Easkey Historical Society Edition

Transcription

HERITAGE CONNECTS COMMUNITIES
Peace III project 50785
Heritage Sites of Historical and Political significance
along Sligo’s Coastline
Report and executive summaries
Easkey Historical Society Edition
Historical Research by
Sam Moore and Auriel Robinson
July 2014
This project has been funded by the PEACE III Programme through the European Union’s European
Regional Development Fund managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Sligo County Council
on behalf of Sligo Peace & Reconciliation Partnership Committee
HERITAGE CONNECTS COMMUNITIES: Peace III Project no 50785
Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors, Sam Moore and Auriel Robinson, wish to thank the project steering group of
Sligo Peace and Reconciliation Partnership Committee; Janie Crone, Sharon Eastwood, and
Siobhan Ryan for their encouragement and support. We also wish to thank the heritage
groups we worked with: Easkey Historical Society, Grange and Armada Development
Association, Mullaghmore & Cliffoney Historical Society and North Mayo & West Sligo
Heritage Group, for their input, information and enthusiasm.
Auriel Robinson would especially like to thank John McKeon, Joe McGowan, Aideen
Connolly and Leo Leyden for their information on sites.
Sam Moore wishes to express his gratitude for the help he received from Paddy Tuffy and
Jim Henry of the North Mayo & West Sligo Heritage Group and from Carmel Gordon of the
Easkey Historical Society. Thanks are also due to Sergeant Kelly of the Irish Military
Archives and Dennis Burke who is webmaster of www.csn.ul.ie, which deals with Foreign
Aircraft Landings in Ireland 1939-1945.
Contents
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1
COPYRIGHT PLEASE NOTE ....................................................................................................................... 1
EASKEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY .................................................................................................................. 2
THE LOST CASTLE OF DONAGHINTRAINE, CO. SLIGO – SUMMARY. ................................................... 3
ROSSLEE CASTLE, EASKEY, CO. SLIGO: SUMMARY .............................................................................. 8
Rosslee Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo ..................................................................................................... 9
History of Rathlee ........................................................................................................................... 9
The O’Dowds and castle building .................................................................................................. 10
Description of the castle ............................................................................................................... 10
The fish story at Roslee ................................................................................................................. 11
CASTLETOWN CASTLE, EASKEY, CO. SLIGO AND THE DEATH OF THE CELEBRATED ANTIQUARIAN
DUBHALTACH MAC FIRBIS IN 1671 - SUMMARY. ............................................................................ 14
Castletown Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo and the death of the celebrated antiquarian Dubhaltach
Mac Firbis in 1671. ........................................................................................................................ 15
Castletown Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo ............................................................................................. 15
The murder of Dubhaltach Óg Mac Firbis, .................................................................................... 16
THE NAPOLEONIC SIGNAL TOWERS OF RATHLEE AND CARROWMABLY: SUMMARY ...................... 19
The Napoleonic Signal Towers of Rathlee and Carrowmably ....................................................... 20
Background to why Napoleonic Towers were built ...................................................................... 20
The Signal Towers. ........................................................................................................................ 20
The Signal Crews and the Signal Masts ......................................................................................... 21
Rathlee and Carrowmably ............................................................................................................ 21
THE IRISH COAST WATCHING SERVICE AND THE LOOKOUT POSTS AT RATHLEE AND AUGHRIS,
COUNTY SLIGO: SUMMARY............................................................................................................... 25
The Irish Coast Watching Service and the Lookout Posts at Rathlee and Aughris, County Sligo. 26
The Lookout Posts and the men of the Coast Watching Service .................................................. 26
Aircraft and EIRE Signs .................................................................................................................. 27
Reports of planes, boats and bodies............................................................................................. 27
WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN THE EASKEY AREA - SUMMARY. .......................................... 31
World War II Aircraft Crashes in the Easkey Area......................................................................... 32
June 23 1940 ................................................................................................................................. 32
January 24 1941 ............................................................................................................................ 32
May 23 1942 ................................................................................................................................. 33
September 4, 1944 ........................................................................................................................ 34
INTRODUCTION
Heritage Connects Communities is a Peace III Project delivered by The Heritage Office of Sligo
County Council. The project was approved funding by the Sligo Peace & Reconciliation Partnership
Committee as it fulfils the strategic objectives of this committee. The research theme was the
Heritage Sites of Historical and Political significance along Sligo’s Coastline using key historical
sites to tell the story. The involvement of Easkey Historical Society, Grange and Armada
Development Association, Mullaghmore and Cliffoney Historical Society and North Mayo &
West Sligo Heritage Group was a key aspect of the research. Through meetings with these groups
the chosen heritage sites were selected for research; the aim being that communities should be
involved with, and benefit from, the research process. A lecture and presentation was given to each
heritage group once the research was complete.
A wide range of archaeological, historical, political, social and economic topics were covered in the
research; from inauguration sites of medieval Gaelic kings to World War II aircraft crashes. Key sites
and events were selected along Sligo’s coastline that allowed a narrative to be created within the
context of time and place in order to explore the historical and political significance of each site or
event. The diversity and fascinating content of each of the 21 topics researched over the course of the
project only scrapes the surface of the incredible wealth of cultural heritage along Sligo’s dramatic
coastline.
COPYRIGHT PLEASE NOTE
Images, other than those by Sam Moore and Auriel Robinson, contained within this report
may not be used for publication purposes of any kind without prior formal permissions from
the source. The information and images within this report have been compiled by
archaeologists, Auriel Robinson and Sam Moore. If used for publication purposes they should
be referenced to the authors. Copyright: Sligo County Council and the Sligo Peace and
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EASKEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
SITES AND THEMES (with associated summaries)
•
The Lost Castle of Donaghintraine, Co. Sligo
•
Rosslee Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo
•
Castletown Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo and the death of the celebrated antiquarian
Dubhaltach Mac Firbis in 1671
•
The Napoleonic Signal Towers of Rathlee and Carrowmably
•
The Irish Coast Watching Service and the Lookout Posts at Rathlee and Aughris,
County Sligo
•
World War II Aircraft Crashes in the Easkey Area.
2
THE LOST CASTLE OF DONAGHINTRAINE, CO. SLIGO – SUMMARY.
Local stories, and a considerable number of references in medieval Irish Annals, regularly
note the occurrence of a castle in the townland of Donaghintraine. The O’Dowd family
controlled Tireragh, or Tír Fiachrach, which stretched from the River Moy eastwards to
Beltra Strand, near Ballysadare but lost control of the area during the Anglo-Norman
conquest. The Annals of Loch Cé for 1249 refer to this area as ‘Mac Feorais’ country’. Mac
Feorais’ is a Gaelicisation of ‘the son of Piers’, namely Piers de Bermingham. One of the
most important Anglo-Norman lords in Ireland at that time was Hugh de Lacy, Lord of
Meath, who had granted the de Berminghams the Barony of Tireragh in 1235. The reference
for 1249 also refers to Geroitín Mac Feorais (‘Little’ Garret de Bermingham) who, following
a battle with the O’Conors and other Irish, wounded and captured Donogh, son of Magnus
O’Conor and imprisoned him at ‘Dun-Contreat’. This has been identified as the modern
townland of Donaghintraine and was also known as Dún Cinn Treatháin, or the ‘fort at the
head of the land’.
Donaghintraine is a promontory fort that lies on the Sligo coast just east of the Dunneill
River, and is 2km northwest of the village of Dromore West. A promontory fort is generally
fortified by one or more banks and fosses (ditches) usually dug across the narrowest point of
the headland and surrounded by the sea on three sides. Donaghintraine is elevated 4.5m
above sea level and is represented by a promontory fort, which points northwards into the
sea. The defended area is 65m north-south and has a maximum width of 18m, on the
landward side. The southern, landward, side of the fort is defined by a neck of land 11m wide
partly defended by a low earthen bank some 0.6m in height, The site is marked between
Easkey and Aughris as ‘Donaghtroghan’ on a 1609 map and is indicated as a castle. This is
the most likely location of ‘Dun-Contreat’ and represents the earliest known Anglo-Norman
castle in the territory of Tireragh. At Donaghintraine, the Anglo-Normans appear to have
encountered a pre-existing Irish owned fortification defended on three sides by sea cliffs, and
by a thin neck of land defended by an earthen rampart, which is now heavily degraded due to
coastal erosion. It lay immediately adjacent to a ‘crossroads’ of sea and land routes, and was
probably the main residence and administrative centre of the de Berminghams. It appears that
by 1333 Donaghintraine may have been abandoned, or its importance may have been
downgraded. As it was used by the de Berminghams to imprison ‘Donogh son of Magnus’ in
1249, this implies that there was at least one structure at the site. It might reasonably be
assumed that a small hall type castle and other ancillary buildings existed within the
enclosure of the castle. If these structures were of timber, they need not have left any trace on
the ground today. Much of the site now appears to have been eroded into the sea.
