390 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



him;^ and though they have left no trace, the wicker, clay, and wooden 

 houses of his more obscure followers and serfs among the stone ring-walls 

 of an older settlement. Then, about a.d. 620, the Church asserts itself, 

 establishing a "culdee " mission monastery, probably but little unlike the 

 other hamlets in and around one of the lisses at " Tulla of the bishops,'' 

 where a stone church and eventually a peel-tower were built. 



14. — Maryfokt. — Closely connected with the Tulla group, and isolated in 

 the other directions by a considerable district devoid of forts — we may very 

 briefly complete our record with the slight remains in the townlands of 

 Lismeehan and Fortanne. The local names are numerous, and as a rule 

 unmarked, even on the large scale maps. The surveyors usually appealed to 

 the landlords, who were profoundly indifferent as to the recording of the names, 

 though the latter often have cleared up great difficulties in questions of title, 

 I may give four here — " Eeisk-na-raba," the marshy '•' Calf Park " south of 

 the lake of Oreggankeale, " Garreengae " (" little breezy garden ") to the east 

 of Maryfort House ; " Caelvagh," a craggy field to the east of its front gate 

 between the roads and the " Eoughans " adjoining Garruragh along the 

 Tulla road. In Maryfort, whose western bound has not altered since the 

 "1688" Trustee maps were made, we find the MacNamaras' Castle of 

 Lismeehan. The name Lis Miodhachain is in the " 1380 " rental of the 

 Mac ISTamaras, meaning the fort of the Meehans, who still live on the 

 adjoining townland of Fortanne, and figure, with the Molonys, in the wars 

 of 1313 in the "Cathreim Thoirdhealbhaigh." The castle stood on an earlier 

 earthwork. Very slight traces remain of an outer ring, li feet to 18 feet 

 wide, and in parts 4 feet over the marsh, with an apparent " annexe," 

 63 feet across to the north-west. The inner mound is 108 feet across north 

 and south, and 11 feet to 12 feet high. It is covered with debris; and two 

 great masses of the angle of the peel- tower of strong grouted masonry, 6 feet 

 thick, lie on its slope, fallen but rocklike. The mound is about 260 feet 

 round the base. The tower was built about 1420 to 1440 by Mahon or Euadri 

 MacNamara, the first being best attested,^ South of the castle on the low 

 plateau of Lismeehan were two earthworks. The northern, on a commanding 

 bastion of the ridge, is 100 feet across and 3 feet or 4 feet high, with no 



1 Two to each face of Knockadoon, Tulla, and Cloghaun to the north ; Cutteen and Lismoyle to 

 the west ; Abbeyhill and LisdufF to the south ; the terraced fort in Kilbuggoon and Ballygastell to 

 the east. Cragg and Lahardaun Hills being at present without forts. Several forts, such as 

 Scovagh and Clonlonghaun lisses and the half-levelled Liskenny, Liscullaun, and Lahardaun, belong 

 to the group. 



2 The Castle Founders' list has only reached us in corrupt copies. Mr. Standish Hayes O'Grady 

 collates two in the Catalogue of Irish Manuscripts in the British Museum. There are two others 

 used by me from the mss. of this Academy, Only one gives Euadri as founder of Lismeehan. 



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