Local History

Ballynacally is a picturesque village situated approx. 10miles south west of Ennis, on the coast road to Kilrush. It is the custom of the villagers, and the people of the surrounding areas to make an annual visit to a Blessed Well outside the village, which is dedicated to St. Martin, patron of Gaul in France. St. Martin’s Shrine and Holy Well can be reached by a path from the road in a matter of minutes. The clear spring well is overhung by a concrete alter, on top of which stands, in a niche, a beautiful statue if St. Martin. The well and shrine is located in just the sort of seclusion that had always in his lifetime an irresistible appeal for the Saint. The Shrine, hollowed in a rocky area on the brink of a gently flowing stream, is sheltered by stately cypress trees and flowering shrubs. On St. Martin’s Day 11^th November, every year, it is an inspiring sight to see the constant stream of pilgrims make their way to the shrine, some old, many in the full flush of youth, but all with a deep faith in the ability of the Saint to cure their ills.

They kneel on the concrete surface of the sanctuary and pray and light candles. Only the murmur of the waters and an occasional gust of wind through the trees disturbs the silence. Before leaving, they drink the refreshing waters from the well, and in a little pool nearby into which there is a constant flow of water from the well, they bathe their eyes. It is widely believed that blindness, rheumatism and many minor ailments can be cured here, and at all times throughout the year people suffering from various complaints make novenas here in supplication to the Saint.

St. Martin was born in Italy in 316, reared in Milan and came to Gaul as a soldier. At the age of eighteen, he was baptised and having become a disciple of St. Hilary, he founded a monastery in Liguage, near Poitiers. Many years later, he was made Bishop of Tours, near which he founded the famous Abbey of Marmontiers or Martin’s Monastery. His fame was first brought to Ireland by his friend, St. Ninian, who knew and loved St. Martinand who founded a monastery like those in France at Whitburn , in Scotland in 397. The Monastery of Candida Casa had much to do with the spread of monasticism to Ireland. St. Martin lived ‘till he was nearly eighty years old. His death occurred in Candes, near Tours, on November 8^th 397. His tomb is famous through many miracles and attracts large numbers of visitors.

50^thAnniversary of the Blessing of Ballynacally Shrine – Sept.1958

2008 marks the 50^th Anniversary of the Shrine in Ballynacally. Mass was celebrated in the GAA pitch, Ballynacally, in view of the Shrine, on Fri.May 2^nd to celebrate its building fifty years ago.

The Shrine was built by voluntary labour and has been maintained on a voluntary basis since then.

On Sept.27^th 1958, Bishop Rodgers blessed the Shrine after a votive Mass Ballycorick Church. This Mass was celebrated by Rev. R. Carey, C.C. Present also were Canon Hogan, P.P. Clarecastle, Rev. T. Daly. P.P. Kildysart, Rev. Pat O’Donoghue, P.P. Clondegad, Rev. J. O’Leary, C.C. Clondegad and Rev. D. Kelly, C.C. Ennis. School children from the seven schools in the parish sang at the Mass. After the Mass, parishioners walked in procession to the Shrine. At the blessing, Dr. Rogers said ‘When we of this generation have passed away, this beautiful Shrine that you yourselves have built, will stand as a memorial to your love and affection for Our Lady of Lourdes.’

Let us pray for and be grateful to all of those who were involved in the building maintaining of our Shrine over the last fifty years.

The History of Ballycorick Church

Ballycorick Church, which is at present undergoing a major renovation, was according to Monsignor Ignatius Murphy’s ‘The Diocese of Killaloe’ dedicated on February 17^th 1861 by Bishop Flannery of Killaloe. It was built on a site given by Thomas Rice Henn (Barrister at law) of Paradise, together with the sum of £50.The story goes that there was rivalry between the Henns of Paradise and the Balls of Fortfergus and that Mr. Henn gave a site overlooking the Ball estate.

The Church is built of cut stone and is now a listed building. There is a beautiful stained glass window at the rear of the main altar. At the time of it’s dedication, Fr. Dinan was Parish Priest and according to Monsignor Murphy he “was after building within a very short period two elegant churches in his extensive parish”.

According to the local newspaper of the time – The Clare Journal “The reverend gentleman has, although labouring under the greatest disadvantages from the remoteness of the locality from any place where the necessary materials for so great a work could be procured and the want of adequate means, has succeeded by indomitable perseverance in erecting a suitable temple for the Lord in this small and rather poor parish”.

The paper goes on to tell us that Fr. Dinan laboured at his task for three years and that now (1861) the people of Ballynacally have a handsome and imposing edifice instead of a few wretched cabins knocked together.

Thirty years ago, in 1970 there was much work carried out . The gallery at the back of the church was removed and the Baptistery was taken from the back of the church and placed at the side of the main altar. The bell was taken down from the spirit and a new belfry was built in the church grounds. Central heating was installed at this time and new seats were put in the long aisle.

Lissycasey (half of the Clondegad – Kilchrist Parish) Straddles the Ennis –Kilrush road for 2.2 Miles. The Area stretches East-West from Caherea to Crown and North-South from Frure North to Cloncolman.

The name Lissycasey comes from “Lios Ui Chathasaigh” (Fort of the Casey’s) The “Priomh” Lios is believed to be south of Tom O Rourke’s House and east of McSweeneys. This Lios is surrounded by six Sub Forts in a Celtic (Pre Christian) layout.

