BIRDHILL - (Knockaneen / Cnocán-an-éin-fínn )

Legend 1:

There was once a great dark bird which terrorised the lands near Lough Derg. Its wings were so large it blocked out the sun and plunged the area into darkness. It was so ferocious it defeated Bran, the hound of Oisín.

Oisín provided Bran with a brass ball which Bran managed to stuff down the birds throat thus killing it. This all happened at a place called Moon-a-Lu (the Bog of the Black Bird) where the Birdhill Railway Station is now. 

 

Coosane Standing Stone (An Cuasán)(Coosáne)

Knockannaneen Castle

Two vista's of Knockannaneen Castle. Sketches by Thomas Dingley (also mispelt as Dineley)

Originally the castle was owned by the local Mac I Briens of Arra. It was bequeathed by Torlogh Mac I Brien Arra to Turlough Carrach along with Beal Atha (Ballina) and was one of the principal O'Brien strongholds.

Under the Act of Settlement, Connor O'Brien forfeited the site to Lieutenant William Sheldon after 1641. Today nothing remains of this Tower House except these sketches made by Dineley during his travels around Ireland. It is thought the original site was behind the stables of the Twiss mansion at Birdhill House. 

Another Thomas Dingley sketch. This time he records the Castle of Crag Owney, a few miles outside of Birdhill. Interesting he makes note of "a brook of ye best of Trout"

The Tower house was originally a O'Mulryan stronghold but was seized from Conor O'Mulryan in 1611. Cragg House would later be part of the Going family properties.

Legend :2

According to Tessie Bourke of Creggagh in Duchas.ie there was a great treasure buried by Cromwell in Goings Castle in Cragg. Some of the older inhabitants of birdhill had a dream of where it was exactly buried. They got together and went one night with their tools to find the treasure. All was going well until they hit a flagstone. Almost immediately a fully armed horseman appeared accompanied by a large dog who ran around them. This conjured up a great wind which blew off their hats and scattered the men to the four corners of Birdhill. It's not known what happened to the men after that but it's thought the treasure lay untouched and is there to this day.

 

Thornhill House

A woodcut of Knockananneen Castle based on Dingley's drawing and used in an RSAI article by Henry Berry of 1904

Milestone indicating 11 miles to Nenagh & 8 miles to Limerick - (1780)

Cragg House would later be part of the many Going family properties.

The Twiss Family House - Built 1862 by george Twiss - burned 1921

St Comenaths Bed, Birdhill by Thomas Johnson Westropp (18/08/1902)

St Comenaths Church, Kilcomenty from Westropps sketchbook (18/08/1902)

St Comenaths Well and bed from photo's taken in 1902.

Westropp notes that the well water was non-existant due to the hot Summer. The pattern day is disputed with some stating 18th of March and others insisting on the 12th. St Comanath is presumed to be a female saint because the name ends in the diminitive 'net' which is normally attributed to a female in Irish. However she doesn't feature in any of the lists of saints.

The Rounds:

The 'rounds' of the well involves the pilgrim removing 7 pebbles from the water and walking around the well saying The Lords prayer. Hail Mary, Creed and Gloria. When each set of four prayers is finished a pebble is returned to the well. This continues until all 7 pebbles have completed the 'rounds'.

Legend 3:

Once there was a gentleman who lived in the district and who did not believe in the well. He had a horse that lost his sight and he told the groom to take the horse to the well where everyone was getting cured. The boy did so and the horse came home cured but the gentleman was blind instead.

 

Kilcomenty was usually served by the same priest who served the district of Ballinahinch, and in 1704 during the Penal Laws the incumbent was Rev. Laurence Hickey of Rossfinch, as Parish Priest of Killoscully, Kilcomenty and Ballina. He was then 54 years of age. Towards the end of the century Rev John Beckett was Parish Priest of Ballinahinch and Birdhill.

Birdhill Creamery demolished in 1987

Steam Locomotive at Birdhill