3
The Lost Castle of Donaghintraine, Co. Sligo
There are several ruined castles along the Sligo coastline, some of whose remains appear
scant or have vanished without any visible trace. Many of these castles were the foci of
Gaelic Irish or Anglo-Norman control, a hive of activity would have bustled around them and
they played an important role in our past. Local stories, and a considerable number of
references in medieval Irish Annals, regularly note the occurrence of a castle in the townland
of Donaghintraine. The Annals were compiled up to and shortly after the end ofGaelic
Ireland in the 17th century and record important dates and events. Donaghintraine lies on the
Sligo coast just east of the Dunneill River, and is 2km northwest of the village of Dromore
West in the parish of Templeboy and the barony of Tireragh in County Sligo. The O’Dowd
family controlled Tireragh, or Tír Fiachrach, which stretched from the Muaidhe to Trá
Eothaile, that is from the River Moy eastwards to Beltra Strand, near Ballysadare. The
Annals of Loch Cé for 1249 refer to this area as ‘Mac Feorais’ country’ and ‘Mac Feorais’ is
a Gaelicisation of ‘the son of Piers’, namely Piers de Bermingham who was one of several de
Berminghams that assisted the Anglo-Norman lord, Richard de Burgh in his attempt at the
conquest of Connacht and Ulster. One of the most important Anglo-Norman lords in Ireland
at that time was Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, who had granted the de Berminghams the
Barony of Tireragh in 1235. The same annalistic reference for 1249 also refers to Geroitín
Mac Feorais (‘Little’ Garret de Bermingham) who, following a battle with the O’Conors and
other Irish, wounded and captured Donogh, son of Magnus O’Conor and imprisoned him at
‘Dun-Contreat’. This has been identified as the modern townland of Donaghintraine and was
also known as ‘Dún Cinn Treatháin’, or the ‘fort at the head of the land’. Soon after the 1249
event, the Irish again attacked de Bermingham, who fell in the engagement, and Donogh
O'Conor was rescued but died of his wounds. Garret de Bermigham, who utilised
Donaghintraine in 1249, presumably represents the constable of an early castle built in the
new de Bermingham lordship.
So . . . where might this castle have been located? There are two possibilities and one of these
locations is somewhat similar to the Anglo-Norman castles at Castleconor on the Sligo-Mayo
boarder and the castle of Dookeeghan in Kilgalligan townland, Co Mayo; both of which
occupy earlier sites built on promontory forts. A coastal promontory fort is generally fortified
by one or more banks and fosses (ditches) usually dug across the narrowest point of the
headland and surrounded by the sea on three sides. There is one promontory fort in the
townland of Donaghintraine today located 0.5km northwest of where the Dunneil River
meets the sea, and there is a cliff-edged fort just west of the pier at Polladiva. The
promontory fort lies on a rocky headland known as ‘the Donagh’, with a rocky projection to
its east known as ‘Donaghintraine’, and another to the west called ‘Carrickpatrick’. It is also
marked between Easkey and Aughris as ‘Donaghtroghan’ on a 1609 map and indicated as a
castle. The site today is a long triangular projection of land that points northwards in a
manner befitting the place-name ‘fort at the head of the land’ and is the most likely location
of ‘Dun-Contreat’. This represents the earliest known Anglo-Norman castle in the territory of
Tireragh.
There is no reference to the site before the arrival of the Anglo-Normans, other than that in a
work by the Mac Firbhisigh, the scribal family of the O’Dowds. It is highly unlikely that an
English lord would have used the Gaelic term for fort (dún) to name his residence. Therefore,
as Mac Firbhisigh’s text suggests, Dún Cinn Treatháin was the Gaelic name given to the site
prior to the de Bermingham castle. At Donaghintraine, the Anglo-Normans appear to have
encountered a pre-existing Gaelic fortification defended on three sides by sea cliffs, and by a
thin neck of land defended by an earthen rampart which is now heavily degraded. It is one of
4
the strongest defensive sites in this coastal area. The nearest safe landing-place at
Donaghintraine would have been 400 metres to the west on a wide, rock-free strand. As with
Castleconor, the castle lay on the major routeway that passed along the coast of Tireragh.
Donaghintraine and was easily defensible, yet lay immediately adjacent to good pasture at a
‘crossroads’ of sea and land routes, and at the same time took over a known Gaelic fort, thus
stamping Anglo-Norman authority onto the site. This site was probably the main residence
and administrative centre of the de Berminghams who owned a parcel of land, or a manor,
called ‘Tyromoy’, possibly represented by the combined parishes of Templeboy and
Kilmacshalgan. After the amalgamation of ‘Tyromoy’ with another manor (called Cúil
Cnamha) in 1333, Donaghintraine may have been abandoned, or its importance may have
been downgraded.
The present remains lack evidence for any features other than the defences of the promontory
fort and may represent an interesting site type; namely an Anglo-Norman castle built within a
Gaelic Irish lordly residence, which does not appear to have been inhabited after its
abandonment by the Normans. It must be considered however, the erosion of this coastal site
must have been considerable since the fourteenth century and various surveys of the site since
the 1990s indicate that parts the site have disappeared. Therefore, it must be presumed that
sizeable proportions of the promontory have eroded into the sea. Its defensive nature; being
surrounded by cliffs and rocky shorelines, would mean that attackers would have had to
move at a very slow pace, or crawl across the rocks on its seaward side or scaled the banks
and fosses on its landward side. Allied to the favourable geographical location of the site, the
promontory fort at Donaghintraine provided a significant defensive advantage on its
occupants, while minimising the need for a fully enclosed site. As it was used by the de
Berminghams to imprison ‘Donogh son of Magnus’ in 1249, this implies that there was at
least one structure on the site. It might reasonably be assumed that a small hall type castle and
other ancillary buildings existed within the enclosure of the fortification. If these structures
were of timber, they need not have left any trace on the ground today, a situation clearly
illustrated by the paucity of structural evidence at Donaghintraine. The faint and partial
remains of rectangular depression identified close to the tip of the promontory probably
represents the remains of a building of some kind, although its function and date are
unknown. It is, however, too small to have been a hall belonging to a castle.
Donaghintraine is elevated 4.5m above sea level and is at the same elevation as the
surrounding countryside. The site had extensive views to sea and inland as far as the Ox
Mountains, 7 km to the south. It is very exposed to the ocean however, and the interior is
sprayed by waves even in low seas. Donaghintraine castle is represented by a cliff-edge
promontory fort of approximately triangular plan which points northwards into the sea,
defined by a steep cliff on the east and north and by a less steep slope and rock face on the
west (3.2m high). The defended area is 65m north-south and has a maximum width of 18m,
on the landward side. The southern, landward, side of the fort is defined by a neck of land
11m wide. The neck of the promontory appears to have been eroded since the medieval
period, although the extent of this erosion is unclear. Presently the neck is partly defended by
a low earthen bank some 0.6m in height, oriented east-west and running 4.4m from the
western cliff-edge. The remainder of the neck is undefended, but survey prior to 1999
revealed a low bank at its eastern edge. This now appears to have been eroded into the sea.
where an exposed section in the cliff face immediately outside the earthen bank was surveyed
and suggested the existence of a in-filled ditch. There are no other traces of defences on the
perimeter of the site. Even though little remains of this castle it is necessary to remember and
respect these sites which were far more important than we can ever imagine and are an
integral part of our cultural heritage.
5
Further reading
Casey, M. 1999 The coastal promontory forts of Ireland. A survey of counties Sligo, Mayo,
Galway and Clare.Unpublished M.A. thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.
Malcom, J. 2007 Castles and Landscape in Uí Fhiachradh Muaidhe c.1235-c.1400. In L.
Doran and J. Lyttleton (eds.) Lordship in Medieval Ireland: image and reality. Four
Courts Press, Dublin. 193-216.
Malcolm, J. 2004 Castles and English Lordship in Uí Fhiachrach Muaidhe,c.1235 – c.1400.
Unpublished MA thesis, National University of Ireland, Galway.
O’Donovan, J. 1854 The genealogies, tribes and customs of Hy-Fiachrach, commonly called
O’Dowd’s Country. Irish Archaeological Society, Dublin.
O’Donovan, P. 2011 SL012-011 promontory fort-coastal. Donaghintraine.
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/ accessed 18 June 2014.
Wood-Martin, W. G. 1889. History of Sligo. Vol II. Hodges and Figgis, Dublin.
Aerial view of Donaghintraine promontory fort (SL012-011) (Image: www.archaeology.ie)
Detail from 25” to 1 mile scale Ordnance Survey map of Donaghintraine promontory site (Image: www.osi.ie)
6
The narrow promontory neck at Donaghintraine from the northeast (Image after Malcolm (2004) pl. 24)
7
ROSSLEE CASTLE, EASKEY, CO. SLIGO: SUMMARY
Rosslee Castle is the remains of a type of castle known as a tower house built during the 15th
century. These were typically defended residences of wealthy Gaelic or Anglo-Norman
families and as many as 3,500 were built prior to the year 1600. It is strategically situated at
the east side of the estuary of the River Easkey, only 10m from the sea. Today, the three
storey high tower is the only element still standing at Rosslee, but a drawing dating to 1779
indicates that it had an adjoining hall, gateway and a bawn (a surrounding defensive wall).
The present entrance in the centre of the south wall is a modern insertion (it was formerly a
window opening), and the original doorway (now blocked up with modern breeze blocks)
occurred in the north end of the east wall. Inside, approximately a third of the roofing vault
which covered the ground floor level is missing and this area was probably used as a storage
area or cellar. A stairway is contained within the walls, which gives access to first floor level
where the main accommodation area was due to it being well lit by windows There is a
garderobe in the northwest corner, which served as a toilet. The stairway within the wall then
goes directly from the first floor to the battlement level on the roof so access to second floor
level must have been by a wooden stairway that no longer exists.
