AGHADOE
THROUGH THE AGES
In the
Barony of Magunihy and in the townland of Nunstown lie the ruined church and churchyard
of Aghadoe.
Aghadoe
is pronounced A-had-oe by the local populace. Aghadoe translates as “the field
of two yews” (Achadh Da Eo). Yew trees are often found growing in churchyards
and cemeteries. The first yew to be planted in a churchyard was usually planted
close to the path leading to the entrance of the church. In the shade of this
yew tree, the priest and his clerks would receive persons bringing a body for
burial. Yews are toxic to man and animals. The Latin name for the yew is taxus.
An extract of the Pacific yew, Taxol, is used in chemotherapy to kill cancer
cells. The yew tree can live for thousands of years. It sends down branches,
which on touching the ground, turn into roots. It is thus forever renewing
itself. It is thus possible that the two yews mentioned in the place-name are
still growing in the churchyard. The yew tree was sacred to the druids.
The
druids tended to have their places of worship in stone circles in sacred groves
on tops of prominent hills. Later Christian churches were often built on the
druidical sites. It is thus possible and even probable that the Aghadoe church
was built on an ancient druidical site.
There
are many examples of the Celtic Cross in the cemetery. The Celtic Cross is
believed to be a combination of the druidical symbol, the circle and the
Christian symbol, the cross.
The church building measures 80 feet from gable to gable and twenty feet in breadth. The western part of the church is the oldest. It was finished in 1158 by Auliff Mor na Cuimsionach, a member of the O’Donoghue family, who was buried here in 1166. This church replaced an earlier stone church. At this time the O’ Donoghues were newly arrived in this part of Kerry. They had been driven out of West Cork and they subsequently wrested control of the lands around Lock Lein from the Moriartys. They acknowledged McCarthy More as overlord and paid tribute to him. McCarthy More, the chieftain, had his palace at Pallas until 1519. The O'Donoghues held their Loch Lein lands against allcomers for the next four hundred years.
The newly finished church was dedicated to the Holy Trinity and St. Mary. It has a Hiberno-Romanesque west doorway with a three-order arch (i.e. three semi-circular sets of inlaid stones), the innermost order plain and the two outer ones bearing Romanesque decoration. The arch is an 11th century Irish version of the Roman arch. The Roman arch was semi-circular in shape. The Goths later introduced the Gothic arch to Europe. The Gothic arch is pointed and was an improvement on the Roman arch.
The eastern part of the Aghadoe church was added in the 13th century. It includes an east window which has a head and a flower at the intersection. The church is now divided into two separate compartments or churches by a dividing wall. To date, there has been no satisfactory explanation for this. The dividing wall could have arisen in two different ways. It may be that when the eastern part was added, the outer wall of the previous church was not demolished but left in place. Alternatively, the dividing wall may have been added at some date after the extension had been built. It is also conjectured that the eastern compartment may have served as living quarters at some stage.
In
medieval times, there were no seats in churches. The congregation stood or
kneeled during the service. Bearing this in mind, it is doubtful if there would
have been standing room for more than 50 worshippers in each section of the
Aghadoe church.
On top
of the south wall of the church is an Ogham stone bearing the inscription
BRRUANANN. Ogham writing was in use from the 3rd to the 6th
century when it was superseded by the Roman alphabet. Also secured to the wall
is a sculpture of the crucifixion.
Outside the doorway of the church stands a large bullaun stone
(bowl-stone) with a single centrally-placed hollow. A bullaun is a large flat
stone with a central hollow. It is not certain what they were used for but the
most probable explanation is that they were used for holding holy water.
Christian
churches were initially set up in the 5th century in Ireland at the
time of St. Patrick’s apostolate. Possibly the Aghadoe church may date from
this period. Church buildings until quite late were usually constructed
from wood or aggregate in Ireland. Stone churches were the exception. The
Aghadoe church was closely linked to a monastery in Inisfallen Island founded
by St Finian the leper in the 7th century. Leper colonies were often
established on islands. According to the Annals of Inisfallen, the monks in
Inisfallen eventually adopted the rules of the Society of St. Augustine.
