Bán na gColpaí

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Bán na gColpaí or Bawnnagollopy is a townland of 76 hectares or 188 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 81 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

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

Bán na gColpaí is bordered by Blúid Thoir (Bluid East) and Blúid Thiar (Bluid West) to the south, Faiche Úrach (Fahouragh) and An Ráithín (Raheen) to the east and An Ré (Rea) to the west.

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

Bán na gColpaí was interpreted by Bruno O'Donoghue as the field (enclosure) of grazing animals. It can also be interpreted as the field of the heifers (Bán na gColpaidhe). In his article in Volume 7 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal, Eugene Daly also interprets it as the pasture land of the grazing animals.

***Tailor and Antsy

History

Church: There was a church in this townland which was referenced by Father Holland as the Old Chapel of Bluid (although it was in Bawnagollopy). Father Cornelius O'Sullivan from Kerry (who was from the O'Sullivan Mac Fingin Duibh clan) settled in Bawnagollopy and built a house for himself around 1717. He replaced a Father Connolly who had died. The mother of Father Connolly lamenting her son's death, speaking in praise of her own son and disparaging his successor said the following:

Ní cois claidhe na scairt ná ag cur na ngabhair a bhaile a déanadh sagart diotsa (it wasn't by the ditch or bushes or sending the goats home that made a priest of you)

*** MS to get translation

Father Cornelius had two sisters, Ellen and Hanora. Hanora married into the Attridge family of Farranconnor. This was a time of feuds and faction-fights and people sometimes brought their feuds to the church door and sometimes almost to the altar. This Hanora was the cause of a faction fight between the Attridges and the Connollys which led to the desecration of the old chapel of Bluid. The Fitzgeralds of Keelahangil were supporters of the Connollys and one of them struck Attridge when he was kneeling at the altar. He had to do public penance for this outrage and Bluid Chapel was put under interdict and a smaller chapel was built nearby (possibly in Bawnagollopy). This chapel was also interdicted in four or five years because blood was shed there in a fight between another Attridge of Scobaun and Myles Sweeny (who was married to a sister of Fineen O'Driscoll of Baltimore). It was about this time that the old chapel n Fahouragh was built and this was replaced by the current, more substantial structure in 1835

Evictions: This townland was almost totally depopulated during the famine. There were 119 people living here at the time of the 1841 census (in 16 houses) but there was only one house (with 11 inhabitants) in 1851. At that time the townland was split between Castlehaven and Abbeystowry Civil Parish (while remaining in the Roman Catholic parish of Castlehaven) and this house was located in the latter (possibly to allow the payment of tithes to that area). The reason was due to evictions that took place during the famine to allow bigger farms to be created.

Housing

As part of Griffiths Valuation in 1853, a survey of house quality was carried out to calculate what rates were due by each household. These were issued in 1850 in the form of house books and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. There was only one occupied house in the townland at this time and it was class 1C- which meant that it was a slated dwelling house built with stone or brick and lime mortar. Its condition was described as old and dilapidated, scarcely habitable and it was 17 foot tall so perhaps two storey. There were also three vacant class 3 houses in the townland at this time which were thattched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. They were described as being old (more than 25 years) and out of repair. They are between 5 foot (!) and 6 foot 3 inches tall which indicates that they are single storey at this time.

By the 1901 census, there are now 2 occupied houses in this townland at this time and both have walls of stone, brick or concrete with roofs of slate, iron or tiles. Both houses have two, three or four rooms with one having two windows in front while the other has three (probably still single storey at this time).

When we advance to the 1911 census there is a further increase to 3 occupied houses in this townland and, not surprisingly, all still have walls of stone, brick or concrete with roofs of slate, iron or tiles. All three houses have two, three or four rooms with two windows in front which indicates that they are probably still single storey at this time.

Places of Interest

Church Ruin: There is the ruin of an old church in this townland. This church is mapped on the Historic Environment Viewer

Interesting Placenames

Only one field name has been captured in this townland and this is the Cabhlach Field (field of ruins).

There is a crossroads called Bluid Cross in this townland and there is a road called the Quarry Road that runs through this townland.

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 placenames in this townland (or if you need to correct any or give further background information), please contact us at [email protected]

Folklore

Bull: There is a story in the School's Collection that talks about the evictions in Rea and Bawnagollopy in famine times when over 80 people were driven out on the road. The new settlers were Browne and Seabourne. The latter prevented local people from picking brosna (sticks) on his land and he let loose a very angry bull to deter them. One night a local called Crowley went out with a stout ash plant, caught hold of the bull's tail, thrashed him right and left and drove him west across Bluid with both man and animal racing until they reached the Caol ravine in Kilderry where the bull fell headlong down and was killed. This pace has been known since as Poll a' Tairbh (the hole of the bull)

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Entry seems to say Hegarty and partners

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: William Lambert (one house in Abbeystowry and none in Castlehaven Civil Parish) although William Morgan Donovan is listed as being here in the 1850 House Books

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Lambert (with Donovan - servant), Sullivan, Cronin

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Lambert (with Dwyer - servant), Donoghue, Cronin, Coughlan, Sullivan

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
1825	Tithe Applotment	1	6 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	16	119
1851	Census of Ireland	1	11
1853	Griffith's Valuation	1	0		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	3	24
1871	Census of Ireland	4 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	16
1881	Census of Ireland	3	23
1891	Census of Ireland	4	14
1901	Census of Ireland	3	10		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	5	28		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 proprietors (titulados) of this townland at that time was Owen McTeige. This townland was part of Blood and Ballinogolespy at that time.

All of the 1841 occupants were in Castlehaven while all occupants from 1851 to 1871 were in Abbeystrowry. In 1881 and 1891 some were in Castlehaven and some were in Abbeystrowry

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Morgan O'Donovan of Douglas, Cork, and his agent was Murtough Hanrahan of Caheragh. It was all held under lease by Jas. Seabourne & Co of Bawnnagollopy and sublet to tenants without a lease.

In 1841 the soil was described as poor and coarse producing light crops of potatoes and oats.