Westropp — Forests of the Counties of the Lo2ver Shannon Valley. 277 



MoYARTA. — This barony is nearly treeless ; but Bellia suggests a " bili " or 

 venerated tree,^ while Emlagh is called " mbili " an evident tree-name, not a 

 " border," in the " 1390 " O'Brien's rental. Furroor, Garraun, and Kilclogher 

 are found, if indeed the latter be " coill " (a wood), not " oil " (a church), " of 

 the shelter. "2 It is Oillin Clochair and Kilbaha. Gill Beiteh in "1390," 

 Kilbeagh, 1655, and Killbehagh in " 1675 " suggest a birch-name. In the 

 1655 Survey we only find 178 acres of shrubs in the seaward parishes, and 

 1 acre of dwarf trees at Kilrush. In Kilmacduan there were 197 acres 

 of wood, 27 of old trees, and 30 of shrubs, 



(8) ClonderlvVW. — Turning back we go up the banks of the Shannon 

 and Fergus. We might expect more tree-names ; but they are as scarce as 

 along the sea. We have a Durha, Knockerra (Cnoc Doire, 1599, in the 

 Annals of the Four Masters) near Kilrush, suggesting ancient oaks ; but no 

 other evidence till, in the names Derrybrick, Derreen, Derrynalecka, and 

 Knockaderreen, in Kilmurry Mac Mahon parish, and Derryshaan in Kilfid- 

 dane, we find ourselves on the site of an old forest.^ Kilmihil gives us 

 Derrycrossaun, and the parishes up the Fergus Derrylea alone. But Hugh 

 Brigdall, about 1695, alludes to "firrtrees on the Islands of the Shannon."* 

 The district above Killadysert was called Tuathnafarna (Toanefeorny, in 

 Perrott's deed, 1585), from the alder, and there was a Deerygeeha in the 

 barony, held by Sir Teige Mac Mahon of Clonderlaw in 1629.^ In fact, the 

 barony was only slightly wooded in 1655 ; it had 701 acres of timber trees, 

 341 of old trees, and 304 of new plantations, with 324 of shrubbery — in all 

 1670 acres. Kilfeddan parish, despite its wood-suggesting name, had hardly 

 200 acres of plantations. Of the lesser " trees" there was a Trummer (elder) 

 Island in the Fergus, belonging to the last parish. This completes the 

 western and larger portion of Clare ; and we cross the Fergus into the eastern 

 "half." 



Eastern Clark. 



(9) When we examine the eastern half of Clare, we get abundant evidence 

 of the forests that once covered its surface, and that despite of its having 

 been an important centre of civilization and population in early times. Here 

 and in Inchiquin we find crowds of dolmens and forts, including some of the 

 most important of the latter, several early monasteries of note, and abundance 

 of churches and castles. 



1 Dr. Joyce : " Irish Names of Places," series i., p. 483. 



2 So Mr. James Frost : "Place-Names of Clare," p. 42. 



2 Shown on Elizabethan maps, Hardiman collection, T. C. D. 

 * '•' Commonplace Book relating to Ireland," p. 235. 

 5 Inquisition, Charles I. 



R.I. A. PBOC, VOL. XXVII., SECT. C. [42] 



