Day (3) – Muintir Uí Lochlainn on Tour
This was a fun packed day (Craic) taking in three days’ worth of field trip during the course of a single day. The bus-tour started from Ennis at 10.00 am and came to a conclusion after 9.00pm, following a marathon tour of south Galway and north Clare sites.
First stop – Corofin Monument to commemorate Father Michael Murphy leading his flock to Ennis Court House in support of Daniel O’Connell’s election in 1828.
The next stop was at Kilnaboy forge to meet with PJ Curtis. His family ‘de Curtis’ came to Ireland with the Normans. When he was a boy, he remembered the forge being terribly busy on wet days, when horses could not work in the fields. A queue of six or seven horses would form at the Curtis forge, as they were then, the tractors of the day.
In 1652 General Ireton’s Cromwellian army visited Kilnaboy and demolished the round tower located at the nearby church. One of the Cromwellian soldiers had to get their horse re-shod; the farrier had no choice, or the forge would have been destroyed. Whilst re-shoeing the horse, the farrier damaged it’s foot so that in a few days’ time, the horse would develop an infection.
PJ proceeded to produce pike heads and a spoon for making bullets made at the family forge for the 1798 rebellion. Disappointingly, Napoleonic forces never came. PJ spoke of his youth when there was no radio and local men would gather in the Curtis house for some storytelling.
Later, PJ managed to acquire a radio and a guitar, much to his father’s disappointment, and he eventually ran away from home to have a successful career in the music industry.
His father did come to accept that the forge was coming to an end, as working horses gradually disappeared from the local landscape. His father was also a horse healer which was fine, while PJ’s ancestor, Mariah was a human healer who fell foul of the church, which is recounted in P J’s publication – The Lightning Tree; Mariah’s Story (2006, 2008).
Then, on to Ruan cemetery where there was a brief view of the Egyptian revivalist style O’Loghlen Mausoleum, where Sir Michael O’Loghlen (+1842), the first baronet and his family are interred. The Ruan Mausoleum is over five metres in height with the taller parts requiring some attention from Clare County Council.
On to Shanaglish, south Galway to the second forge of the day; Loughnane’s forge where we were given a warm welcome by Tony Diviney, Martina Neilan & Paddy Joe Roseingrave with their generous refreshments; and they were most welcome during the August heat wave.
We continued to the Loughnane brothers’ resting place, where a wreath signed by all present was laid at the 2.5-metre-tall Celtic cross. Katharine Lochnan explained how disturbed she was by their horrific torture (November, 1920) and reflected on their sacrifice, which further increased the resolve towards Irish political independence.
John McTigue, Kilnamona spent a week re-etching the letters on the monument, where Loughnane was written in Gaelic on the Shanaglish cross – Lachtnáin.
Onwards to the town of Gort for a quick refreshment stop, ice creams all round as it was such a sweltering day.
Then, on to view monastic Ireland, about four kilometres southwest of Gort is the site of the old monastic settlement of Kilmacduagh. (See photograph at header.) The seventh century saint, Saint Colman, son of Duagh, established a monastery on this land given to him by his cousin, King Guaire. According to legend, Saint Colman MacDuagh was walking through the woods of the Burren, when his girdle fell to the ground. Taking this as a sign, he built his monastery on this spot, while the road is named, The Road of the Dishes. The round tower at Kilmacduagh – 34.5 metres is the tallest in Ireland.
Moving forward five hundred years in time, we arrived at Corcomroe Abbey for a brief visit to a monument which displays architectural features from the early second millennium period. This is where many of the clan’s significant ancestors are buried. This Cistercian abbey was sponsored by the O’Brien’s, combining their spiritual and temporal dominance in the area.
One Corcomroe Abbey tradition which has been restarted nearby is the tradition of “Sean Gael” whiskey production, at the Burren Distillery founded by Noel O’Loughlin in 2019.
The Burren Distillery whiskey is fermented in casks assembled within France and made from Irish oak. The barley is grown near the abbey. Traditional copper stills are used, and the whiskey casks are aged on site at Newtown.
Inside Noel’s distillery there was a large mural of the battle of Loch Rasc in 1317 AD in which the artist had modelled Noel as a leading warrior of that medieval O’Brien dynastic battle.
Noel gave us a tour of the entire process and provided us with samples of whiskey. He wished that the tour had a longer time to taste the eleven distinct types of whiskey the distillery had on offer.
We then headed towards Gragans Castle in the centre of the Burren, where the chief of the clan resided. In former times the Barony of Burren was also known as the Barony of Gragans.