Aghadoe
is presumed to have been the seat of an ancient bishopric although records are
scant. A near townland is called Faranaspig, “the bishop’s plot”. The
churchyard is within the townland of Nunstown. In the medieval Irish Church,
the bishop was in practice, thought not in theory, subordinate to the abbot of
the local monastery. In effect, he was a functionary attached to the local
monastery. By the year 1110, Aghadoe had become united with the bishopric of
Ardfert. From then onwards, the bishop of the Kerry region was known as the
Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe and resided at Ardfert. The title of the Catholic
bishop was officially changed to Bishop of Kerry (from Bishop of Kerry and
Aghadoe) in 1952. The Church of Ireland bishop still retains the title of
Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe but the see has been united with that of Limerick
since 1660. Apparently both Churches still appoint a cleric to the office of
Archdeacon of Aghadoe.
The
civil parish of Aghadoe was in use for local government purposes until the
beginning of the twentieth century. It comprised some 17,000 acres and extended
southwards almost to the foot of the mountains and eastwards to Headford,
beyond the present Killarney town. It probably represented the area ministered
to by the Aghadoe church in the eleventh century.
It is
probable that the church building was in use until sometime after the
Reformation. The church was in ruins in 1622 and had probably been in ruins for
some 50 years prior. The Diocesan Returns for the Anglican Church for 1622
gives us the following: ‘There is one prebend (Ed. Note: source of tithe) left
of the ruined church of Aghadoe…” From the Reformation to 1870, Aghadoe
churchyard was under the ownership and control of the Established Church but
nevertheless it continued to be used by the Catholic community as a burial
ground. It then passed under the control
of the local government authority.
Until
1838, tithes were paid (usually in kind, when paid at all) to the nominal
Archdeacon of Aghadoe by the land-leasing inhabitants of the surrounding
countryside.
In the
19th century, the landlord in the Aghadoe area and beyond was Lord Headley. He
resided at Aghadoe House which is now the An Oige youth hostel He let his estate to tenants for an annual
rent of £2 to £2.50 per acre. At this time, the wages of an agricultural
labourer was 8 pence per day or £24 per year, if fully employed. The last Lord
Headley to live in Aghadoe converted to Islam in 1913. Samuel Lewis’s
“Topography of Ireland” published in 1837 has this to say “On the expiration of the lease of
this manor, held under its proprietor, Lord Headley, in 1826, his lordship took
the estate under his own management; the farms, previously consisting of small
portions of land held under middlemen by cottier tenants, were surveyed and
improved upon, an arrangement adapted to the mutual benefit of landlord and
tenant, and let on leases of 21 years in portions varying from 100 to 200
acres, with stipulated allowances for building comfortable farm-houses, making
fences and drains, and drawing the requisite quantities of lime for the
improvement of the soil. Several miles of new road have been constructed, and
extensive plantations made solely at his lordship's expense. The hovels formerly
occupied by the cottier tenants have been superseded by good farm-houses built
of stone and roofed with slate; attached to each are orchards and gardens, and
the whole face of the district presents an appearance of improvement.” He
became notorious in later years for his policy of evicting smalholders in the
interest of creating larger land-holdings. See below for the different types of
landholding in 1824 and 1853.
The
Annals of Inisfallen contain references to Aghadoe church and churchyard, the
first for the year 939 A.D. and the last for 1450 A.D.. The following are the
references in the Annals of Inisfallen.
939
Repose of Aed,
son of Mael Pátraic, abbot of Achad Deó
1010
Mael Suthain Ua
Cerbaill {of Eóganacht}, eminent sage of Ireland, rested in Christ in Achad
Deó.
