Westkopf — C'isfs, Dolmens, and Fillars of East Clare. 87 



before, was the first portion of county Clare overrun by the Dalcassians 

 under Lughacl Meann, King of Munster, before a.d. 370, and so formed 

 the mensal land of the kings of Thomond, the O'Briens as named in 

 later times. Probably on this account it was seized by the Norsemen 

 in the tenth century, and by the Normans in the thirteenth. It re- 

 mained the special appanage of the Earls of Thomond till 1712, and 

 was then sold in fee-farm to various English families. No dolmen 

 remains, probably from Tradree having been so long under cultivation. 



The northern portion of this barony (with portions of the upper 

 barony, and of the barony of Tulla) forms a rather bleak plain, " the 

 beautiful cold Magh Adhair."^ It was a legendary settlement of a clan 

 of the Huamorian Firbolgs ; and its name contracted from a district to a 

 townland (Tuanamoyri^ in 1584 and 1685), then to two fields " Moyri," 

 or " Moyross Parks " in 1839, and to a single field " Moyars Park " at 

 the present time. 



The oldest allusion to any dolmen in Clare is to that of Knooka- 

 lappa, or "hill's bed," by Thomas Dyneley in 1680 f there is, as already 

 noted, no detailed description of any in eastern Clare till 1897. 



The dolmens are here described topographically, and, where pos- 

 sible, in groups ; the townland names are always given, and are 

 followed by the sheets of the Ordnance Survey maps, which, with the 

 sections of each sheet on that of 25 inches to the mile, are given in 

 brackets. 



We may classify the remains in the baronies of Bunratty as — (1) 

 simple cists — Kilvojdan, Toonagh (three), Caherloghan (six), Bally- 

 hickey, Monanoe (site), Ballymacloon, Knocknalappa, DrumuUan 

 (northern), Ballysheen (site) ; (2) cists, with two or more chambers — 

 Caheraphuca, Ballymaconna(?), Eylane (western), Ballinphunta ; (3) 

 dolmen with enclosure — Knappogc ; (4) long dolmens — Ballyogan 

 (two, one removed); (5) circle — Clooney (eastern); (6) enclosures of 

 blocks — Dooneen, Clooney (western) ; (7) doubtful and destroyed — 

 llylane (eastern), Clooney (blocks), Drumullan (southern) (site), 

 Kilcornan (perhaps multiple chambered), Brickhill (site), Lacht (?) 

 (site); (8) pillars— Knocknafearbreaga (five), Magh Adhair. None of 

 the stones to my knowledge exhibit any sign of di-essing, and only one 



1 " Circuit of Ireland," a.u. 941, by Cormacan Eigeas, p. 43. 



2 Tiianamoyre in "Castle List," 1584, MSS. T.C.D., Tiiananioree, 1655, 

 I'etty's Survey (Vallancey's copy Tuanamoret). 



3 Koyal Hist, and Arcliseol. Assoc. Ireland, vol. ix. (1867), p. 176, repeated by 

 Mr. Frost in "History and Topography of County Clare," p. 543. 



K.l.A. PKOC, VOL. VIII. (XXIV.), SEC. c] Ui 