In recent times, the village has expanded considerably, particularly along the northern side, along the Kilrush road. Many new people have come to live in the area and several changes have taken place. An Ecology Park covers an area of thirty acres and takes in wildlife and endangered species of plants. Turf cutting, which was once a popular activity on Lissycasey bog, is now in decline. The present Lissycasey National School building opened in 1961, replacing the old building, which was situated, where Lissycasey parish hall now stands. Lissycasey’s modern church was dedicated in 1978. It was built on the site of a church which first opened in 1860.

In medieval times this area was part of the territory of East Corcabaiscinn. Around 1488 Corcabaiscinn was divided into two parts, east and west. A branch of the MacMahon family ruled in each of the new divisions. Clonderlaw Castle was the seat of the chief of the eastern portion and the boundary of his country appears to have been coterminous with that which divided the barony of Clonderlaw from that of Moyarta.

This blessed well is situated in the townland of Frure on the lands of Johnie & Anne Kelly. Nearby is a children’s graveyard, which was used as a burial Ground up to 40 years ago.

Local Historians would claim that the well which was discovered, by Margaret Carrig from Frure West, By Michael Kelly Coolbawn and some others who had dreams about the place that led them to the spot near the river. They discovered the spring water and people began to come & pray. A local man Jim Glynn from Frure Upper was known to have his sight restored and he returned every Sunday to recite the Rosary at the well.

The Owenslieve River (River of the Mountain) Is the main drainage for the Eastern Area and is reputed to have many unexplored potholes.

Caherea. (Cathair Aodha) The fortress of Hugh divided into two divisions Caherea East and Caherea West

Coolderror Bridge is situated south of Kearney’s public House on the Road to Ballycorick. The River is the “Cul Daire “

Lissycasey is part of the united parishes of Kilcreest and Clondegad. The churches at those localities were destroyed, tradition tells us, by Cromwell. The parish later was served by churches at Mount and Lanna and other Mass centres mentioned are Lavalla and Gurtygeheen.

In 1860, Fr. Michael Dinan, P.P. built new churches at Lissycasey and Ballycorick and that church at Lissycasey served the area until October1977, when it was demolished to make room for the new church. The architects of this new church were Catherine Dowling and John Quinn.

This new church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Wayside. The old church was demolished after efforts to retain it in modified form proved to be impractical.

The design solution for the new church, which seats five hundred people, was inspired by the need to meet the changes in Liturgical Celebration arising from the second Vatican Council documents, ‘Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy’ and ‘Church in the Modern World’, and provides a series of related spaces covered by a single roof symbolising the oneness of the people of God united in the Liturgy of the Eucharist

The particular form of the building is inspired by 4,000-year-old portal dolmens found extensively in Co. Clare.

In 2005 an addition of a Pastoral Centre was added. This was also designed by John Quinn and is an excellent resource, being a centre for meetings, hospitality get-togethers at parish events – first Holy Communion, Confirmation etc., a venue for courses throughout the year and much more.

We have many placenames around Ballynacally with the word “lios” in them which means ‘fort’. It is clear that the area around Ballynacally was inhabited from the earliest times.

We have forts in Lisduff and Lisheen, Lismorris and Lissycasey.

A lios is circular in shape. It is surrounded by a bank or ditch. If earth was used in the making of a ditch the fort was called a “Rath” or a “Lios”. If stone was used it was called a “Dun” or a “Cathair”.

Fort – Fergus got its name from a fort convenient to the river Fergus. In older times it was called “Liscronin”.

is supposed to be hidden in a hole in the fort, is guarded by the Pooka or fairy horse.

The leap of the deer is the name of a townland on the Lissycasey – Kildysart road. In olden times the deer were very plentiful. One evening some dogs chased a deer and he took a most wonderful leap across a very wide glen and that is how the place got its name.

Burren – A Rocky Area.

Tonelegee – Tón le ghaoth - Back to the Wind. A prominent hill in this place

Ballyinagarde – Beal átha na garha –Ford mouth or ford of the rocks.

Cappanageerah- Ceapach na gcaorach – The sheeps pasture.

Lavalla – Leath bhaile – half townland.

Crag brien – Creag an bhrian – The family of Ó Brien.

Ardnagla – The mound of stones.

Ballycorick – Béal átha chomhraic – Mouth of the ford of the confluence.

Dangan Castle -

The name comes from the word daingean, which means ‘firm’ so called because of the strong fortfield castle of the McMahon family.

It is really a tower house and it is one of more than two hundred castles built in Clare during the Norman period.

There is a legend attached to the castle. The chief McMAHON and his wife did not get on. She planned to leave her husband and elope with another man. She left on the horse’s back with him. She strapped herself to him because they were travelling at high speed. A short distance from the castle a forked branch swaying in the wind caught the woman’s head and dragged it from her body. The man did not know this and continued on his journey. After a few miles he turned around and saw the terrible sight. He cut the headless body from its strapping. The place where this happened was called Sruthán Fiáin. From our questionnaire we found out there is a stream crossing a field in Lisheen called Sruthán Fiáin.

“Crocadh Pedlar” A few hundred years from the cross a pedlar was hung from a tree.