During the 15th century the military strength of the lords of this region, the O’Dowds,
increased through the erection of tower houses and inserting their own followers in them. The
Rosslee site is directly beside the sea and adjacent to a land route being close to a crossing
point on the River Easkey; it has commanding views; sheltered anchorage; adjacent landing
places; proximity to both freshwater and sea fishing and is an ideal location for a tower
house. Apart from strategically based castles, the military support of his own family and the
support from other families the O’Dowd lord also used Gallowglasses (Scottish mercenary
soldiers) such as the Mac Sweeneys and MacDonnells, many of whom settled in north Co.
Mayo and in along the sea coast of Tireragh. These provided military service for being
allowed to settle on the land. It was recorded that Magnus MacDonnell died at Rosslee in
1414 indicating that there were MacDonnells in Rosslee at that time. The castle changed
hands many times and by 1670 the area around Rosslee was owned by the landlord family of
the Ormsbys.
In 1779 a story about the castle was recorded which tells of the proprietor of having a love of
fish and built a trap in the adjacent river. The door of the trap had a wire communicating with
a bell in the kitchen of the castle. As soon as a salmon entered the trap, the bell rang, and the
servants went immediately, fetched the salmon, and dressed it for their master”. This fish
story is also told of sites such as Cong Abbey in Co. Mayo and Carrick Castle on the River
Boyne, near Slane, Co. Meath.
8
Rosslee Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo
Rosslee Castle is seen by the many visitors and surfers that frequent Easkey. It is the remains
of a type of castle known as a tower house built during the 15th century. These were typically
defended residences of wealthy Gaelic or Anglo-Norman families and as many as 3,500 were
built prior to the year 1600. They are usually three to five storey rectangular stone towers,
often surrounded by a walled stone enclosure called a bawn. The example at Rosslee is three
storeys and a drawing dating to 1779 indicates it had an adjoining hall and a bawn. The 1779
drawing, with a description and plan, was made by the antiquarian artist Gabriel Beranger
and Angelo Bigari, and they strangely manage to insert hills in the background of their
drawing when there should be the Atlantic Ocean. Today the tower is the only element still
standing. The present entrance in the centre of the south wall is a modern insertion (it was
formerly a window opening), and the original doorway (now blocked up) occurred in the
north end of the east wall. Steps, indicated on the plan, led up to the east wall of the tower.
The gateway to the east of the tower and the hall, which had a substantial base-batter, no
longer exist (a base batter is an angle created at the base of walls and towers along their
exterior surface to strengthen defences against undermining). The hall is rectangular in plan
and is longer and narrower than the tower. Also no longer visible today but indicated on the
plan made in 1779 is the bawn wall extending north from the west side of the tower (see the
drawing and plan below).
History of Rathlee
The Ordnance Survey Letters of 1837 state Rosslee was built by Oliver MacDomnaill
(MacDonnell) in 1207 and was in the possession of the MacDonnell family until 1549. In the
Annals of Connacht it states that Magnus son of Domnall [i.e. Magnus MacDonnell] died at
Rosslee in 1414, thus indicating that the MacDonnells were there at that time. The
MacDonnells were Gallowglasses (Scottish mercenary soldiers) in the service of the
O’Dowds of Tireragh (a barony in west Co. Sligo). The O’Dowds were involved in various
wars and feuds between the Gaelic Irish themselves and with the English, during which the
castle and lands changed hands a number of times. Following the end of the Elizabethan wars
at the beginning of the 17th century the O’Dowds retained a mere fraction of their lands, but
several of them remained in Tireragh and there were also representatives of the MacSweenys,
the Albonaghs, and the MacDonnells; all of whom originally derived from Gallowglass
families. David O’Dowd, a member of the ancient line of Tireragh lords, took possession of
his father’s lands in 1612 at Rosslee, but did so illegally in the eyes of the English Crown and
by 1613 William Chapman received the grant of Rosslee from the King James I. Chapman
sold it to David O’Dowd’s stepfather, William May, of Castleconnor, who was the third
husband of David O’Dowd’s mother, Lady Ellinor Ghest. However, King James I, on 2 July
1618, granted a certain Daniel O’Dowd the bawn of Rosslee. The O’Dowds gradually lost
more and more of their lands and by 1641 Martyn Kerwan is recorded in the Books of Survey
and Distribution as owning the lands around Rosslee (i.e. Bunowna townland). He possibly
rented the castle to a member of the clergy because we are informed by a confession of one
Patrick O’Dowd, following the 1641 Irish Rebellion, tells us that “Master David O’Dowd of
Lecan in the County of Sligo, [who] out of a murderous disposition, with a long skean [knife],
attempted to murder John Layng [a clergyman] in the castle of Rosslee”. Following the
restoration of Charles II, the area around Rosslee came to be owned by the Ormsby family in
1670. By the end of the 18th century the lands were owned by the Jones family of Fortland,
near Easkey.
9
The O’Dowds and castle building
The date of the MacDonnells building a castle there in 1207 might suggest that the hall
depicted in the 1779 drawing could possibly have been the original castle dating to the period
of the Anglo-Norman occupation of the region and that the tower house was added much
later, as these are generally 15th century in date. This however is unlikely, as there is no other
record of any Anglo-Norman castle being built at Rosslee. The site depicted in the 1779
drawing appears like a tower house castle belonging to a period when O’Dowd power of the
barony of Tireragh was growing increasingly strong in the early 15th century. Their military
strength grew through the erection of tower houses and inserting their own followers in them.
Many were situated in key strategic locations and the O’Dowds were notorious at controlling
the seaways through the construction of line of tower houses along the coast of Tireragh. The
Rosslee site is directly beside the sea and adjacent to a land route close to a crossing point on
the River Easkey; it has commanding views; sheltered anchorage; adjacent landing places;
proximity to both freshwater and sea fishing and is the ideal location for a coastal tower
house. Apart from strategically situated castles, the military support of his own family and the
support from other families, the O’Dowd lord also used Scottish mercenaries such as the Mac
Sweeneys and MacDonnells, many of whom settled in north Co. Mayo and along the coast of
Tireragh. These provided military service for being allowed to settle on the land.
Description of the castle
Rosslee tower house is situated at the east side of the outer edge of the estuary of the River
Easkey, only 10m from the high tide mark above the Atlantic Ocean. The 1618 grant
mentioned above by King James to Daniel O’Dowd recorded two castles, a kitchen and bakehouse within the bawn of Rosslee. Presumably the two castles refer to the tower and the hall
depicted in the 1779 drawing by Bigari, whose plan does not indicate any presence of the
bake-house or kitchen. Only the tower survives today and this comprises a three-storey
rectangular building (12m east - west by 9m north-south with a 2m thick wall) having a slight
base batter. The lower half of the tower has been re-pointed in recent times. Internally,
approximately a third of the roofing vault, which covered ground floor level, is missing and
this area was probably used as a storage area or cellar. A stairway is contained within the
walls commencing in the north end of the east wall and returning south, which gives access to
first floor level. In the centre of the east wall at first floor level is a large blocked-up window.
This is probably where the main accommodation area was due to it being well lit. There are
also single light windows in the south, west and north walls and a garderobe (latrine) in the
northwest corner, which served as a toilet. The stairway within the south wall skips the
second floor and goes directly to battlement level on the roof, so access to second floor level
must therefore have been by a wooden stairway that no longer exists. The second floor level
is lit by windows in south and west walls only.
10
The fish story at Roslee
During his visit Beranger recorded a story he heard about the castle and stated: “Tradition
has handed down a peculiar anecdote of the proprietor of this castle, who must have been a
great epicure in fish. The castle stands on the sea-shore, and next to it runs a rivulet, much
frequented by salmon ; in this rivulet the proprietor had contrived to build a trap, the door of
which had a wire communicating with a bell in the kitchen of the castle. As soon as a salmon
entered the trap, the bell rang, and the servants went immediately, fetched the salmon, and
dressed it for their master”. This fish story is also told of sites such as Cong Abbey in Co.
Mayo and Carrick Castle on the River Boyne, near Slane, Co. Meath.
11
Further Reading
Harbison, P. 2002. ‘Our Treasure of Antiquities’: Beranger and Bigari’s antiquarian
sketching tour of Connacht in 1779. Wordwell, Dublin.
Herity, M. (ed.) 2010 Ordnance Survey Letters Sligo: Letters relating to the antiquities of the
County of Sligo containing information collected during the Ordnance Survey in 1836
and 1837. Fourcourts Press, Dublin.
McHale, C. 1990. The O’Dubhda Family History.G MacHale, Enniscrone.
Nassen, P. 2007. Gaelic lords of the sea: the coastal tower houses of south Connemara. In L.
Doran and J. Lyttleton (eds. )Lordship in medieval Ireland: Image and reality. Four
Courts Press, Dublin. 217-35.
O’Donovan, J. 1856. The genealogies, tribes, and customs of Hy-Fiachrach, commonly
called O'Dowda's country. The Irish Archaeology Society, Dublin
O’Donovan, P. 2011 SL011-02: Castle – tower house; Bunowna.
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/ Accessed 4 July 2014
O’Dowd, M. 1991. Power, politics and land: Early modern Sligo 1568-1688.Institute of Irish
Studies, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Dublin.
Ó Muraíle, N. 2002. The celebrated antiquary Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh c.1600–1671:
his lineage, life, and learning. Maynooth Monographs 6, An Saggairt, Maynooth
O’Rorke, T. 1889. The History of Sligo: Town and County. James Duffy and Co.
