Leitir an tSinlis

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Leitir an tSinlis or Lettertinlish is a townland of 162 hectares or 401 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 236 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is in the Electoral Division of Castlehaven North, in Civil Parish of Castlehaven and the RC Parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

Leitir an tSinlis is bordered by An Achaill (Aghills), An Currach Beag (Currabeg) and Doire Liath (Derryleigh) to the east, Gort na Cloiche (Gortnaclohy) and Lios an Ruacháin (Lissarankin) to the west, Smúrán (Smorane) to the north and Muine Uí Mhothlacháin (Moneyvollahane) 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

Leitir an tSinlis (sean lios) can be interpreted as the hillside/marshy slope of the old fort . Bruno O'Donoghue mentions that the townland was named after Lisnafahy fort (Lios Fathaidh / fort of Fathadh) which probably came from Clan Fathaidh O'Driscolls. Fathadh was the son of Eidirscel, progenitor of the O'Driscolls, who lived around the 10th century and was 16th in descent from Lughaidh MacConwho was a High King of Ireland in the second century A.D..

History

Whooley: Letter, as it is called locally, forms the northern boundary of the parish along with its neighbours Aghills and Brade. Whooley was the predominant surname in this townland and even in the 1960s there were five Whooley families farming here. According to John Grenham's website, the Whooley name is numerous in South West Cork, and is an agnomen adopted by some of the O'Driscolls of W Cork

Lios na Faithche: The townland of Lettertinlish, (Leitir aSein Lis), Letter - Hillside of the old fort is in the north end of Castlehaven , bordering Skibbereen parish. In the center is a ring fort called Lisafahy, (Lios Fathaig), which probably derives its name from the Clan Fathaig O’Driscolls. Fathadh was the son of Eidhirscel. It might even read Lios na Faithche – fort of the lawn. According to the Journal of the Cork History and Archaelogical Society, there was an ornamental lawn outside the door of the lios and beyond this a large level green called the faithche, used for games and athletic exercises. At the south end is a children’s burial ground and at the east is Lough Naluharacoun (Loch na Lucharachan) – Bruno O'Donoghue mentions that this can be interpreted as the lake of the small trout but it is also thought to mean the lake of the leprechauns. Of the three liosanna in this townland, two are still visible. The lios on the eastern side is in really good condition.

Farmers in 1898: The following excerpt is taken from Bernard O Callaghans book “Marching to Glory". Farmers in Lettertinlish in 1898 – Patrick O’Brien, Patrick Whooley, Timothy O’Brien, John Bradfield, Dennis Whooley, Margaret McCarthy, Timothy McCarthy, Timothy Carey ,Jeremiah McCarthy, John Whooley (Big)!, Patrick McCarthy, Johanna Hegarty, John Whooley, Andrew Minihane.

Lakes: Lakes appear on the eastern side of the townland. These are some of the twelve Shepperton Lakes ,better and more accurately known as Aghills Lakes. The boundary is in the middle of the lakes and the stream that drains one to the other is also part of the boundary. The cross-roads, just outside the eastern boundary) is locally known as Island Cross. This would mean that in former times, most of the land was lakeland. Two more roads of note are Bóthairín Éire and Horseshoe road.

Old map

Lettertinlish Castle: At the south side is a site of Lettertinlish Castle of the Clan Dermod McCarthy’s. According to Parish Histories and Place Names of West Cork by Bruno O’Donoghue, it was captured by Carew on his return from Dunboy in June 1602 and it passed with its lands to the Coppingers about 1612. Smith says that this castle belonged to the McCarthys. It was probably held by the Clan Dermot branch of that sept .Returning from the siege of Dunboy, Carew, on June 28th, 1602, captured Lettertinlis Castle, which was then held by Conor, son of Sir Fineen O' Driscoll, “After the soldiers had made pillage of the goods, wee burned and destroyed the castle and stone hall, and rode thence to Tymologg.”" (Pac. Hib." p. 580). Only the mere site of the castle now remains.

According to local folklore this may be Lettertinlis Castle.

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) and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that 23 of the 24 houses in the townland at the time were class 3. This means that they were all thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar (as opposed to houses built with stone or brick and lime mortar). Within class 3 there are a number of different categories. 10 of these houses are old (more than 25 years old) but in repair. Another 11 are described as being old (more than 25 years) but out of repair while the other two Class 3 houses are described as medium (not new), deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. The other house in this townland at this time is class 1 which means that it was slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - it is described medium (not new), slightly decayed, but in good repair. While this class 1 house is 8 foot tall, all of the class 3 houses range between 4 foot 6 inches (!) and 6 foot 6 inches tall which indicates that they are single storey at this time.

