388 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



number of lands in the " Termon of Tulla " to the church.^ The deed was 

 preserved down to 1611 m the "Black Book of St. Mochulla," now 

 unfortunately lost.^ Little is told of the place till Tudor times, save 

 occasional mention of one of its priests, Donchad, son of Maccon Mac ISTamara, 

 its rector in 1397, Reginald O'Halharan in 1407, and Gilbert O'Lean in 1421. 

 The Castle was built a little later by Shane Mac Teige Mac Donouo-h 

 Mac Namara ; the church of " the Colidei," circa 1367, by " Convara " 

 Mac ISTamara. 



Evidently, however, we have at Tulla a trace of a ring-wall which, in the 

 twelfth century, was attributed to the early seventh century. It surrounded 

 the church, like the fosses and mounds made by St. Enda round his sister 

 Fanchea's cell, at the end of the fifth century, or the existing ring-walls 

 round Glencolumbkille and Templenaratha, and the flat-topped fort on which 

 Moyarta church was built, all being in county Clare,^ 



Before leaving the subject we must note the strong local colouring of the 

 Mochulla legends. The hills, or rounded mounds (Tulach), covered with 

 bushes and thorns, the spurs of the mountains thick with furze beyond the 

 plain, the name "Drumreask," the ridge having a marsh at its foot, the 

 shallow well on the hill-top, the bullaun or basin-stone, and the caher made 

 round the cells, have their existing counterparts. 



13. — Knockadoon. — South of Tulla, the most commanding of the hills, 

 rises 307 feet above the sea ; it is central, with two " fortified " hills to each 

 quarter, and is crowned by the largest of the Tulla forts. The " Doon " lies 

 centrally across the ridge, and, though each wing has been terraced up, the 

 garth is " saddle-backed." The " dorsal ridge " lies north-east and south-west 

 being 211 feet along the fort and 165 feet in the opposite direction. The 

 garth is raised 4 to 5 feet over the field to the north and south, with a ring 

 3 feet high, in all 7| to 8 feet over the field. There is no trace of a fosse ; 

 the garth is tilled, and the ring of the eastern half is levelled, the fort being 

 divided between two farms. 



Abbeyhill. — Knockadoon Hill slopes steeply to the south-east ; at its 

 foot in a field in the bottom of the hollow is a low enclosure where, local 

 tradition says, the Mac Namaras began to lay the foundation of the Franciscan 

 Monastery ; but they changed their intention, and built it at Quin instead. 

 This interesting and not improbably true story gives the name of " Abbey- 



1 The Termon lands were in 1397 (as copied into the Inquisition of 1611) Tulla, Killeen, 

 Lisoffin, Cloonteen, Dromlig (Knockdrumleague), Moymore, Fomerla, Kiltanon, Tiresheeda 

 (Tyredagh), Dromcaha alias Kilconalballagh (Ardbooly), Ballj^ore, Creggancryen, Dromaghmartin, 

 Bunavorey, Furhee, Loughann, Cutteen or Cahercutteen, and perhaps Iline. 



^ See Mss. E. I. Acad. 24. D. 10, copy by Chevalier O'Gorman. 



^ Killilagh and Rathborney churches also closely adjoin flat-topped circular mounds. 



1 