Dublin.[Reprint Dodd’s Antiquarian Books, Heapstown 1986].
Wood-Martin, W. G. 1889, History of Sligo, Vol II, Hodges and Figgis, Dublin
Wood-Martin, W. G. 1892, History of Sligo, Vol III, Hodges and Figgis, Dublin
Rosslee tower house from southwest (Image: Sam Moore)
12
1792 Engraving of Rosslee Castle in Grose’s Antiquities based on the lost original by Bigari from 1779
(Image: after Harbison 2002 Fig. 92)
1792 plan of Rosslee Castle in Grose’s Antiquities based on the lost original by Bigari from 1779
(Image: after Harbison 2002 Fig. 94)
13
CASTLETOWN CASTLE, EASKEY, CO. SLIGO AND THE DEATH OF THE
CELEBRATED ANTIQUARIAN DUBHALTACH MAC FIRBIS IN 1671 SUMMARY.
The Mac Firbis or Mac Fhirbisigh family were the hereditary poets and historiographers to
the O’Dowds of Tireragh (the barony along the west coast of Co. Sligo) from the 12th to the
17th centuries. The most famous of this family was Dubhaltach Mac Firbis (c.1600-1671).
During the last part of his life Dubhaltach lived at Castletown near Easkey village and it was
from here that he set off to Doonflin, near Skreen, to visit an inn house where he was
murdered by Thomas Crofton. He is said to be buried in the old graveyard at Kilglass.
The family who controlled the area between the Leaffony and the Easkey rivers area were
under the over-lordship of the powerful O’Dowd family and were called the O’Muldoons.
Their centre was located at Imleach Iseal, the former name of Castletown. This name is
preserved on the Down Survey map of County Sligo dating to 1656. Early in the 15th century
Donnchadh, the son of Tadhg Riabhach O’Dowd who died in 1432, erected the castle at
‘Baile an chaislen’ (Castletown) and a map dating to 1609 records ‘Ba-Castlan’ (Castletown)
and depicts a castle on the site of the present day remains. John Nolan was recorded as the
owner of Castletown in 1641 and his lands were given to William Ormsby in 1670. The
present day castle appears to be of a 17th century date and is located on a rock outcrop on the
west side of the estuary of the River Easkey. It comprises a single-storey, split-level structure.
The smaller, lower level projects out over the estuary and contains a gun port and nine
musket loops. Out from the castle is a low, curving bank of earth and stone, which probably
marks the circuit of a defensive enclosing wall. It is possible that this 17th century castle is on
the earlier site of an O’Dowd castle built for the O’Muldoons and that Nolan, or the Ormsbys,
converted it.
Dubhaltach Mac Firbis, was a member of a family that had provided the O’Dowds, lords of
Tír Fhiachrach (the barony of Tireragh, Co. Sligo), with hereditary seanchaidhe (chroniclers)
since the twelfth century. By 1663, Mac Firbis was living at Castletown and it is likely that
he spent the final years of his life there. Sadly there is no definitive answer to the exact
location of where Dubhaltach lived in Castletown. In January 1671 he was murdered in a
tavern at Doonflin, near Skreen, Co. Sligo. A description from 1878 describing his death says
“While sitting and resting himself in a little room off the shop, a young gentleman, of the
Crofton family, came in, and began to take some liberties with a young woman who had care
of the shop. She, to check his freedom, told him that he would be seen by the old gentleman in
the next room; upon which, in a sudden rage, he snatched up a knife from the counter, rushed
furiously into the room, and plunged it into the heart of Mac Firbis”. Exhaustive historical
research into the event concluded that the precise identity of Crofton who murdered
Dubhaltach and the precise circumstances that provoked the crime are likely to forever
remain a mystery.
14
Castletown Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo and the death of the celebrated antiquarian
Dubhaltach Mac Firbis in 1671.
The Mac Firbis or Mac Fhirbisigh family were the hereditary poets and historiographers to
the O’Dowds of Tireragh (the barony along the west coast of Co. Sligo) from the 12th to the
17th centuries. The head of the Mac Firbis, who performed a leading role at the inauguration
of the O'Dowd chiefs, conducted a school of historical lore at Lacken Castle, east of
Enniscrone, where three celebrated manuscripts were compiled. These were the Great Book
of Lecanc.1416-18; the Yellow Book of Lecan of c.1391; and the Book of the Genealogies of
Ireland, compiled at various places and over many years by Dubhaltach Mac Firbis (c.16001671). During the last part of his life Dubhaltach lived at Castletown near Easkey village and
it was from here that he set off to Doonflin, near Skreen, to visit an inn house where he was
murdered by Thomas Crofton. He is said to be buried in the old graveyard at Kilglass, east of
Enniscrone and near his birthplace at Lacken.
Castletown Castle, Easkey, Co. Sligo
The O’Caoimhin family were former rivals of the O’Dowds in the 12th century but through an
agreement with the O’Dowds, the O’Caoimhin family resigned all claim to control over
Tireragh,but received certain tracts of land, along with various privileges, as compensation
for their loss of power. One of the O’Caomhain supporters were the O’Muldoons who
controlled the area between the Leaffony and the Easkey rivers. O’Muldoon were based at
Imleach Iseal, meaning the low land verging on water, which was the ancient name of the
townland of Castletown. This name is no longer used locally, but is preserved on the Down
Survey map of County Sligo dating to 1656. Other names for the townland include ‘Cashlan’,
‘Carrowcashlan’ and ‘Baile an chaislen’. In 1439, there is a record of a plague or pestilence
that raged throughout Ireland, and great numbers died in Sligo because of it; including the
vicar of Imleach Iseal. Early in the 15th century Donnchadh, the son of Tadhg Riabhach
O’Dowd who died in 1432, erected the castle at Baile an chaislen (Castletown) and a map
dating to 1609, records about thirty-eight castles in Co. Sligo including ‘Ba-Castlan’
(Castletown). In the rentals of O’Dowd lands for the years 1633-1636 we are told that that
there is a church and castle in ‘Castlan’ (Castletown) and that it was worth £4 per annum in
rent. In the Books of Survey and Distribution we see John Nolan (Catholic) was the owner of
Castletown in 1641 (he also owned the castle in Enniscrone) and his lands were given to
William Ormsby in 1670. The Books of Survey and Distributionwere compiled around1680as
the result of the wars of the mid-seventeenth century after theCromwellian conquest of
Ireland, when the English government needed reliable information on land ownership
throughoutIrelandto carry out its policy of land confiscations.
Named as Castletown Castle on the 1836 Ordnance Survey map the present day remains
appear to be a post-medieval fortification, probably of late 17th century date. The fortification
is situated on a rock outcrop on the west side of the estuary of the River Easkey. It comprises
a single-storey, split-level structure. The smaller, lower level projects out over the estuary. It
contains a gun port and nine musket loops. A wall divides this room from the larger upper
level and has no features. Immediately north of these rooms is a third, room which is largely
filled with collapse. Out from the west and north sides of this latter room is a low, curving
bank of earth and stone, which probably marks the circuit of a bawn wall; a defensive
enclosing wall around the castle. It is possible that this 17th century fortification is on the
earlier site of an O’Dowd castle built for the O’Muldoons and that Nolan, or the Ormsbys,
converted it. The Ormsbys built the house at nearby Fortland in 1765.
15
The murder of Dubhaltach Óg Mac Firbis,
Dubhaltach was a native of Lackan, in the parish of Kilglass, Co. Sligo. His father, Giolla
Íosa Mór Mac Firbis, was a member of the family that had provided the O’Dowds, lords of
Tír Fhiachrach (the barony of Tireragh, Co. Sligo), with hereditary seanchaidhe (antiquaries
or chroniclers) since the 12th century. He was well educated and acquired a familiarity in
traditional Irish learning, but also with Latin, English and Greek. He compiled annals,
translated texts, and his most substantial work was a book of genealogies By 1663, Mac
Firbis was living at Castletown, in the parish of Easkey, less than 8 miles east of his
birthplace at Lacken, and it is likely that he spent the final years of his life there. In a taxation
on the amount of chimneys a house had in 1663, called the Hearth Money Rolls, there were
eight houses in Castletown listed as having one hearth, three of which are of the Mac Firbis
family: Dubhlatach, his younger brother Padraig and a cousin called Ferfasa. Dubhlatach may
have obtained the house from Tadhg Riabhach O’Dowd who was living in Castletown in
1656. This is slightly puzzling as John Nolan is recorded as owning Castletown in 1641
before it was obtained by William Ormsby in 1670 and the 1659 census records show
Castletown as having a population of 31 English inhabitants and no Irish. It is possible
Dubhaltach was given the house by Tadhg Riabhach O’Dowd or by William Ormsby. It is
unlikely he lived in the actual castle as he was not wealthy enough. The castle was probably
had more than one chimney so may have not been in use during the Hearth Taxations
mentioned above. Dubhaltach may have lived in the recorded 17th century part of Castletown
House, west of Easkey Village, or in a 17th century house that was recorded as being
abandoned after a tidal wave hit it in 1839. Unfortunately there is no definitive answer to the
exact location of where Dubhaltach lived in Castletown.