This tower house which was a ruin in 1995 has been restored by the late Brian Hussey and his wife Anna and further developments continue, through the current custodian, Philip McKernan. Philip took us round, noting he felt like a nervous young man meeting his girlfriend’s parents for the first time, as it was our castle, and he was merely looking after it for a short period of time.
There were some marvellous modern touches at Gragans Castle such as a toilet located on a glass floor within the garderobe with an old-fashioned red radio ‘on air’ sign outside, whenever occupied.
The castle is painted white as they were in medieval times, and there was a sturdy strong oak door at the entrance with a stone face from the 15th century baring its’ teeth, as we entered.
Philip generously presented each family group with a fascinating book ‘Princes and Poets’ compiled by Turtle Bunbury. It is a beautifully produced book, professionally researched and clearly presented. It covers lots of clan history in a very accessible way. I particularly like the comment about the O’Briens’ always encroaching on the ÓLochlainn’s territory, like the Burren hazel scrub, itself.
Down the valley to Ballyvaughan to visit ÓLochlainn’s Whiskey Bar for some open salmon sandwiches prepared by Margaret O’Loghlen. The bar is the most obvious clan presence within the Burren. Edward provided two booklets; one on the clan heraldry; another expertly researched booklet “Clan Heraldic Symbols Through Three Centuries” and another on the “Mummers in North Clare and Beyond.” Both booklets were produced for August 2022.
Homeward bound, the tour stopped briefly at the late medieval earthen homestead at Ballyalban. Five hundred metres above Ballyalban, Caher More; a large double walled ring fort with a lintelled entrance and displaying magnificent views towards Ballyvaughan and across to Galway Bay which was inhabited between the 4th and the 12th centuries.
Climbing further through the Burren Uplands our bus-tour stopped at the Poulnabrone Dolmen, where John OLoughlin captured a fabulous photograph of the dolmen as the August sun was setting.
Leaving the Barony of the Burren the coach passed O’Brien’s Leamaneh Castle, Barony of Inchiquin; strategically placed on the edge of three baronies, which the OBrien clan wished to dominate.
Thanks go to the various local ÓLochlainn’s who helped: all our speakers, the Temple Gate Hotel staff, Clare Museum, the Job-like patience of Gerry, our bus driver trapped in an extended tour of five extra hours; and especially Edward O’Loghlen, for conducting the organisation of this successful event, where our family bonds were renewed and nurtured.
Compiler – Paul Loughnane, Liverpool, England. Paul previously published Cycling around ÓLochlainn Stones for the clan website.
Muintir – The Gaelic term for extended family, hence Muintir Uí Lochlainn
Reunion Acknowledgements, August 2022:
Staff Members at Temple Gate hotel - Amy Carroll Clare Museum - Danny, John Rattigan Clare Library - Helen Walsh, Peter Beirne Frances OHalloran, Ruan, County Clare Sheila Davoren Keane, Kilnaboy, County Clare Kaide Mestre, Loughrea, east Galway (Sound Technician) John Duffy, Bodleian Library, Oxford Domhnall ÓLoinsigh, Ennis Brian Howley, Kilfenora & Limerick John & Michael McTigue, Kilnamona, Cusack Park Sculpture Marcia and John O’Loughlin, Maryland, USA Katharine Lochnan, Toronto, Canada Breda Davoren, Caherconnell, Burren Richard Davern, Limerick City Ken ÓDonnchú, University College Cork Eamonn Healy, Beagh, South Galway Joe Queally and family members, Doora, Ennis - Music Maestro PJ Curtis, The Old Forge, Kilnaboy, North Clare Martina Neilan, Shanaglish, Gort, South Galway Tony Diviney, Shanaglish, Gort, South Galway Paddy Joe Roseingrave, Curtane, Gort, south Galway Philip McKernan, Gragans Castle, Corkscrew Hill, Burren Noel O’Loughlin, Burren Distillery, Newtown Margaret O’Loghlen, ÓLochlainns Whiskey Bar Séamas OReilly, Ennis Photographer Carmel O'Loghlen, Archival Photographs Gerry Barrett, Magic Carpet Bus-Tour, August 2022 Brendan O'Loghlin, Canberra, ACT - webmaster
Clan Ólochlainn 
Beautifully recalled, thank you. I very much enjoyed this.
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Thank you very much for this excellent remembrance!
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Ah,so many fond and familiar memories from our first and only trip to Ireland-hopefully not our last! Well done Edward. Phonse Liddle(O’Loughlin family Victoria, Australia)
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Phonse,
Good to hear the tour of south Galway and north Clare evoked a few previous memories of your visit.
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