1044
Repose of Maenach
Muccruma in Achad Deó.
1061
Ua Cathail, royal
heir of Eógan acht Locha Léin, was taken out of the stone church of Achad Deó
and afterwards slain. (Ed. Note: his right or claim to sanctuary in the church
was denied to him).
1177
Corcach was
invaded by the grandson of Domnall Ua Carthaig and by grey foreigners (i.e.
Normans), and was besieged by Miles de Cogan and by FitzStephen. One of their
companies made an expedition to Achad Deó, spent two days and two nights in it,
and from there proceeded again to Corcach. After that they went to attack Port
Láirge, but the Gaedil assembled against them to the east of Les Mór, and they
were almost all slain.
1282
Great frost in
the above year, followed by snow, so that not a single day's ploughing or
harrowing was done [...] from Christmas until a week before the Feast of Brigit
[February 1].. And there was also very bad weather generally from that on,
which prevented any useful work being done to [...] In the same year there was
many a violent windstorm, and ricks and many houses were damaged; also the
great church of Achad Deó (which had been standing undamaged for six score and
four years) (i.e. since 1158), its holy cross, too, being broken—which I much
deplore.
1308
Feidlimid, son of
Donnchad Mac Carthaig, was (mortally) wounded by his own spear in the Glas
Lathaige north of Achad Deó as he was gaffing a trout he had seen in the ford.
1450
In this same year
died(?) Fíngen Ó Súilliubáin, erenagh of Achad Dá Eó”. (Ed. Note: the erenagh
was the manager of Church revenue and property. The office was often
hereditary)
1581
The Annals of the
Four Masters give this description of an engagement in 1581 during the Earl of
Desmond’s rebellion. “The Earl of Desmond was encamped at Achadh-da-eo; and at
that time an English captain, namely, Captain Siuitse, was appointed by the
Queen and the Lord Justice to preside over Desmond and Kerry. This captain
marched day and night with a party of cavalry to make an attack on the camp of
the Earl of Desmond; and it was on a Sunday morning that he arrived at the
camp. The Earl and all those who were with him were at this time buried in deep
sleep, and profound slumber, for they had remained vigilant and on the watch
all the night, and until that time. The captain immediately and alertly
attacked all those whom he found standing in the streets, and slew them without
mercy; nor did he wait for battle or engagement, but proceeded directly till he
reached Castlemain. The following were amongst the freeborn persons slain by
the captain at Achadh-da-eo on that day, i.e. Thomas Oge, the only son of
Thomas; the son of Maurice Duv, son of the Earl; Mulmurry, the son of Donough
Bacagh, son of Mulmurry, son of Donough Mac Sweeny; and Teige, the son of
Dermot, son of Cormac of Magh-Laithimh.”
The lands of the
O’ Donghues were confiscated following the Earl of Desmond’s rebellion.
The
earliest headstones in the churchyard date only from the late eighteenth
century. There are no headstones or
markers over a large part of the older section of the cemetery. The main reason
for this is that no headstones were
erected over persons interred in the paupers’ section of the cemetery.
Close to
Aghadoe church is the lower portion of a round tower. It is referred to locally
as the “the bishop’s chair”. The tower is the remnant of of a bell tower and
dates from 1026. Could it also have been the somewhat cramped residence of the
Bishops of Aghadoe in the 11th century?
A short
distance south east from the church is an
obelisk monument to a much-loved Killarney doctor, Myles O’ Mahony. The
inscription on the monument states that the monument was erected “by the gentry
and peasantry” of the Killarney area in appreciation of his services to the
victims of the Famine in the 1840’s.
Further
down the hill from the church lie the ruins of a round castle surrounded by a
moat. It contains an inner spiral staircase and the remains of a fireplace on
the first floor. In 1215 Norman invaders erected a wooden structure on this site
as they moved across Kerry. The present stone castle replaced the wooden
structure at the end of the 13th century. However, Norman influence in this part of Ireland dwindled after the Battle of Callan at Kilgarvan in 1261 when Norman attempts at expansion were halted. For some
time, the ridge at Aghadoe represented the dividing line between the Norman
(and descendants)-controlled north and the Gael-controlled south.
