Transcribed from: LETTERS Containing information relative to the ANTIQUITIES of the KING’S COUNTY Collected during the progress of the ORDNANCE SURVEY in 1839 Vol. I Reproduced under the direction of Rev. M. O’Flanagan Bray 1933 Pg 84 Triallam timcheall na fodhla Banagher, January 18th 1838 Dear Sir, My next task is to prove the extent of Dealbhna Eathra, Mac Coghlan’s County, which I trust I can do with considerable facility because, as the Mac Coghlans retained a great portion of it until so late as thirty years back, tradition is vivid and distinct as to the castles which belonged to them. But I shall first collect all the written evidences which bear upon the subject. 1. Shane O’Dugan, who died in 1372, informs us that Mac Coghlan was Chief of Dealbhna Eathra Mag Cochlain breaghdha at chi a chloinn Ri Dealbhna Eathra aloinn 2. The commentary on the Festilogy of Aengus Ceile De places Rathain Mochuda (now Rahen) in Dealbhna Eathra (pg51) but this is an error, as I shall shew presently. 3. The Annals of the Four Masters at the year 1548 place the Castles of Ceann Coradh and Feadan and the Monastery of Gaillinn in this territory and state that the English plundered that part of it extending from Bealach an Fhothair to the Togher of Ceann Mon, from which it appears at once that the territory comprised at least the tract from the Townland of Ballghanoher in the Parish of Reynagh to that of Togher in the Parish of Lemamaghan. 4. Connell Mageoghegan places Lomcolne (clone) O’fFlathrie now Lom Chuluain, Lumpcloone, in the Parish of Gallen in this territory. He also places septs of the Mac Coghlans at Leackagh (in the parish of Lemanaghan), Clondownie (now Clonowney) and Boynean. 5. Inquisition taken at Castle-Geshill, 23rd October 1612, places Esker Castle in the County or Territory of Devlin Mac Coghlane. 6. Inquisition taken at Kilcormick in 1617 finds that the Townland of Clongawny (now in the Parish of Reynagh), lies in the territory of Devlin Mac Coghlan. 7. Colgan, in Actis SS., pg 362, places Kill-Colgain (now a Townland in the Parish of Wheery) in the Territory of Dealbhna Mac Cochlain, and in the Life of St. Canocus he places the Monastery of Galline in the District called Delbhna Eathra by the ancients; now commonly Delbhna Mhic Cochlain. See Acta SS., p 311 and sequen. The tradition in the County states that the following castles, etc. belonged to the great Mac Coghlans: 1 and 2 The Castles of Clonlyon and Clonmacnoise in the Parish of Clonmacnoise 3. The Castle of Lackaghmore in the Parish of Lemanaghan 4. The Castle of Lemanaghan, ibid. 5. The Castle of Clonowny in the Parish of Gallen 6. The house of Kilcolganmore in Wheery Parish. 7. Lisclooney Castle in Tisaran Parish 8. Coole Castle near Ferbane Village. Sir John Coghlan lived here in 1590 9. Gerrycastle in Reynagh Parish near Banagher 10. Streamstown Castle in the same. The last Maw kept his mistress here. 11. Fadden Castle in Lusmagh Parish. From the situation of those castles and many other evidences, it will be seen that Devlin-Eathra or MawCoghlan’s Country, comprised the entire barony of Gerrycastle, but its exact extent will appear more clearly when I shew where it met Feara Ceall or O’Molloy’s Country. The following will of Sir John Coghlan, who lived in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, will give one an idea of the Churches, etc., in his territory. It was drawn up by the Curate of his Parish:- “In the name of God, amen. To all about to inspect the present writing the Curater (pastor?) of the Parish of Fuire (Wheery) greeting in the Lord. We make known that in the presence of us and of the undersigned witnesses, for this purpose specially called and requested and for this purpose personally appointed, and honest (honourable) man, John Coghlan, Knight, my Parishioner, lying in the bed of wickness; infirm of body but sound of mind, weighing and considering that the life of man is short upon earth; that nothing is more certain than death but nothing more uncertain than the hour, desiring to provide for the salvation of his soul and to arrive at the joys of eternal bliss, has made his Will and last testament and arranged it in manner and form following:- “Imprimis, he commands his soul to the Most High God, his Creator, when it shall depart from his body, and his body to the worms of the earth, wishing it to be inhumed in the Church of the Blessed Virgin of Raonach (Reynagh). Next he has willed and ordained all his debts to be paid formally and discharged to the persons to whom they are due. Item: the said Testator has bequeathed of the goods conferred on him by God to the Church of Cluain-Mic-Nois, for the health of his soul, a cow. Item: to John, the son of Hugh, the Priest, a cow. Item: to the Churches of Galline (Gillen), Fuire (Wheery), Techsarayh (Tisarn) and Raonach (Reynagh) he has bequeathed two cows. Item: to the Church of Lea Manchayn (Lamanaghan) a young cow. Item: he has bequeathed to Margaret Donadi four large cows and four small ones. Item: he has ordered that Solomon Mac Egan should not be disturbed as long as he lives in the half quarter of Cuil (Coole) thus left him by his father, Arthur. Item: he leaves the Castle of Coole and the rest of the same village to the Lady Margaret, his wife, as long as she lives unmarried, but should she marry, let it be restored to John Coghlan (this John was his nephew; is it not strange that he would not mention his father’s name?) the son of Sabina (Saidhbhin, Sadhbh) the daughter of O’Dalachan, as is just according to the intention of the feofment of all other feudal (fiffs?) tenures. Item: he has granted, long since, to the said John all his unbroken steeds, horses, plate, coats of mail, pots and all his arms, flasks and iepti (?) and all his other utensils made of tin, and the great patena which he lately got by hereditary right from his mother, which donation he now confirms to him. Finally, he has ordered that these his horses be given to the Lady Unina (Una or Winny) to wit Falfrida (Galfrida), Nigra (an Dubh), Brunda (Donn) – names of the horses. Item: he has ordered that whatever other moveable goods, corn in the blade, cattle and furniture he may have ,be divided into three equal parts and given, one part to the Lady, his wife, the other to his daughters Rosina (Roisin, Rosey) and Dorenna (Dorethea; Doireann, now Dolly, yet used in Connaught) and the third part to John son of the aforementioned i.e., Ingen Dalachain, with six silver vases, which are called in English Tonna (tun-dishes?) and with two Cyphi (silver cups) purchased and made in his (the Testator’s) own name, which eight vessels are not computed in the division. Item: he has ordered that the profits of four quarters tythes, which he lately had in farm for five years, should be divided and givenm the third part to the aforementioned Lady, his wife, and the remainder to the said John and his mother and this with the usual incumbrances. And for the performance (observance) of all and singular the premises the said Testator has nominated as his Executors: Patrick Hogay, Archdeacon of Killaloe (Laonensem); John Coghlan, the son of Sabina O’Dalachan and Hugh Daly, to which Executors, for fulfiling all and singular the premises, the said Testator has made over all his goods whatsoever and wheresoever, revoking every other Will, if there has been by him made, and wishing that this his Will should receive confirmation in the best way, mose and form in which it could and ought to prevail. In testimony of which I, Cormac O’Dalachan, the aforesaid Curate, have affixed my sign manual to the present Will. It was made in the house of Solomon Mac Egan, in the Village of Cuil (Coole) in the year of our Lord, 1590, 10th July. Cormac Dalachain, Curate, witness
