An Sceachánach

An Sceachánach or Skahanagh is a townland of 72 hectares or 179 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 62 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is in the Electoral Division of Myross, in Civil Parish of Myross and the Roman Catholic Parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

An Sceachánach is bordered by Baile an Chalaidh (Ballincolla) to the north, An Chathair Gheal (Cahergal) to the west and Carraig Oilche (Carrigillihy) to the south.

OpenStreetmap contributors, with input from the Castlehaven & Myross History Society, have created a detailed townland map including all its minor placenames. Zoom in for further detail.

Etymology

An Sceachánach was interpreted by Bruno O'Donoghue as the place abounding in whitethorn. An alternative interpretation is the place of briars or brambles. In his article in Volume 6 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal Eugene Daly states that sceachánach is an adjectival form of sceach and agrees that it can be interpreted as a place abounding in whitethorn.

History

Evictions: This was a townland that was affected by landlord evictions in the first half of the 19th century. By the time of Griffiths Valuation in 1853, one family leased all of the land in this townland and it remains an one farm townland today..

Famine:The book, The Famine Story" lists the men from this townland that were working on the Myross Relief Scheme on 28th August 1846 during the Great Famine. These were public works that involved hard labour for a low wage for a workforce that were already weak and starving. The names were as follows: Thomas Hurley, John Meenig, Michael Driscoll, Denis Greany, Timothy Hennessy, Daniel Crowley, John Meenig, John Crowley, Jer Driscoll

Housing

As part of Griffiths Valuation in 1852, a survey of house quality was carried out to calculate what rates were due by each household. These were issued in the form of house books and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that two of the four occupied houses in the townland at that time were class 3. This means that they were thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Both were described as old (more than 25 years) and out of repair. The remaining two houses were class 1 which meant that they were built with stone or brick and lime mortar. Both of these were described as medium (not new), slightly decayed but in good repair. Both of the class 3 houses in the townland at this time are 8 foot 8 tall while the class 1 houses are 10 foot 6 inches and 15 foot 6 inches tall respectively.

By the 1901 census there is a slight increase to 5 occupied houses and all have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Four have a roof of slate, iron or tiles while the other was still thatched. One house has just one room with two windows in front while two more have two, three or four rooms and two windows in front (which indicate that they are probably still single storey at this time). Another house has five or six rooms with two windows in front while the remaining house in the townland has ten, eleven or twelve rooms and six windows in front.

When we advance to the 1911 census there was another increase to 7 occupied houses and all still have walls of stone, brick or concrete. All now have a roof of slate, iron or tiles. Six houses have two, three or four rooms and two windows in front (which indicate that they are probably still single storey at this time). The remaining house in the townland had ten, eleven or twelve rooms and six windows in front.

Places of Interest

Skahanagh House: This was the seat of the Kingston family in this townland. They moved here around the 1840s (possibly from the Rosscarbery area) and moved out in the early part of the 20th century. The house is still extant today.

Béal a Mhaide Cross: This crossroads intersects three townlands, Ballincolla, Cahergal and Skahanagh. According to James Burke B.L., the name Bealavaddy is mentioned in old grants. Local people say that the old name was Baile Mhíle Mhaide (the townland of the thousand sticks). Burke continues that this may be so but it had assumed the name Bealavaddy in the first decade of the 17th century. There is another version that says that the old name was Béal an Mhaide or Béal an Bhaile which could mean the Mouth of the Ford of the Sticks or the Mouth of the Town.

Trá na Bharaille: The adjacent beach, nearest to the Long Point is called Trá na Bharaille (beach of barrels). It is thought that cargo (barrels) from a shipwreck were washed up here

There are no sites listed in this townland listed in the Historic Environment Viewer

Interesting Placenames

According to Lankford's Collection, there seems to be a field in this townland with the strange name of Baithinaux. We did some research but could not find the origin of this. The strand surrounded by this field is known locally as The Strand of the Old House because there used to be an old ruin nearby.

Other old field names in this townland have been captured as follows: Cuan na Gaoithe ( windy hollow - there is a story in Lankford that the fairies were seen playing football here), Faithus (meaning unknown), Poll na Guardan (meaning unknown- poll is a hole or pool), Slingeán (meaning unknown), The Lawn, Dún (fort), Trá Núin (meaning unknown - trá is a beach/strand), The White Gate Field, Furze Hill, Gort na Nuach (meaning unknown - gort is a field), Gort na hEorna (field of barley), Gort na Carraigeacha (rocky field), Barr na Luca (mean unknown - barr means top), Páirc Charlie (Charlie's field), Páirc na Cartain (meaning unknown - páirc is a field), Páirc an Áth (field of the faction fight

If you want to see the actual locations of any of these, go to detailed townland map on Open Street Maps. If you know any other field names or place names in this townland (or if you need to correct any or give further background information), please contact us at [email protected].

Folklore

Evictions: As mentioned, the landlord in the first half of the 19th century evicted Sampson Lowth and the other farmers from this townland around 1840.

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1829 list the following family names: Muinig (probably McCarthy), Driscoll, Driscoll, Dwier, Skuse, Collins, Crowley, Bronson (Burns?), Crowley, Lowth, Crowley

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Kingston, Greany (Donovan), Sullivan.

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Sullivan, Brien, Long, Sullivan, Kingston (with Glanton (domestic servant) and Connolly (servant))

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Kingston (with Glanton and Sullivan - both servants), Hayes, Donovan (with Walsh - aunt-in-law), Hamilton (with Sullivan - sister-in-law), Brien (with Neill - 3 x step-sons and 2 x step-daughters), Sullivan (with Hennessy - lodger), Long.

Note: the term 'with' refers to a person or persons of a different family name staying in the house. This may have been an in-law or other relative, a guest, or a farm labourer/housekeeper or domestic servant.

Demographics and Landholding

		*Occupiers	Population	Change	Link to record
1829	Tithe Applotment	11	66 (est)		1829
1841	Census of Ireland	31 (Incl 1 unoccupied)	156
1851	Census of Ireland	5	40
1853	Griffith's Valuation	4 incl.1 unoccupied	20 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	7	44
1871	Census of Ireland	7	31
1881	Census of Ireland	6	32
1891	Census of Ireland	2	12
1901	Census of Ireland	5	24		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	7	48		1911

*Occupiers generally equate to households having a house and land but may also include households having houses but no land.

Between 1656 and 1658 the Down Survey mapped all areas of the country to track ownership of land after much had been granted to followers of Cromwell after the war of the 1650's. The most prominent proprietor (titulado) of this townland at that time was Teige McAnelis. This townland was spelt as Stahanagh at this time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was William Temple French of London and his agent was Rev. Michael Beecher of Mallow. It was let to Sampson Lowth at will and he occupied part and sub-let the remainder to tenants at will.

In 1841, the soil was described as argillaceous (substantial amounts of clay), producing wheat, oats and potatoes. Fuel was described as scarce and the prevailing names were Byrnes and Collins