ab habitationis loco, quem Latinè Favoriam, Hibernicè balle-leabair, quasi Kiriath-Sepher (Josu. 15. 15. Judic. 1. 11) aut Urbem librorum dixeris appellatum invenio." Doctor O'Conor, Annal. Ulton. p. 56, n. (3), and Tig. 205, n. (68); Doctor Lanigan, Eccl. Hist. ch. xviii. n. (148); and Archdall, Monast. |