In January 1671 he was fatally stabbed by a drunkard named Crofton in a tavern at Doonflin,
near Skreen, Co. Sligo. Nollaig Ó Muraíle, the leading authority on the life of Dubhaltach
Mac Firbis, has carried out an in-depth analysis of his murder. There are a number of
references by various Irish scholars to his murder such as Rory O’Flaherty, Charles O’Conor,
George Petrie and John O’Donovan. The best known excerpt concerning his death is from
Eugene O’Curry who wrote in 1878 that “.the last of the Mac Firbis’s was unfortunately
murdered at Dunflin [Doonflin], in the county of Sligo, in the year 1670.... He took up his
lodgings for the night at a small house in the little village of Dunflin, in his native county.
While sitting and resting himself in a little room off the shop, a young gentleman, of the
Crofton family [Thomas Crofton], came in, and began to take some liberties with a young
woman who had care of the shop. She, to check his freedom, told him that he would be seen
by the old gentleman in the next room; upon which, in a sudden rage, he snatched up a knife
from the counter, rushed furiously into the room, and plunged it into the heart of Mac
Firbis”. Accounts that derived from O’Curry’s description embellished the story and many
suggest a racial or sectarian reason behind his death. Thomas Crofton is portrayed as being a
protestant landlord of the Crofton estate at Longford House, four miles southeast of where
Dubhaltach was killed at Doonflin. There was a Thomas Crofton of Longford House who
was married to Honora O’Conor of Clonalis House, Co. Roscommon. Their son Henry
Crofton was raised a Catholic and the Croftons had supported the Catholic King James during
the Williamite Wars (1689-91). Thomas Crofton was Member of Parliament for Co. Sligo in
1666 and would have been around 70 years of age when Dubhaltach was murdered. It is
difficult to imagine him flushed with drink, described as a young gentleman and making
improper advances towards a young woman. The basic story of Dubhaltach’s murder outlined
by O’Curry seem to be correct and perhaps the elderly Mac Firbis intervened which angered
the drunken Crofton causing him to draw a knife and fatally stab the great scholar. Ó
16
Muraíle’s exhaustive research into the event concludes that: “In the end, when all possible
avenues have been explored, we are compelled to confess that the precise identity of Thomas
Crofton who murdered Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbisigh and the precise circumstances that
provoked the crime are likely to forever remain a mystery”. It seems he was laid to rest in
Kilglass cemetery near to his birthplace at Lacken. In 1931 a monument in the form of a
chair, commemorating Mac Firbis’ death, was erected by the roadside in the townland of
Doonflin, in the vicinity of where it was believed he was murdered.
Further Reading
Trinity College Dublin 2013 The Down Survey of Ireland
http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/landowners.php#mc=54.291138,-8.973746&z=14. Accessed 6
July 2014.
Morley, V. 2009 Mac Firbhisigh, Dubhaltach Óg. In J. McGuire and J. Quinn (eds)
Dictionary of Irish Biography. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
Ó Muraíle, N. 2002. The celebrated antiquary Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh c.1600–1671:
his lineage, life, and learning. Maynooth Monographs 6, An Saggairt, Maynooth.
O’Donovan, P. 2011. SL011-019- Fortification – Castletown.
http://webgis.archaeology.ie/NationalMonuments/FlexViewer/. Accessed 4 July 2014.
Down Survey map of Easkey Parish in 1656 showing the castle in ‘Carrowcaslane alias Imlaghishill’
Castletown alias Imleach Iseal. The castle is on the top right next to the river; the other castle to its right is that
at Rosslee (Image: http://downsurvey.tcd.ie)
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Prinnted on 100% post-consumer recycled paaper.
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View
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Rosslee Castle (Imagee: Sam Mooree)
The Clann Fhir Bhisighh genealogies from Dubhlattach Mac Firbis’ Leabhar Genealach
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(thee Book of Gen
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(Imaage: Universityy College Dub
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THE NAPOLEONIC SIGNAL TOWERS OF RATHLEE AND CARROWMABLY:
SUMMARY
The Napoleonic signal tower at Rathlee, east of Enniscrone and west of Easkey was built
between 1804-05. There were 81 of these extending from Dublin to Bantry in Co. Cork and
up along the west coast as far as Malin Head in Co. Donegal. They were built by the British
Government in reaction to the various Irish rebellions and French invasion attempts
throughout the 1790s, in particular, the 1798 French landing at Killala in Co. Mayo, as well
as increasing hostilities from the French and Spanish in the first years of the 19th century.
They worked on a signalling system using ball and flag methods, where various messages
could be transmitted from station to station or from a station to a ship. A 15m mast was
positioned on the seaward side of the signal tower where the flags and balls would be hoisted
so that the next signal tower could see the message and pass it on to the adjacent one. There
was a tower at Creevagh, near Kilcummin, on the west side of Killalla Bay, then the Rathlee
tower, which was number 65 on the official list. Rathlee tower had begun to be constructed at
nearby Lenadoon Point but was moved to its present position for a better viewing distance.
The tower was built to the second floor by September 1804 and was completed with the
signal mast being erected a year later. The signal lieutenant had been appointed at Rathlee by
July 1805. Along with the officer, who had his quarters on the 1st floor, each station had a
naval midshipman and a signal party of two or three sailors. In addition there was a small
guard provided by the local Yeomanry. Carrowmably, near Dromore West was the next
signal tower, west of Rathlee and its tower still survives. The following signal towers in
Sligo, now no longer visible, were at Knocklane, Streedagh and Mullaghmore. Following
Nelson’s victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, there
was less threat of invasion and by 1809 the British decided to abandon them. These, along
with the Martello Towers built between 1804 and 1817 cost the British Military £250,000, a
sum that would equate to over €63,000,000 today.
Signal towers generally follow the same design, being two stories high and square in plan,
with the wall opposite the entrance being slightly thicker to accommodate a fireplace and
chimney. The interior is about 4.5m by 4.5m and the walls are about 0.6m thick. The entrance
is on the first floor, on the seaward side, which was accessed via a ladder. Above the entrance
is a machicolation, used to drop or fire missiles from, with two more on the landward corners
of the tower. The ground floor windows are relatively small, with taller ones on the first
floor. The height of the tower is about 9m. Most towers had a stone-walled or turf-banked
rectangular enclosure around them with a fan shaped extension on the seaward side to form a
defensive perimeter. Within the centre of this extension was the signal mast.
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The Napoleonic Signal Towers of Rathlee and Carrowmably
As this is being written (July 2014) there are many spots along the northwest of Ireland
without very good mobile phone coverage, so it might be a surprise that back in 1804 the
towers found at Rathlee and Carrowmably in west Co. Sligo were examples of cutting-edge
communication systems. The two impressive towers found on prominent coastal locations at
Rathlee, between Enniscrone and Easkey, and Carrowmably, just north of Dromore West are
both Signal Towers built between 1804 and 1805. There were 81 of these structures
constructed and they extend around the Irish coastline from Dublin to Bantry in Co. Cork and
up along the west coast as far as Malin Head in Co. Donegal. Each station was in visual
contact with the stations either side of it and using a combination of flags and four balls they
could relay signals to each adjoining station or to offshore ships. There was a tower at
Creevagh, near Kilcummin, on the west side of Killalla Bay, Co. Mayo, then there was the
Rathlee tower, which was number 65 on the official list. Carrowmably (no. 66) was next and
the others in Co. Sligo were at Knocklane, Streedagh and Mullaghmore; none of which are
standing today.
Background to why Napoleonic Towers were built
The French Republic was at war with Britain in 1793 and the United Irishmen, inspired by
the American War of Independence and the French Revolution, began seeking French
intervention to establish an Irish Republic through an armed uprising. Initial efforts by Wolfe
Tone, a leader of the United Irishmen, persuaded the French government to send a number of
military expeditions. A month long Irish rising was suppressed by the end of June 1798,
which was followed by the arrival of three French frigates at Killala, Co. Mayo on 22 August
1798 with 1,000 men led by General Humbert who was defeated at Ballinamuck, Co.
Longford. Another planned French invasion, which included Wolfe Tone and 3,000 men,
surrendered to a superior British naval force off the coast of Donegal on 11 October 1798.
Defences of many harbours around Ireland, such as Bantry, Cork and Lough Swilly, were
strengthened following these invasions. Peace with France came about with the Treaty of
Amiens in 1802, but there was a renewal of the war against France and Napoleon Bonaparte
in 1803, and a number of British commanders, including Lord Hardwicke, Ireland’s Lord
Lieutenant, highlighted the lack of coastal defences in Ireland. Robert Emmet’s failed rising
of July 1803 renewed Britain’s fears that there may be another French invasion. This threat
stimulated a massive building programme of fortifications and barrack construction around
Ireland. This included the construction of 50 Martello Towers between 1804 and 1815, which
were circular gun towers for artillery, often associated with further gun placements or
batteries and the 81 Signal Towers constructed around the coast, which include Rathlee and
Carrowmably.
The Signal Towers.
Signal Towers were defensible guardhouses for a naval signal crew and military guard, each
built to a similar design, comprising a square plan (c.4.5m square internally), with two
storeys (c.9m high) and an entrance at first floor level, usually on the seaward side which was
accessed by a ladder (as were the internal floors and roof). The walls are around 0.6m thick,
originally faced with hanging slates for protection against bad weather and the wall opposite
the entrance is slightly thicker or splayed to accommodate a fireplace and chimney. The
ground floor windows are relatively small, with taller ones on the first floor, all of which
were protected by iron shutters. Above the entrance is a machicolation, with two more on the
landward corners of the tower. These are box like structures with opening between the
supporting corbels, through which stones, or other objects, could be dropped on attackers.
