218 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Island B/nBBOCK. Teach xa xUamhain (0. S. 32). — This striMng little 

 citadel, a side tower of a cliff near Ballinvoyle Head, is of considerable interest 

 and most picturesque, as may be seen by the illustration. 1 The place formed 

 part of the Manor of Dungarvan, as held by Kin g John, who, in 1217, granted 

 it to Maurice FitzGerald, whose family held it down to the seventeenth 

 century. It is probably the Inchenebacky, or Inchynbakye, named with 

 Bathgarvyn and Crochany, in Co. Waterford, in 1297, as the subject of a 

 lawsuit. 2 Local tradition only says that about the time of Cromwell it was 

 inhabited by one Mac Thomas, a Geraldine; 3 if the tale be genuine old legend, 

 the date is wrong, but the fact is right. In the reign of Elizabeth it was 

 held by Thomas Mac Richard of Pallace, Co. Limerick, usually called 

 Mac Thomas ; he mortgaged it to James Sherlock fitz Thomas of Waterford. 

 Richard the " Mac Thomas" joined Gerald, Earl of Desmond, in his rebellion, 

 and the lands in 1588 were found by inquisition to be forfeited to the Crown. 5 

 In Eebruary. 1591, Stradbally. Island Hubbock, and Ballyvonyne were granted 

 in fee to Richard Beacon, to be called "Beacon's fee farm"; the owner was 

 bound to build houses for himself, four freeholders, three farmers, and twenty- 

 one copyholders. 5 Sherlock's rights under the mortgage passed to his son 

 and heir, Paul (shortly before the grant), on paying a fine of £11 to the 

 Queen on Illanhobuck. At the close of the year, under a letter of the 

 English Privy Council, Gerald FitzGerald got the right of redemption 

 of the mortgage as brother and heir to Thomas, whose attainted son, who 

 had fallen in the rebellion, could not contradict the statement that he was 

 illegitimate. 6 Xicholas "Walsh of PiUtown, near Dungarvan, in 1597 (as 

 found in 1604), claimed the viH and land of Illanhobocke and Ballinvalleen 

 (Ballinvoyle) in soccage, as part of the King's Manor of Downgarvan. 

 Beacon granted the lands to Thomas FitzGerald, who got a regrant (on 

 surrender in the Court of Chancery) of the lands, including Illand Habugg. 



The crescent-shaped enclosure on the mainland edge, shown in the 

 map of 1841, is remembered, but no clear trace remains: it was over 100 feet 

 across from the cliff, and nearly 6 feet high. The neck is lower than the 

 field, but not so bold a dip as in other forts of the type. It is crossed by 

 two deep fosses, or rather, perhaps, the natural hollow has been deepened 

 to either side and a massive rampart made in the middle. A modem 

 gangway was raised across the fosse and cut through the mound late in the 



1 Plate XX ; the plan and section are on Plate XXI, fig. 10. 

 - Plea Rolls, Xo. 16, xxv Ed. I, m. 7, Xo. 99 ; m. 27. 



3 The tradition is almost too exact to be real ; could it only date from Rev. P. Power's 

 investigations '! I only heard it on my later visit. 



■ Inq. Chancery Xo. 1, Eliz. 5 Fiants 5536, 4X< '. 6 Fiant 5683. 