By the 1901 census, there are just 14 occupied houses in this townland at this time and all have walls of stone, brick or concrete with roofs of slate, iron or tiles. 8 houses have two, three or four rooms with three having two windows in front and two having three windows (these are possibly still single storey) while the other three have five windows in front. Another 5 houses have either five or six rooms with five windows in front (maybe now two storey) while the remaining one has seven, eight or nine rooms with five windows in front.

When we advance to the 1911 census there are still 14 occupied houses in this townland and, not surprisingly, all still have walls of stone, brick or concrete with roofs of slate, iron or tiles. 5 houses now have two, three or four rooms with two of these having two windows in front and two having three windows while the other one has six windows in front. The other 9 houses have either five or six rooms with 7 having five windows in front (they are probably two storey at this point) while the other two have two and six windows in front respectively.

Places of Interest

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

Bridge: There is a bridge in Letter called Droichidín Átha Tuile (the little bridge of the ford of the flood)

Lake: Loch na Lucharachán can be found at the south side of the townland. This name can be interpreted as the lake of leprechauns. It was said that dwarf-like things or fairies were seen there working like shoemakers

The castle and the three ringforts mentioned above are all mapped on the Historic Environment Viewer. However a children's burial ground is also mapped there

Interesting Placenames

Beside the name mentioned above the following field names have been captured and these are the Cow Field, The Top Of The Road, The Left/Bottom Of The Road and The Right/Bottom Of The Road.

There are crossroads in this townland called Bog Cross, Clocha Bán white stones) and Letter Cross.

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

Draining of Lake: It is said that Loch na Lucharachán was drained by a landlord but he was unsuccessful. This may be why it is a bog today - it is marked as a marshy area in the 1841 map

Famine Times: This story is from the Schools Folklore Collection of Tragumna N.S. My grandfather at the time lived in Lettertinlish two miles east of the town of Skibbereen. He and his family were fairly comfortable, but other farmers had to boil "swedes" and "praiseach bhuidhe" when the potatoes had failed. This man Cormac MacCarthaigh, had 15 bags of wheat in his barn which he sold in November for 30/- a bag, and in the following year in February it had risen to £3 a bag. One day, as the dinner was being prepared, a poor starving woman came into the kitchen and asked for food. The woman of the house had a pot of potatoes boiled, and she gave her the contents of the pot in an apron, and then turned round to boil another pot. So not everyone ate donkeys around Skibbereen (as this nick-name lives to the present day). The corpses in the Skibbereen district were all buried in one large plot in the Abbey graveyard. When Queen Victoria paid a visit to Cobh on stepping ashore a large inscription met her gaze-

"Arise Ye Dead from Skibbereen,
And Come to Cork to welcome your Queen"

Turning on her heel, she boarded the vessel and never fulfilled her engagements in Cork City. So Cobh became Queenstown.

Horse: Another story from the Castletownshend School's Collection tells how the horse of a Lettertinlish man died one time. Nine years later the man was coming home one night from Skibbereen. The man saw the horse with the fairies and made a grab for him. However the "jokey"was too quick and he drove out of the man's sight. The man told Father Hennessy who told him to go back to the spot and sprinkle holy water over the fairies and the horse. The man did this and the fairies disappeared, leaving the horse in front of him. He took the horse home and he lived for another nine years.

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Brien, McCarthy, Wholey, Mahony, Hickey, Hurley, Barry, Buckley, John Wholey, Casey, Brien, Hurley, Wholey

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Carey, McCarthy, Hooley, Hooley, Carey, McCarthy, McCarthy, Carey, Driscoll, McCarthy, Hooley, Sullivan, Kohane, Sweeney, Bryan, Bryan

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Hegarty, Wholey (with Deasy - nephew), McCarthy (with Collins - servant), McCarthy, Wholey (with McCarthy - servant), Minihane, Carey, McCarthy (with Keane - daughter), McCarthy, Wholey, Bradfield, Whooley, Brien, Brien (with Donovan - niece)

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Whooley, Brien (with Donovan - niece), Brien, Bradfield (with McDonnell - servant), Whooley, McCarthy, McCarthy (with Kingston - servant), Whooley, Minihane, Carey, McCarthy, McCarthy (with Donovan - servant), Whooley, Hegarty,

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	13	90 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	34	212
1851	Census of Ireland	18 (Inc. 1 unoccupied)	106
1853	Griffith's Valuation	23 (Incl. 7 unoccupied)	100 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	19	113
1871	Census of Ireland	18 (Inc 1 unoccupied)	111
1881	Census of Ireland	16	116
1891	Census of Ireland	15 (Inc. 1 unoccupied)	94
1901	Census of Ireland	14	82		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	14	75		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 Mc Dan Carthy. This townland was know as Leteretuilis at that time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Colonel John Townsend of Castletownshend and his agent was Charles Clerke of Skibbereen. It was held under lease by Alexander O'Driscoll and sub-let to tenants without a lease.

In 1841 the soil was described as middling, producing light crops of oats and potatoes and a little flax.