20
The towers provided accommodation for the signal crew and military guard. The first floor
was partitioned into a room for the lieutenant and the remaining space had a ladder access to
ground floor and roof level. The ground floor was where the guard was accommodated and
an auxiliary timber built hut was constructed next to the tower. Most towers had a stonewalled or turf-banked rectangular enclosure around them with a fan shaped extension on the
seaward side to form a defensive perimeter. Within the centre of this extension was a signal
mast (see below). Some of the towers may have had been equipped with cannons and built
into the wall at Rathlee is a cannon ball that was found by a local priest some time ago. This
cannonball however, may have come from Lord Portarlington’s forces which had advanced
from Sligo to Killala in September 1798 during the rebellion. It is worth noting that the
Carrowmably tower (referred to as Carrownrush on the Ordnance Survey maps) is located
within a massive possible prehistoric internally-ditched enclosure c.130m diameter.
The Signal Crews and the Signal Masts
The men stationed at each Signal Tower were drawn from the Sea Fencibles, a type of naval
reserve made up of local fishermen and merchant seamen commanded by naval officers
including signal lieutenants. The officers were usually those who were on half-pay. Each
Signal Tower crew included a signal lieutenant, a midshipman and two signalmen of the Sea
Fencibles. Military guards of five to seven yeomanry or infantry were also located at each
signal station. Rathlee and Carrowmably therefore was garrisoned with approximately ten
men at each site. The guard was primarily due to the unsettled nature of political conditions
in Ireland, which necessitated the provision of protection of the towers. Outside the towers
was a signalling mast, made of an old topmast from a ship which was c.15m high. A
rectangular flag, a narrow blue-coloured triangular flag and four black balls made of hoops
covered with canvas were hoisted in various arrangements to convey different messages. This
was a form of semaphore or coastal telegraph based on a system established by the French in
1794 and was adopted by the British Admiralty along the south and east coasts of England by
1795, before arriving to Ireland in 1804.
Rathlee and Carrowmably
Rathlee tower had begun to be constructed at nearby Lenadoon Point but was moved to its
present position for a better viewing distance. There is a possibility it was built on the site of
an earlier O’Dowd castle, which was occupied by one of his sub-lords called O’Loinseachain.
In 1641 there is also a reference to fleeing Protestants who took refuge in Rathlee with Oliver
Albanagh. The tower was built to the second floor by September 1804 and was completed
with the signal mast being erected a year later. The signal lieutenant had been appointed at
Rathlee by July 1805. In December 1805 the commander of the Sea Fencibles of Mayo and
Sligo, Captain Lecky, is recorded as ordering furniture, firing and candles for the defensible
guard houses at the six stations in No. 4 Sea Fencible District with its headquarters at Killala
(Ireland was divided up into 21 districts). The six towers of district No. 4 were the ones that
stretched from Creevagh, Co. Mayo to Rathlee, Carrowmably, Rosskeragh (Knocklane),
Streedagh and Mullaghmore, Co. Sligo. Dampness and structural issues saw repairs being
carried out at Rathlee in 1806. Carrowmably (referred to as Carrowmabla Hill in the records)
was also completed by September 1805. Each tower cost approximately £600 to build and the
construction of Martello towers, batteries and the Signal Towers that were built between 1804
and 1817 cost the British military £250,000; equivalent to around €630,000,000 today.
Following Admiral Nelson’s victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of
Trafalgar in 1805, there was less threat of invasion. In September 1809 the Irish Commanderin-Chief based in Cork, Sir James Hawkins-Whitshed (from Raphoe Co. Donegal), was
21
informed by the British government that the signal towers from Inishmore in the Aran Islands
to Horn Head in Co. Donegal, including all those in Co. Sligo, were to be abandoned. Some
were re-used during the war with the United States 1812-15 but all were finally closed down
by 1816. A considerable number of Signal Towers around Ireland were the sites chosen to
locate World War Two Lookout Posts as part of the Coast Watching Service as was the case
at Rathlee (see sections on The Irish Coast Watch Service and the Lookout Posts at Rathlee
and Aughris, County Sligo).
Further Reading
Clements, B. 2013 Billy Pitt had them built: Napoleonic towers in Ireland. Holliwell Press,
Stamford.
Kerrigan, P. 1995 Castles and fortifications in Ireland 1485-1945. The Collins Press, Cork.
O’Sullivan, M and Downey, L. 2012. Martello and signal towers. Archaeology Ireland, 26
(2), 46-9.
Distribution of Signal Towers (Image: M. Brennan in Clements (2013) Fig. 7.17)
22
Rathlee Signal Tower (with World War II Lookout Post) showing first floor entrance and machicolation
(Image: Sam Moore)
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Carrowm
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with tw
wo enclosures. The massive,, probably preehistoric, interrnally ditched enclosure
is c.1330m in diameeter (Image: www.flashearth
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Carrowmably
Signal Towerr from Aughriis Head (Imagge: Sam Mooree)
A drawiing of Malin Head
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Signal Tower in 1808 showing the ladder
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access to the first flooor entrance, the
t signal
maast and auxiliaary timber hutt (Image: Boaard of Trinity College,
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Dubllin)
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THE IRISH COAST WATCHING SERVICE AND THE LOOKOUT POSTS AT
RATHLEE AND AUGHRIS, COUNTY SLIGO: SUMMARY.
The two small square concrete huts overlooking the coast at Rathlee (adjacent to a
Napoleonic Signal Tower) and Aughris Head both played a significant role during World
War II. They are examples of LOPs (Lookout Posts) that were constructed around the entire
Irish coastline, from Co. Louth to Malin Head in Co. Donegal, for use by the Coast Watching
Service. A total of 83 of these continually-manned observation stations were built, each with
a mission to relay all maritime and aircraft activity to Irish Military Intelligence, called G2.
There were four LOPs in Co. Sligo: LOP 66 Lenadoon (Rathlee), LOP 67 Aughris; LOP 68
Rosskeragh (this has subsequently collapsed) and LOP 69 Mullaghmore. The Lenadoon LOP
is actually in Rathlee townland but is identified from the headland’s name, i.e. Lenadoon
Point. The LOPs at Rathlee and Aughris were in District 14 (Sligo) under the control of
Western Command and made their reports to the Athlone Reporting Centre. Coast-watchers
usually worked in pairs on eight- or twelve-hour shifts. One man remained in the LOP hut
with responsibility for the phone while the other patrolled outside, and they alternated during
the shifts. After war between Britain and Germany was declared in September 1939 many
LOPs used army tents as temporary accommodation that were ill suited to the exposed
locations of the LOPs. All the Sligo LOP buildings were finally built over the winter of
1939/40. The huts were made from pre-cast blocks and conformed to a standard design. The
huts tended to be damp, smoky and cramped, and quite uncomfortable for the men on duty.
Initially coast-watchers’ reports had to be conveyed by bicycle or by foot to the local Post
Office. By summer 1940 LOPs had telephones installed, along with a telescope, binoculars,
silhouettes of various aircraft and ships, a logbook, signal flares, lamps, oilskin jackets and
hats for each member and a bicycle.
William Connor and his brother Dan both served at the LOP at Lenadoon along with Pa
Kavanagh, Paddy Curley, Martin Connolly, Thady McAndrew, Purty Gordon and Henry
Kilgannon. The men wrote daily reports and phoned in every ship, aircraft or event to the
Athlone Reporting Centre. There are also records of bodies being washed ashore, which were
buried in Easkey cemetery. U-boat activity off the Irish coast meant many ships were sunk
and during July and August 1940, over 200 bodies washed up onto the west coast of Ireland.
On 6 August 1940 an unidentified man was washed ashore on Lacken Strand. He was around
28 years old and wore a British Army uniform. Four days later an unidentified Italian man in
his mid-40s was found at Easkey Pier and buried in the cemetery there. It is likely that these
had come off a passenger liner called the SS Arandora Star which was sunk by a U-boat in
July of 1940. The body of Canadian Corporal Francis Harrison washed ashore at Enniscrone
25 May 1941 and was buried at Easkey Church of Ireland cemetery. On August 27, 1942 an
RAF Ventura crashed in Donegal Bay killing all four crew. One of the bodies, John
McCubbin came ashore near Easkey and was also buried there.
25
The Irish Coast Watching Service and the Lookout Posts at Rathlee and Aughris,
County Sligo.
Two small square concrete huts can be found on the higher ground overlooking the coast at
Rathlee (adjacent to a Napoleonic Signal Tower) and Aughris Head. Both of these played a
significant role during World War II, or the Emergency as it was referred to in Ireland. The
war impacted on people generally through rationing but the areas around Easkey and Aughris
in County Sligo witnessed firsthand, certain aspects of the war, with bodies being washed
ashore and Allied aircraft crashes occurring throughout the conflict. Despite the Irish Free
State’s neutrality during World War II the country was on a defensive military footing for its
duration, which led to the construction of a number of military installations throughout the
country. The most common of these are the LOPs (Lookout Posts) that were constructed on
headlands around the entire Irish coastline, from Co. Louth to Malin Head in Co. Donegal,
for use by the Coast Watching Service. A total of 83 of these continually-manned observation
stations were built, each with a mission to relay all maritime and aerial activity to Irish
Military Intelligence, called G2. Although some have been destroyed, the ruins of the
majority of these positions that performed a key role in Ireland’s Emergency years 1939-45
can still be seen dotted around the country’s coast and three of the four LOPs in County Sligo
are still standing: LOP 66 Lenadoon (Rathlee), LOP 67 Aughris; LOP 68 Rosskeragh (this
has subsequently collapsed) and LOP 69 Mullaghmore. The Lenadoon LOP is actually in
Rathlee townland but is identified from the headland’s name, i.e. Lenadoon Point.
