Cuileannach

Cuileannach or Cullenagh is a townland of 348 hectares or 859 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 414 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

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

Cúileannach is bordered by Cluain Caoin (Clonkeen), Millín an Imris (Milleenanimrish), Meall an tSrutháin (Maulatrahane) and Sraoilleán (Shreelane) to the east, Eadargóil (Adrigool) and Millín na hEorna (Milleennahorna) to the north, Lios an Lotharaigh (Lissalohorig), Cill na Claise (Kilnaclasha) and Tuairín na Saileán (Tooreennasillane) to the west and Doire Liath (Derryleigh) and Smurán (Smorane) 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

Cuileannach was interpreted by Bruno O'Donoghue as a place with holly or abounding with holly. J.M.Burke also interprets it as a place of holly in his Southern Star article in 1913, as does Eugene Daly in his article in Volume 6 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal.

History

This townland was part of Castlehaven up to around 1854. At that time, the parish priest in Castlehaven died and the bishop took the opportunity to re-draw the Roman Catholic parish boundaries and moved the townlands of Adrigool, Cullenagh, Derryleigh and Smorane out of the parish. However we have decided to include them for historic purposes.

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 (Pg 1, Pg 2, Pg 3, Pg 4) and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that 33 of the 42 houses in the townland at this time are class 3 which means that they were thatched with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Thirty of these are described as old (more than 25 years) with twenty being described as in-repair while the other ten were out-of-repair. The other three class 3 houses were described as medium (not new), deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. The other nine houses were class 1 which means that they were slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - eight are described as medium (not new) with six being slightly decayed, but in good repair, one is in sound order and good repair and the other is deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. The final class 1 house is old (more than 25 years) but in repair. The class 3 houses are listed as being between 5 foot (! ) and 8 foot high so were single storey at this time while the class 1 houses are between 6 foot and 15 foot tall.

By the 1901 census, there is a reduction to 17 houses in this townland and all had walls of stone, brick or concrete. Nine have roofs of slate, iron or tiles while the other eight are still thatched. Fifteen houses have two, three or four rooms with eight having just two windows in front (which indicate that they are probably still single storey at this time) while one has three windows, one has four and the other five have five windows in front. Another house in the townland has five or six rooms with five windows in front and the final house has more than thirteen rooms and five windows in front.

When we advance to the 1911 census, there are still 17 houses in this townland and, not surprisingly all still had walls of stone, brick or concrete. However twelve now have roofs of slate, iron or tiles while the other five are still thatched. Twelve houses now have two, three or four rooms with nine having just two windows in front (which indicate that they are probably still single storey at this time) while two have three windows and the other has five windows in front. Four houses in the townland has five or six rooms with three have five windows in front and the other only has two. The final house has seven, eight or nine rooms and five windows in front.

Places of Interest

Lios: There are three ringforts (lios) in this townland. A ringfort is a circular fortified settlement that were mainly built during the Bronze age up to about the year 1000.

Cill: There is a disused children’s burial ground in this townland. These were used for children who died before they were baptised (as they could not be buried in consecrated ground).

The three ringforts and children's graveyard mentioned above are mapped on the Historic Environment Viewer. In addition, a souterrain is also mapped

Interesting Placenames

Besides the places named above we have mapped the follow field-names in this townland: Salter's Field, Páirc Bheag (small field), Lathrach (boggy field), Móinfhéirín (little meadow), Páircín (small field), Garraí na gCearc (hen garden), West Móinfhéirín Dearg (western red meadow), East Móinfhéirín Dearg (eastern red meadow), Cúl a Druinn (hollow of ?), Píosa na Poirt (? strip), Claisín na Cabhalí (small field of ?), Mullach na Droime Buide (top of the yellow ridge), Bearna Cos Trí (gap beside ?) - this field ad a well in it), Píosa na Clocha Bána (strip of the white rocks), Mullach Dubh (black peak/hill), Clais Fliuch (wet field), Leaca (slope), Three Corner Field, Clais Sheamuis (Jim's field), Peilic Mór (big ? maybe a big hut), Móinteán Padraig (Paddy's moor land), Mulees (mullí - peaks), Cúilín (small back field), Lár (middle field), Clais (the field), Píosa an Fhuar (very cold strip), Upper Clúsóg (upple grassy patch) , Cnoc na hAbhann East (hill of the river), Cnoc na hAbhann West, Lower Clusóg (lower grassy patch), Móinteán Dubh (black bog)