The road
adjoining the cemetery on the west side is known as Boreen-na-Marbh, “the road
of the dead”. It was in use to bring bodies for burial to the churchyard. A
common mode of transporting the dead in medieval Ireland was a dray drawn by two
bullocks. The dray would have been followed by “keening “ women. The road was
also probably the communicating road between the abbey at Inisfallen and the
church at Aghadoe for possibly 1000 years.
The
field to the south of the cemetery is known locally as the “The Glebe”. This
name can be traced to the early 19th century when the land was set aside on
which to build a protestant rectory (which never eventuated) and create an
adjoining glebe. “A glebe of 10 3/4 acres, …belong also to the archdeacon. There
is at present neither church nor glebe-house: the ancient and much used
burial-ground adjoining the ruins of the cathedral of Aghadoe has been enlarged
by the addition of a slip of ground given by Lord Headley”. (Lewis, 1837). Soon
afterwards, in 1838, a new church, together with adjoining rectory for the
Archdeacon, was built a mile to the west. This church is now in disuse and the
rectory is an hotel.
The
following persons are the recorded owners, leaseholders and residents of the
Nunstown townland from 1824 to 1926.
TITHES OCTOBER 1824
|
Occupiers’
Names |
Total
Acres |
|
|
|
|
Dan
MCarthy |
8.50 |
|
Patrick
Geran |
12.75 |
|
Denis
McCarthy |
4.25 |
|
Darby
McCarthy |
15.00 |
|
James
Murphy |
30.00 |
|
Daniel
Moriarty |
19.00 |
GRIFITH’S PRIMARY
VALUATION OF TENEMENTS 1853
|
OCCUPIER |
LESSOR |
ACREAGE |
|
|
|
|
|
Michael Barrett |
Robert Marshall
Leeson |
148.86 |
|
Archdeacon
Forster |
In fee (i.e.
freehold) |
17.07 |
|
Jeremiah Coffey |
Archdeacon
Foster House |
|
|
John Falvey and
M L O’ Sullivan |
Thos. Finn |
.70 |
|
Robert Marshall
Leeson |
In fee (i.e.
freehold) |
4.075 |
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL ACREAGE |
|
170.705 |
From the above, it
appears that the Archdeacon owned the churchyard, adjoining house and glebe in
freehold. (21.85 acres). The remaining 148.86 acres in Nunstown appeared to
have been actually occupied and farmed by Michael Barrett. He in turn rented
the property from Robert Leeson. Robert Leeson probably rented it from the head
landowner, probably Lord Headley. The measurements are probably in Irish
(plantation) acres and not in statute acres.
