Part 5 Survival | West Offaly History

PART 1: LUMCLOON OF THE FLATTERYS

PART 1: LUMCLOON OF THE FLATTERYS
This map of Lumcloon townland based on the 1838 six-inch Ordnance Survey map shows the roads from Cloghan to Tullamore and Ferbane to Kilcormac. This map also depicts Millbrook Flour Mills which was part of the Birr Castle estate. Dennis Cassin who was miller here was a leading member of the United Irishmen along with Daniel Flattery of Cloghan. Both were in Dublin at the time of Robert Emmet’s rebellion in 1803 and were imprisoned in for a period.

Millbrook House is also shown which was the home of Canon Joseph Guinan (1863-1932) author of The Soggarth Aroon, The Island Parish, and other works.

1. WHERE IS LUMCLOON?

In response to the question, ‘Where is Lumcloon?’ most people recall it as the location of the former Ferbane E.S.B. power station on the road from Cloghan to Tullamore. The ordnance map of 1838 shows Lumcloon as a very large townland consisting of 2,248 acres, immediately west of Lough Boora and about three miles east of Cloghan. This Lumcloon is attested or accepted by placename scholars to be ‘Lomcloynegananagh’ (Lumcloon of the Canons) in the parish of Gallen.

However there is another Lumcloon, Lomcluna na Flaitire, which is located much closer to Banagher and which has a rich and colourful history.

MANUSCRIPT NAMING TWO LUMCLOONS

Below is an extract from the manuscripts of Mathew De Rensi (1577-34). It gives a rare insight into the actual and potential tithes due from individual townlands to the Abbey of Gallen four hundred years ago. The image clearly shows Lomcluaynaflatrie (Lomcluna na Flaitíre) and Lomcluaynnachanonogh (Lumcloon of the Canons) as two separate places which are valued differently and were therefore distinct and individual. Other local places such as Clonony, Knock, (Coraknock), Magheryvanne (Maherabane near Cloghan) and Ffoher (Wheery) are also discernible. A transcription of this image is given in the table below.

The tithe of Clonona	£4 sometimes £5
The tithe of Knock	£14 sometimes £16
Lomcluaynflatrie	£10 sometimes £14
Lomcluayn na chanonogh	£3 sometimes £4 or £5
Magheryvanne	£14 sometimes £16
Fuhier	£14 sometimes £16

One half of the tithes only belonging to the Abbey of Gallen the other half to the Parson.

LUMCLUAYNNAGANANOGH (LUMCLOON OF THE CANONS)

This second image from the same manuscript shows Lomcluaynnagananogh again with an increased valuation of £8 which could in time be worth £10. This undoubtedly refers to the Augustinian Canons Regular who had an abbey at Gallen from the twelfth to the seventeenth century. The exact significance of the placename Lomcluaynnagananogh as it appears twice in this document and also in the Down Survey is not fully understood.

This manuscript is a very rare ecclesiastical document in that it lists many local townlands in their parochial context giving their approximate value with regard to church dues before and after the 1620s and their potential value afterwards.

2. LOMCLUNA NA FLAITIRE

The recurrence in historic sources of an entity called ‘Lomcluna na Flatíre’ or Lumcloon of the Flatterys confirms the existence at one time of an entirely different Lumcloon which is now faded from history. The placename ‘Lomcluna na Flatíre’ was in regular use from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. Study of these sources identify it as an extensive area of fertile upland extending over several townlands from the outskirts of Banagher to Cloghan Hill. It is reasonable to conclude that this was the ancient territory of the Flattery clan.

When listing the historic clans of County Offaly, the O’Connors, the O’Molloys, the O’Carrolls, the MacCoghlans, the O’Dempseys and the Foxes are rarely omitted. The O’Dunnes and O’Maddens from neighbouring counties may well be mentioned but reference is rarely made to the Flatterys. However some genealogical sources for the eight century indicate that the MacCoghlans derive their name and descent from Coghlan, son of Flatíle (Flattery), of the race of Cormac Cas. References in the annals in the eleventh and twelfth centuries describe some Flatterys as Lords and Princes of Delvin Eathra, which was to become the tuath or territory of the MacCoghlans.

The map opposite covers a large part of Offaly from Rathain (Rahan) in the north to Biorra (Birr) in the south and Áth Buídhe (Ballyboy) in the east to Beannchor (Banagher) in the west. It is from the Ordnance Survey letters in the Royal Irish Academy. In January of 1838 O’Donovan and his Ordnance Survey colleague Thomas O’Connor were based in Banagher. One of the main tasks undertaken then by O’Donovan was defining the extent of the ancient territories of Delvin Eathra and Fercall tuaths of the MacCoghlan and O’Molloy clans. O’Donovan declared in his letter to Thomas Larcom director of the Ordnance Survey of 20 January 1838 regarding this undertaking ‘It has cost me much thought and research and more time than anyone could imagine from the quantity of work produced, for I sat up till 3 o’Clock for three nights in succession.’ This scholarly map was the product of his zealous endeavours. In the centre of the map the placenames Mainistir na Gaillínne (Gallen)and Lomcluain Ui Flaithile are shown just south of the River Brosna. This is the first instance that Lomcluain Ui Flaithile is placed on a map. This gave a misleading impression that Lomcluain Ui Flaithile was specific to a small area while in fact it covered a more extensive area between Banagher and Cloghan.