IN this final article on Mayo townland names containing the word ‘field’, we visit the baronies of Tirawley, Gallen and Costello.
At the northern end of Tirawley lies Heathfield, or, possibly, Gort an Tuair, ‘Field of the Pasture or Bleach-Green’. Between Killala and the Céide Fields, close to Ballycastle, this townland once contained Heathfield Cottage (later House), the home of a Mr O’Bourke. The building stand today, but is now disused.
The Tirawley townlands of Fairfield Lower (An Cnocán Bán Íochtarach, ‘The (?)Grassy Hillock, Lower’) and Fairfield Upper (An Cnocán Bán Uachtarach, ‘The (?)Grassy Hillock, upper’) are located 4-6km north of Crossmolina, off the R315 road to Ballycastle. Fairfield Upper is south of Fairfield Lower, and the latter has 490 acres, while the former has 283 acres.
In 1838, the Ordnance Survey Namebooks recorded the following about Fairfield Lower: “502 acres, two roods, 39 perches, including about 140 acres of bog. [Situated] in the south west of the parish (of Kilfian, Cill Aodháin, meaning ‘St Aodhán’s Church’). Bounded on the north by Rathglass and Treanagh, on the east by Woodeville, on the south by Rathnamagh and Fairfield Upper, and on the west by the parishes of Moygownagh and Crossmolina. Belongs to John Knox Esq. [...] Soil [is] a light, gravelly clay.
“[…] There are 42 families living here. […] the inhabitants are seemingly very poor. There are three small villages in the townland, one in the north called Cloonmean, the other two in the south called Cruckanbawn and Ballyphullwaty.”
Fiachra Mac Gabhann, author of ‘Logainmneacha Mhaigh Eo’ (2014), added: “A group of houses called Knockanbaun is shown in the south-west on the first edition of the six-inch map, and is located just north-east of a hill 40 meters high. The Ballypollwatty house groups are shown in the south center and Cloonmeen in the north center, respectively. A fort called Cloonmeen Fort appears in the north-east.”
Fairfield Upper has a very similar description in the 1838 OS Namebooks: “280 acres, two roods, 34 perches, including about 130 acres of bog. [Situated] in the south west of the parish. Bounded on the north by Fairfield Lower, on the south by Fortland, and on the west by Crossmolina parish. […] Proprietor, John Knox Esq. who resides in Dublin. […]
“Soil [is] a light, gravelly clay [...] The inhabitants are apparently very poor. In the north of the townland is a group of houses called Ballyturree. [...] No antiquities.”
Old buildings are not mentioned in this section in the OS Namebooks or Monuments records. Ballyturree is shown as situated close to the northern boundary with Fairfield Lower on the first edition of the six-inch map.
Tiny townlands and Mayo’s ‘far east’
IN the barony of Gallen, Longfield (An Cnoc Fada, literally ‘The Long Hill’) is a tiny townland of 154.5 acres situated between the railway line and the road that connects Ballyvary to Foxford (N58).
Quoting his authoritative informant, James Walsh of Knocknacullia, the Ordnance Surveyor in 1838, recorded that the proprietor was ‘Sir William H Palmer, Baronet’.
He added: “A Mrs Kelly of Longfield House holds a large portion of this townland, and the remainder is let to four occupying tenants at will. Soil, sandy. Bog, plenty. Prevailing name, Kelly. Part of Lough Cat is on the north east boundary and part of Mullan’s Lough is on the west boundary. [There are] two forts in this townland.”
Finally, we arrive in Costello barony, in Mayo’s ‘far east’. This barony extends into Co Roscommon. Costello contains seven civil parishes, namely Aghamore, Annagh, Bekan, Kilbeagh, Kilmovee, Kilturra and Knock. It also includes the historic town of Ballyhaunis (Béal Átha hAmhnais, ‘Mouth of the Rough Ford’) first mentioned in the Glenmasan manuscript, composed around 1510.
Cherryfield, in Bekan parish, has been translated to Gort na Silíní by scholar Nollaig Ó Muraíle, and has been recorded as Cherryfield since 1794. It is now part of the east side of Ballyhaunis, extending from the area around the railway station northwards to a bend in the Dalgan River.
Churchfield (Páirc an Teampaill) started out as Keame (An Chéim, ‘The Pass’) in 1635, and became Churchfield in 1830. It is a part of Knock and extends southwest from the village.
Hagfield, aka Treanacally (Trian na Caillí, ‘The Hag’s Third’) is in a ‘corner’ of the N17 and the Charlestown bypass, north of Knock airport.
Woodfield (Cluain Mhic Coiligh, ‘Mac Coiligh’s Meadow’) is located southwest of Kilkelly.
Over these last four articles, we have dug into a great number of Mayo’s fields – 27 townland names with the root word ‘field’: Annefield, Bellfield, Birchfield, Bloomfield, Buckfield, Bushfield, Cherryfield, Churchfield, Coarsefield, Cornfield, Facefield, Fairfield, Forkfield (or Gowel), Greenfield, Greyfield (Clylea), Hagfield, Harefield, Heathfield, Longfield, Mayfield, Midgefield, Musicfield, Newfield, Nymphsfield, Rockfield, Springfield, and Woodfield.
That’s a lot of digging!
Next week, we’ll leave the fields behind and move on to the many townlands of Mayo containing the word ‘Mace’.
Dr John O’Callaghan is a mountain walk leader who has organised and led expeditions both at home and abroad. He has served on the board of Mountaineering Ireland and is currently on the Irish Uplands Forum board.
TOWNLAND TALES: A final look at the ‘field’ placenames of Mayo
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1
16.02.2024
IN this final article on Mayo townland names containing the word ‘field’, we visit the baronies of Tirawley, Gallen and Costello.
At the northern end of Tirawley lies Heathfield, or, possibly, Gort an Tuair, ‘Field of the Pasture or Bleach-Green’. Between Killala and the Céide Fields, close to Ballycastle, this townland once contained Heathfield Cottage (later House), the home of a Mr O’Bourke. The building stand today, but is now disused.
The Tirawley townlands of Fairfield Lower (An Cnocán Bán Íochtarach, ‘The (?)Grassy Hillock, Lower’) and Fairfield Upper (An Cnocán Bán Uachtarach, ‘The (?)Grassy Hillock, upper’) are located 4-6km north of Crossmolina, off the R315 road to Ballycastle. Fairfield Upper is south of Fairfield Lower, and the latter has 490 acres, while the former has 283 acres.
In 1838, the Ordnance Survey Namebooks recorded the following about Fairfield Lower: “502 acres, two roods, 39 perches, including about 140 acres of bog. [Situated] in the south west of the parish (of Kilfian, Cill Aodháin, meaning ‘St Aodhán’s Church’). Bounded on the north by Rathglass and Treanagh, on the east by Woodeville, on the south by Rathnamagh and Fairfield Upper, and on the west by the parishes of Moygownagh and Crossmolina. Belongs to John Knox Esq. [...] Soil [is] a........
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