There is a hill known as Cnoc a' Bhithiúnaigh (hill of the scoundrel - bithiúnach). In the Folklore section below, you will see stories about a robber that was linked with Cuileanach Hill. These are most likely the same place

Some of the roads that run through this townland are the New Line Road and Con's Road

If you want to see the actual location 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

There is a cave called the Robber’s Den in the woodland in this townland. You have to lie down to get into it but you can stand up inside. There is a passage at the end of the cave and it is said you can find an ash tree with a boot of gold under it

Presumably the same robber appears in a story in the Skibbereen Abbey section of the Schools Collection. It is mentioned here that the robber recognised a woman that had been collecting rates around Leap and when he saw her coming he struck her with a bowl on the head and killed her, he then took the money from her and threw her body into the lake and when her people at home found she was not returning home they went out looking for her. They saw the blood on the road so they got a blessed candle and tied a stem of wheat around it and it floated over the place where the body was; so suspicion was put on the robber and he was arrested and found guilty. Before he was hanged he was asked was there anything he wished to say. So he asked was there anyone here from Skibbereen there and if there was that there was gold hidden in the cave where he used to live.

In another story in the Skibbereen Abbey section of the Schools Collection, it is said that there was gold buried in Cuileanach Hill; it was very far under the ground in an old fort and it was on top of a table and that there was a cat minding it, if anyone went near the gold the cat would tear him. The only way to get it was to take a big bit of meat with you and throw it to the cat and while the cat would be eating the meat you could take the gold. It was said that some foolish man went looking for it and after spending some time there, went home downhearted.

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Swanton, Burke, Walsh, Jenner (?), Walsh, Cur (?), Swanton, Swanton, Walsh, Cumba (pet-name for Sullivan), Corrigan, Corrigan, Hurley, Hurley, Keohane, Keohane, Keohane, Keohane, Donovan, Donovan, Donovan

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Kohane, Kohane, Kohane, Hurley, Driscoll, Walsh, Kohane, Hegarty, Donovan, Donoghue, Donovan, Donahoe, Harnetty, Kohane, Walsh, Swanton, Casey, Collins, Walsh, Donovan, Driscoll, Walsh, Swanton, Moaxey, Swanton

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Brooks, Kearney, Murphy, Walsh, Bevan, Donovan, Sullivan (with Donovan (aunt) and Leahy (servant)), Donovan, Keohane, Keohane, Keohane, Hurley, Keohane, Hayes, Hegarty, Hurley, Keohane

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Donovan, Sullivan (with Driscoll (niece)), Murphy (with Sweeney (servant)), Keohane, Keohane, Hurley, Keohane, Hegarty (with Cadogan (relative)), Hayes, Hurley, Keohane, Walsh, Murphy, Hurley, Sullivan, Kearney, Brooks (with Craig (boarder))

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	21	126 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	44 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	279
1851	Census of Ireland	31	184
1853	Griffith's Valuation	35 (Incl. 10 unoccupied)	150 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	34	170
1871	Census of Ireland	35 (Incl. 4 unoccupied)	158
1881	Census of Ireland	29 (Incl.2 unoccupied)	161
1891	Census of Ireland	19 (Incl.2 unoccupied)	110
1901	Census of Ireland	17	88		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	17	83		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. At this time the proprietor (titulado) of this townland was Dominick Coppinger. The townland was known as Cullinagh at this time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Daniel O’Connor of Ballybricken, Cork and his agent was Col. T. Bourke of Carrigaline. It was held under lease by John Swanton and William Swanton Sen. and William Swanton Jun. of Cullenagh and sub-let to tenants.

In 1841 the soil was described as being a mixture of coarse pasture and arable with the arable producing light crops of wheat, oats, barley and potatoes

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