The Lookout Posts and the men of the Coast Watching Service
When fully established, the Coast Watching Service was to comprise 866 men. Usually there
were seven men led by a corporal who manned each of the 83 LOPs, which were grouped
into eighteen districts. The LOPs at Rathlee and Aughris were in District 14 (Sligo) under the
control of Western Command and made their reports to the Athlone Reporting Centre. The
District Officer was Lieutenant Michael Hennelly, whose duty was to inspect the LOPs at
frequent and irregular intervals by day and night and to ensure that the coast-watchers were
on duty at all times. The volunteers recruited were generally men who knew the coast in the
vicinity of their LOPs. They were typically 17-30 years old who resided within a few miles of
their LOPs. The coast-watchers were paid army rates: two shillings a day for a fourth-class
private, two shillings and sixpence a day for a first-class private and four shillings a day for a
corporal. The men also received an allowance of three shillings a day in lieu of army rations,
as they lived at home. Coast-watchers usually worked in pairs on eight- or twelve-hour shifts.
One man remained in the LOP hut with responsibility for the phone while the other patrolled
outside and they alternated during the shifts.
As soon as war was declared in September 1939, coast-watchers had to operate in difficult
conditions, with many LOPs using army tents provided as temporary accommodation that
were ill suited to the exposed locations the LOPs. All the Sligo LOPs were completed by the
winter of 1939/40 and were made from pre-cast blocks conforming to a standard design.
They were prone to let in wind and rain, and during stormy weather the walls and windows
could leak. The tiny fireplace was said by coast-watchers to have been of little use for
burning turf, and in many instances the chimneys smoked. Tom Ormsby brought a cart of turf
to Lenadoon LOP each month for £1.00. With the possibility of an invasion looming,
telephones were installed at the LOP huts during the summer of 1940. Prior to this, coastwatchers’ reports had to be conveyed by bicycle or by foot, often over 4-8 miles, to the local
Post Office. In December 1939, delays of an hour or more were involved in dispatching
26
messages to command headquarters. By 1940 LOPs were to have a telescope, binoculars,
silhouettes of various aircraft and ships, a logbook, signal flares, lamps, oilskin jackets and
hats for each member and a bicycle. A fixed point compass card or bearing plate fixed on true
north, which included bearings and distances to local landmarks were also installed. Initially
there were problems with fully equipping each LOP and Garda Hunt of Easkey District
somewhat comically complained in September 1939 that the binoculars the men were using
were “not powerful enough unless the boat or aircraft, as the case may be, happens to be
very near the person using the glasses”.
Aircraft and EIRE Signs
In the twelve months up to March 1944, over 20,000 aircraft were reported near or over
Ireland. With the increasing numbers of aircraft there was a growing number of forced
landings and crashes caused by crews losing their bearings or aircraft running low on fuel
(see report on Aircraft Crashes near Easkey during World War II). The LOPs at Rathlee and
Aughris reported sighting a large increase in the number of shipping convoys on the
northwest approach in the summer of 1943, along with larger numbers of aircraft deliveries
crossing Irish airspace. To assist crews operating near or over the coast of Ireland it was
decided by mid-1943 to construct markers reading ‘EIRE’ adjacent to LOPs to indicate to
aircrews that they were passing over Ireland. During the summer of 1943 the marker simply
comprised the use of flat whitewashed stones to make 4m long and 2m high letters spelling
out ‘EIRE’. At the request of the United States Air Force, the number assigned to each LOP
was added to the signs. This turned them into a simple aerial navigation aid, enabling aircrew
to plot their position along the Irish coast and alter or maintain their course as appropriate.
Later, the signs became more complex and by 1944 each LOP had whitewashed lettering
12m long and 6m high surrounded by a white rectangle accompanied by the LOP number.
This worked well as there were fewer crashes or landings. Today, these ‘EIRE’ signs are no
longer visible at Lenadoon or Aughris.
Reports of planes, boats and bodies
The men wrote daily reports in the LOP’s logbook and phoned in every ship, aircraft or event
to the Athlone Reporting Centre. An example from LOP 66 at Lenadoon shows Volunteers
Connolly and Geraghty reporting for duty at 0815 hrs on 20 October 1941. It was recorded
that the sky was cloudy with a light wind, a calm sea and good visibility. At 1100 hrs they
sighted one low wing British monoplane 8 miles northeast of the LOP over the sea, flying
low and travelling northwest. At 1150 hrs they heard an unseen aircraft of unknown
nationality 10 miles north of the LOP over the sea and travelling northwest. At 1315 a low
wing monoplane of unknown nationality was sighted 10 miles northwest of post flying high
and travelling north over the sea. On examining the log books of Lenadoon and Aughris most
days were quiet, while other days might have a sighting of over a dozen or more American B17 Flying Fortress bombers over a short period and many Catalina Flying Boats on U-boat
patrol were noted. Other events were recorded such as when the Aughris LOP kept an eye on
a mine that was seen drifting 6 miles west of Aughris in June 1941.
William Connor and his brother Dan both served at the LOP no. 66 at Lenadoon along with
Pa Kavanagh, Paddy Curley, Martin Connolly, Thady McAndrew, Purty Gordon and Henry
Kilgannon. During a bitterly cold November in 1942 he recalls assisting in building the road,
now known as ‘the Scenic Drive’ from the Vocational School in Easkey that loops past the
castle at Rosslee. They chiselled out rock from near the castle, transported it by barrow and
broke it up with 14lb sledges for top dressing on the road. Another of his recollections is of a
27
German being washed ashore near Templeboy and being buried in the old graveyard there.
This German was not recorded in the Irish Military Archives but there are records of other
bodies being washed ashore and buried in Easkey. An example is the terrible incident
concerning U-boat U-47, commanded by Gunther Pien. This U-boat torpedoed the Blue Star
line’s 25,000 ton Arandora Star, sailing without escort from Liverpool to St. John’s
Newfoundland at 0658hrs on 2 July 1940. On board were Italian and German internees,
guards and ship’s crew. Over 800 people lost their lives off the coast Bloody Foreland, Co.
Donegal. A total of 586 survived. During July and August 1940 over 200 bodies washed up
onto the west coast; 35 from the Arandora Star and a further 92 unidentified who were most
likely from the ship. On 6 August 1940 an unidentified body was washed ashore on Lacken
Strand and found by Patrick McLoughlin. The man was aged around 28 years, was 5’7” and
wore a British Army uniform with the rank of private. Four days later an unidentified badly
decomposed Italian man in his mid-40s wearing a black suit, white shirt and black boots was
found at Easkey Pier and buried in the cemetery there. Similar incidents include the body of
Canadian Corporal Francis Gordon Harrison from the Canadian Army Corps of Military Staff
Clerks being washed ashore at Enniscrone 25 May 1941. He was buried at Easkey Church of
Ireland Cemetery. Another example occurred on August 27, 1942 when an RAF Lockheed
Ventura aircraft crashed in Donegal Bay killing all four crew. It was being flown from
Canada to a base in Northern Ireland and the crew had reported an engine out early in the
morning. The body of one of the crew, John McCubbin, came ashore near Easkey and was
also buried there.
List of Coastwatchers in Sligo District 14 (according to Kennedy 2008 Appendix I)
LOP 66
Lenadoon, Rathlee
Corporal
P. Curley
Volunteers
P. Callaghan, J. Connolly, M. Connolly, D. Connor, T. Geraghty, E. Gordon,
Henry Kilcullen, Daniel J. O’Connor
LOP 67
Aughris Head
Corporal
T. Gillen
Volunteers
J. Boyd, B. Brennan, A Carney, J. Farry, P.J. Gormley, M. McDonald, J.
McKenna
LOP 68
Roskeeragh
Corporal
Pat McDermott
Volunteers
M. Burns, J. Currid, P. Dunleay, C. Ewing, P. Feeny, James Gilmartin, J.
Herity, H. Herity.
LOP 69
Mullaghmore
Corporal
Joseph Harrison
Volunteers
O. Conway, T. Conway, J. Dowdican, M. Gilmartin, D. Herity, J. Moffit, D.
McCannon
Further Reading
Eire Signs of WWII http://eiremarkings.org/ .Accessed 20 June 2014.
Gordon, C. 2006 William Connor interview, Local History Corner. Easkey Community
Newsletter. August 2006.
Irish Military Archives’ Logbooks Lenadoon LOP; Aughris LOP.
Irish Military Archives Record of bodies of belligerents washed ashore and victims of
crashes of belligerent aircraft. File: G2/X/912.
Kennedy, M. 2008 Guarding neutral Ireland: the coast watching service and military
intelligence 1939-45. Fourcourts Press, Dublin.
28
O'Sullivan, M. and Downey, L. 2013 Coast Watch-WW2. Archaeology Ireland, 27 (2), 1518.
Schmelzer, T. 2014 www.lookoutpost.com/. Accessed 20 June 2014.
