Muine Uí Mhothlacháin

Muine Uí Mhothlacháin or Moneyvollahane is a townland of 138 hectares or 342 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 168 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

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

Muine Uí Mhothlacháin is bordered by An Currach Beag (Currabeg) and An Ráithín (Raheen) to the east and Leitir an tSinlis (Lettertinlish), Lios an Ruacháin (Lissarankin) 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

There seem to be a number of interpretations of Muine Uí Mhothlacháin. It may mean O'Mullen's shrubbery. Another possibility, given by Bruno O'Donoghue, is the shrubbery of the milking parlour. An owl's thicket has also been mentioned as a possibility. In his article in Volume 6 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal, Eugene Daly interprets it as the shrubbery of the enclosures or milking fields.

History

Castlehaven GAA opened a new GAA pitch in this townland in 1989

Cumann na mBan

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 17 of the 24 houses in the townland at the time were class 3. This means that they were thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Within class 3 there are different categories. Sixteen houses are described as being old (more than 25 years) with eight of these being in repair, seven out of repair and the other one is described as dilapidated and scarcely habitable. The other thatched house are described as medium (not old), deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. There are also seven class 1 houses in this townland meaning that they are slated dwelling houses built with stone or brick and lime mortar. Six are described as medium (not new) with one being in sound order and good repair, two are slightly decayed, but in good repair and the other two are deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. The final slated dwelling house is described as old but in repair. The Class 3 houses are between 5 foot (!) and 8 foot tall (indicating that they are probably single-storey at this time) while the class 1 houses are between 8 foot and 10 foot tall.

By the 1901 census, there are just 7 occupied houses in this townland and all seven have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Six have roofs of slate, iron or tiles while the other one is still thatched. Two of the seven houses at this time have two, three or four rooms with just two windows in front so they were probably single storey. The other five houses have five or six rooms with one having two windows in front (single-storey?), one having four windows, two having five and the remaining house has six windows in front.

When we advance to the 1911 census, there is an increase to nine occupied houses in this townland and all have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Eight have roofs of slate, iron or tiles while the other is still thatched. One house now has just one room with one window in front with three more having two, three or four rooms with just two windows in front so they were probably all single storey. Another house has two, three or four rooms with five windows in front. Three houses have five or six rooms with two, four and five windows in front respectively. The remaining house has seven, eight or nine rooms with six windows in front.

Places of Interest

Lios: There is a ringfort (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). Is this correct???

Mass Rock: There is a Mass Rock or an Altar Stone in this townland. Mass was said here in penal times when it was banned

Spa Well: There is a spa well in this townland that is named Tobar an Iarainn (The Iron Well). It is said to have curative properties but this comes from the minerals in the water rather than any spiritual connotations. In a reference taken from an 1758 diary, this well was called Gustine Cloky Spaa at that time. There have also been some references that there were actually two wells here on opposite sides of the road.

Lake: Loch na Lucharachán touches the northeast corner. This name can be interpreted as the lake of leprechauns or elves. It was said that dwarf-like things or fairies were seen there working like shoemakers

No locations in this townland are mentioned in the Historic Environment Viewer

Interesting Placenames

The is a road through this townland that is known as the Bumpy Road. Another road is known as The Boreen.

Besides the places named above we have mapped the follow field-names in this townland: The Leaca (the slope), Indian Hill (origin unknown), The Meadow, The Bog Field, Tobair an Iarann (well of iron - see below), Páirc na Leasa (field of the ringfort - there was a fort there one time but not any more), Páircalitruch (possibly Páirc na Lúitreach - field of the rushes), The Fill (described as a boggy field - there was a flax pond here in the past), The Meadow, The Two Gardens (two adjoining fields were known as the Two Gardens. These were vegetable gardens), The Mounta (?) Well (there was a well in this field at one time - maybe móinteán - boggy field), The Two Crocs (croc = currach = wet boggy land), The Big Field, The Corn Field, Páircín na Stalcaí (the small field of the potato stalks), The Patrick Field (named after a previous owner, Patrick Hurley), The Stubble Field, The Front Field (field in front of original farmhouse - no longer there), The Field Above The Door (refers to door at the back of the house), Páircín na hEorna (small barley field), The Long Field, Charlie's Big Field, Charlie's Break, The Well Field, The Well Hill, The Little Hill, The Big Hill, The Bath Field (there was a bath here for feeding water to cattle), The Meadow

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

Tobar an Iarainn: It is said that somebody once received a cure after sitting in Tobar an Iarainn for an extended period.

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

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Hurley, Dunston, Dunston, Dunston, Dunston, Browne, Donovan

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Hurley, McCarthy, Hart, Dunston, Dunston, Hennigan, Dunston, Sullivan, Crowley, Brickley, Harrington, Donovan, Donovan, Brown, Brown, Dunston, Sullivan, Dunston, Hooly, Coghlan, Hurly

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Donovan, Dunstan (with Harte (servant)), McCarthy, Hurley, Sullivan (with Scully (labourer)), Browne, Donovan

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Sullivan (with Collins and Donovan (both servants)), Browne, Donovan, McCarthy, Sullivan, Hurley (with Norris (servant)), Courtney, Dunstan (with Courtney (grand-daughter) and Sullivan (servant)), Donovan, Deasy

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	7	42 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	27	160
1851	Census of Ireland	24	129
1853	Griffith's Valuation	23 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	125 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	20	118
1871	Census of Ireland	17	95
1881	Census of Ireland	15	75
1891	Census of Ireland	13 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	65
1901	Census of Ireland	11 (Incl. 4 unoccupied)	57		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	11 (10 occupied plus 1 shop/creamery)	51		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 Charles McCarthy Reagh who was described as an Irish papist. This townland was part of Rathnapoole, Monymohalahan & Lisranckan 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 all held by tenants without a lease.

In 1841 the soil was described as "not good" producing poor crops of oats and potatoes with a very small share of flax.

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