1901 CENSUS
Nunstown, Aghadoe Parish
(For all persons listed below, birthplace is County Kerry)
|
SURNAME |
FIRST NAME |
RELATION |
EDUC. |
AGE |
SEX |
OCCUPATION |
MARITAL |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cronin |
Dennis |
Head |
R & W |
39 |
M |
Farmer |
Married |
|
|
Ellie |
Wife |
R & W |
36 |
F |
Farmer’s wife |
Married |
|
|
Mary |
Daughter |
R & W |
9 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Sissy |
Daughter |
R & w |
8 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
John |
Son |
R & W |
7 |
M |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Martin |
Son |
R & W |
5 |
M |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Margaret |
Daughter |
R & W |
5 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Mary |
Daughter |
Cannot R or W |
2 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
Nagle |
Jack |
Servant |
R & W |
46 |
M |
Farm servant |
Single |
|
Leary |
Thade |
Son |
R & W |
56 |
M |
Farm servant |
Single |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cronin |
Eugene |
Head |
R & W |
43 |
M |
Farmer |
Married |
|
|
Mary |
Wife |
R & W |
32 |
F |
Farmer’s wife |
Married |
|
|
Dennis |
Son |
R & W |
13 |
M |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Mary |
Daughter |
R & W |
12.6 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Ellie |
Daughter |
R & W |
11 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Eugene |
Son |
R & W |
9.5 |
M |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Julia |
Daughter |
Cannot R or W |
6 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
|
|
Catherine |
Daughter |
Cannot R or W |
4 |
F |
|
Single |
|
|
Matt |
Son |
Cannot R or W |
2.6 |
M |
|
Single |
|
|
Hannah |
Daughter |
R & W |
6 days |
F |
|
Single |
|
|
Mary |
Mom |
Cannot R or W |
80 |
F |
|
Widow |
|
Kissane |
Mary |
Servant |
R & W |
21 |
F |
Domestic |
Single |
|
Kellhier |
Timothy |
Servant |
R & W |
25 |
M |
General servant |
Single |
|
Cronin |
Michael |
Servant |
R & W |
18 |
M |
General servant |
Single |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leahy |
Richard |
Head |
Cannot R or W |
70 |
M |
Farm labourer |
Married |
|
|
Margaret |
Wife |
Cannot R or W |
70 |
F |
Farmer’s wife |
Married |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sullivan |
John |
Head |
Cannot R or W |
70 |
M |
Agric. Labourer |
Married |
|
|
Margaret |
Wife |
Cannot R or W |
50 |
F |
|
Married |
|
|
Bridget |
Boarder |
R & W |
10 |
F |
Scholar |
Single |
CENSUS OF IRELAND
1901--NUNSTOWN
|
HEAD OF
FAMILY |
LEASEHOLDER |
|
|
|
|
Denis Cronin |
Denis Cronin |
|
Eugene Cronin |
Eugene Cronin |
|
Richard Leahy |
John Leahy |
|
Jeremiah Coffey |
Same |
|
John Sullivan |
Same |
CENSUS OF IRELAND 1911--NUNSTOWN
|
SURNAME |
FORENAME |
AGE |
SEX |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coffey |
Jeremiah |
65 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Margaret |
55 |
F |
|
Coffey |
Ellie |
30 |
F |
|
Coffey |
Jeremiah |
21 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Edward |
16 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Michael |
12 |
M |
|
Coffey |
John |
33 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Margaret |
36 |
F |
|
Coffey |
James |
12 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Michael |
10 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Patrick |
9 |
M |
|
Coffey |
Mary |
8 |
F |
|
Coffey |
Hannah |
6 |
F |
|
Coffey |
Kitty |
4 |
F |
|
Coffey |
Christina |
1 |
F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cronin |
Denis |
60 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Ellen |
48 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Mary |
21 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Ellen |
19 |
F |
|
Cronin |
John |
17 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Mathew |
15 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Margaret |
13 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Kate |
9 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Michael |
5 |
M |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cronin |
Eugene |
65 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Mary |
49 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Denis |
24 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Mary |
22 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Eugene |
20 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Magan |
18 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Julia |
16 |
F |
|
Cronin |
Mathew |
12 |
M |
|
Cronin |
Hanna |
10 |
F |
|
Cronin |
James |
5 |
M |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Leahy |
John |
50 |
M |
|
Leahy |
Ellen |
40 |
F |
|
|
|
|
|
|
O’ Connor |
Lizzie |
9 |
F |
|
Toley |
William |
27 |
M |
1926 REGISTER OF
ELECTORS
|
Ellen Coffey |
Batt Coffey |
Matt Cronin |
|
Mary Cronin |
Matt Cronin |
Margaret Cronin |
|
Julian Cronin |
Eugene Cronin |
Ellen Leahy |
|
Margaret Kenny |
Michael Kenny |
Jeremiah Kenny |
(Revision 08/10/09)