ireland
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Tullyhugh: The Lost Castle of the O’Hara Lordship of Leyny
Introduction Tullyhugh (Irish: Tulaigh Aodha, “hill of Aodh”) is a townland in the parish of Achonry-Mullinabreena, barony of Leyny (Luighne), County Sligo. Although no visible remains of its castle survive today, documentary and archaeological evidence demonstrates that a substantial stone-built fortified residence formerly stood there. Traditionally associated with the O’Hara (Ó hEaghra) lords of Leyny,… Continue reading
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The Battle of Cunghill, 1087: Ua Conchobair, Ua Ruairc and the Struggle for Connacht
The Battle of Cunghill, 1087 In 1087, a battle was fought at Cunghill between Ruaidrí Ua Conchobair, king of Connacht, and Áed son of Art Ua Ruairc. Ruaidrí was victorious. Áed was killed together with several prominent figures of the Conmaicne. The battle appears in several Irish annals. The Annals of Ulster record an encounter… Continue reading
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Cill Easbuig: The Forgotten Church of Carniara
Introduction In the townland of Carniara, within the parish of Achonry-Mullinabreena, survives a substantial early ecclesiastical site. No standing church remains, but a large oval enclosure is still clearly visible on the ground. Within it, archaeological survey has recorded the possible site of a church and graveyard. Historian Paul MacCotter identifies this site with Cill… Continue reading
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A Swift Advance: Mullinabreena and the French in 1798
The French Advance into South Sligo On 22 August 1798, a French force of just over 1,000 men under General Jean Joseph Amable Humbert landed at Killala in County Mayo in support of the Irish rebellion. Within days they had taken Ballina and, on 27 August, defeated a much larger Crown force at Castlebar in… Continue reading
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The Folklore of Caves and Tunnels in Achonry-Mullinabreena
Stories of caves and underground tunnels occur throughout Irish folklore, and a number of these traditions also survive in Achonry-Mullinabreena. Passages were said to run beneath the countryside from one fort to another, between neighbouring townlands and, in several stories, towards Knocknashee. Some were believed to stretch for a mile or more. Behind many of… Continue reading
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The Neolithic Passage Tombs of Knocknashee
Introduction At the northern end of the broad summit of Knocknashee stand two large cairns, approximately 120 metres apart. Dating to the Neolithic period, probably within the fourth millennium BC, they form part of the remarkable passage-tomb tradition of County Sligo and are among the earliest surviving monuments on a hill that would remain a… Continue reading
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The Court Tombs of Cloonaraher and Cloondrihara
Among the oldest monuments in the Achonry-Mullinabreena Introduction Beneath the slopes of Knocknashee, and little more than a mile apart, lie two of the oldest surviving monuments in the Achonry–Mullinabreena landscape. The court tombs at Cloonaraher and Cloondrihara date to the Early Neolithic period, probably between 3700 and 3500 BC, and were constructed by some… Continue reading
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The Achonry Boulder Burial and Prehistoric Barrow Landscape
Long before the medieval monastery and bishopric gave Achonry its later historical importance, the surrounding landscape already preserved evidence of prehistoric settlement, burial, and ritual activity. Across the low ridges and pastureland surrounding Achonry survives a notable concentration of ancient monuments dating to the later Neolithic and Bronze Age periods, including ring-barrows, burial mounds, enclosures,… Continue reading
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The Wedge Tombs of Carrowneden and Carrowmurray
Chronologically, the wedge tombs of Carrownedan and Carrowmurray occupy an important transitional position within the prehistoric landscape of south Sligo. Situated less than 2 km apart as the crow flies, they suggest that the wider area formed an important focus of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age activity. They do not belong to the earliest… Continue reading