Lenadoon Lookout Post (and the corner of the Rathlee Napoleonic Signal Tower (1804)) (Image: Sam Moore)
Aughris LOP no 67 (from east) (Image: Sam Moore)
29
Aughris LOP, no. 67 (Image: after Tim Schmelzer, www.lookoutpost.com)
Lenadoon LOP, no. 66 (Image: after Tim Schmelzer, www.lookoutpost.com)
Aughris LOP no 67 with Volunteer (Image: National Library of Ireland)
30
WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT CRASHES IN THE EASKEY AREA - SUMMARY.
Even though Ireland remained neutral there were just over 200 recorded crashes or forced
landings in Ireland during the 1939-45 period. An aircraft ferry service delivered over 10,000
aircraft across the Atlantic mainly from Newfoundland, Canada and Allied aircraft were
allowed to overfly County Donegal to bases in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Strict wartime
press censorship had the effect of controlling knowledge about the war but many people from
around the Easkey area remember a number of aircraft that crashed in the vicinity.
On 23 June 1940 a Hawker Henley aircraft from RAF Armaments Training Station Unit
(probably from Aldergrove) emergency landed at Easkey with two crew. The names of pilots
were not recorded as the crew only spoke briefly with locals and it was on the ground only
for a few minutes. This particular aircraft was used as a target tug; an aircraft which towed
targets for the purposes of gun or missile practice.
A Lockheed Hudson from RAF 233 Squadron, Adergrove, Co. Antrim made a forced landing
around 5.00pm on 24 January 1941 having run low on fuel in Derk Beg, Skreen. None of the
four crew were injured. It landed in a field belonging to Patrick Kilcullin. He and others had
all seen the aircraft circling over Sligo Bay and dropping its bombs out at sea before landing.
After discovering they were in the Free State three of them went to Pat Scott’s pub and then
on to Skreen Garda station. They returned to their aircraft along with Garda Sergeant Peter
Byrne. The Irish Air Corps salvage team dug trenches into which the undercarriage was
lowered and they repaired the aircraft. An Aer Lingus pilot managed to fly the plane to
Baldonnell Aerodrome, Co. Kildare. It was confiscated and became part of the Irish Air
Corps.
A Lockheed Hudson patrol bomber, flying from Newfoundland, with three crew, was seen by
many witnesses circling an area over Easkey and then crashed into the sea and sank at
Carrownabinna Point just west of Easkey on May 23 1942. Gardaí, locals and the British
rescue boat, the Robert Hastie, searched the area for survivors or bodies but nothing was
found. The body of Royal Canadian Air Force pilot James Constabaris from the Hudson was
discovered near to the harbour of Killybegs, Co. Donegal six days later. His mess bill for
$4.45 from an airbase in Canada was the only clue to his identity. His remains were
transferred across the border at Pettigo on May 31, 1942.
One story that is remembered well in the area around Easkey and Aughris is that of the forced
landing of a Fairey Swordfish, a torpedo bomber biplane. It had lost its bearings in bad
weather, ran out of fuel and crash landed at in Foley’s Field in Carrowcaslan near Skreen at
9.00pm on 4September 1944. It had crashed into Stephan Foley’s hen house killing 30
chickens as well as damaging half an acre of cabbage. All bills were sent to the British
Department of Defence. At the time Mr Foley was at a funeral of his son who tragically
drowned with five others in Ballysadare Bay. An Irish Air Corps salvage crew had
dismantled it by 8 September and it handed over border to the RAF Northern Ireland at
Strabane two days later. The crew members, Arcus and Pender, had been handed over to
British authorities at Belleek on 5 September 1944.
31
World War II Aircraft Crashes in the Easkey Area.
During World War II many people from the area around Easkey witnessed a number of
foreign aircraft crashes. Ireland's policy was officially “neutral”, and the country did not
publicly declare its support for either side during the war. Even though Ireland remained
neutral there were just over 200 recorded crashes or forced landings in Ireland over the 193945 period. Pilots of the German air force, the Luftwaffe, who crash-landed in Ireland along
with German sailors who came ashore were all interned in detention camps. At the start of the
war, Allied crews, mainly British and Commonwealth airmen were interned in some cases,
but not always, and many were sent to the Northern Ireland border where they returned to
their squadrons. This was most prevalent during 1940 and 1941. As the war progressed, and
in particular with the entry of America into the war, it became clear that if Ireland interned
any serving United States personnel it would cause great embarrassment to the Irish
government. From 1942 onwards a process was followed where by only those airmen flying
operational missions would be interned, but even this was not strictly followed as no
members of the British, American or Canadian crews were interned during this later war
period. The respective embassies had to pay for their keep. Towards the end of the war, the
German embassy was unable to pay, so the internees worked on local farms.
Many aircraft were being ferried across the North Atlantic and were flown by a mix of
experienced and fresh aircrew members along with civilian employees of Ferry Command.
This was the aircraft ferry service that delivered over 10,000 aircraft across the Atlantic
Ocean mainly from bases in Newfoundland, Canada, at a time when long range navigation
was in its infancy. Over 500 aircrew died during these operations. Allied aircraft were
allowed to overfly County Donegal to bases such as the Flying Boat base at Castle Archdale,
County Fermanagh and Nutt’s Corner near Aldergrove, Co. Antrim and this over flight path
was known as the Donegal Corridor. The bodies of any dead Allied airmen found along the
Irish coast or those that died in crash landings were regularly handed over at the border with
Northern Ireland and were accompanied by an Irish Army Guard of Honour which performed
a drill with reversed arms, a bugler sounded the Last Post and a Chaplain gave a blessing.
Strict wartime press censorship had the effect of controlling any reaction to the war's
unfolding events but many people from around the Easkey area remember a number of the
aircraft that crashes in the vicinity. Details below are of the recorded incidents and are listed
by date.
June 23 1940
A Hawker Henley aircraft from RAF Armaments Training Station Unit (probably from
Aldergrove) carried out an emergency landing at Easkey with two crew on board. This
particular aircraft was used as a target tug; an aircraft which towed targets for the purposes of
gun or missile practice. The names of pilots were not recorded as the crew only spoke briefly
with locals and it was on the ground only for a few minutes.
January 24 1941
A Lockheed Hudson aircraft from RAF 233 Squadron, Adergrove, Co. Antrim made a forced
landing around 5.00pm having run low on fuel in the townland of Derk Beg, Skreen. RAF
233 squadron was a coastal command patrol aircraft. The Lockheed Hudson was an
American-built light bombe rand coastal reconnaissance aircraft primarily operated by the
RAF. None of the four crew were injured. It suffered some damage but the encounter caused
32
the aircraft to lose its bearings leading to low-fuel levels. It landed in a field belonging to
Patrick Kilcullin and he, along with Peter Barrett a neighbour, were the first on the scene.
They were joined shortly after by Patrick McTernan, a Local Defence Force man. They,
along with a number of others, including the Volunteers at Aughris Look Out Post (LOP) no
67 and Rosskeragh LOP 68 (see section on Lookout Posts) had all seen the aircraft circling
over Sligo Bay. It dropped its four bombs out at sea, 2 miles south of Raghly Harbour, before
making its landing. The crew asked Peter Barrett where were they, as they thought they had
crashed in Scotland. After discovering they were in the Free State three of them, leaving one
crewman at the aircraft, went to Pat Scott’s pub and then on to Skreen Garda station. While at
Scott’s pub, a local story says that there was a row between two drunken customers and one
of the crew reportedly said he hoped he can rejoin the war as it was safer than the pub!
Shortly after, they returned to their aircraft along with Garda Sergeant Peter Byrne from
Skreen. Two members of Irish Military Intelligence, G2, arrived from Athlone searched the
aircraft and confiscated the logbooks and the two carrier pigeons that each aircraft had. A
local un-named Volunteer from Aughris LOP accidentally let off the emergency dingy and
blocked the door escape, briefly trapping the G2 men inside.
On landing it had managed to stop after 20 metres but two of its propellers had been bent and
the undercarriage retracted into the wing. An Irish Air Corps salvage team dug trenches into
which the undercarriage was lowered and they managed to repair the aircraft. An Aer Lingus
pilot then arrived and flew the plane from Kilcullin’s field to Baldonnell Aerodrome, Co.
Kildare. It became Irish Air Corps No. 91 and was used as a VIP transport aircraft, often by
the Taoiseach Eamon de Valera. The original four crew were interned in the Curragh Camp
in Co. Kildare and would have regularly seen their old plane fly over them from Baldonnell
in the new Irish Air Corps colours. Three of the crew managed to escape from the Curragh.
John William Shaw was later killed in action in June 1944 and Denys Welply shot down in
November 1944. Neither body was recovered. Roderick Cowper was taken Prisoner of War
in September 1941, having escaped from Ireland in July 1941.
May 23 1942
The aircraft involved was another Lockheed Hudson III patrol bomber, one of a batch of
Hudson delivered between April and July 1942. It had departed from Newfoundland and the
crew consisted of Royal Canadian Air Force pilot, James Constabaris, age 27; Royal Air
Force Volunteer Reserve navigator, Kenneth Dyer, age 21 and Royal Canadian Air Force
Radio Operator, Donald Engemoen, age 19. Witnesses saw the aircraft circle the area
between Dromore West and Easkey twice before reporting that it headed towards the sea and
landing in water around Carrownabinna Point just west of Easkey. The plane remained on the
surface for about 10mins and then sank 2 miles off Carrownabinna Point. The times of these
sightings was recorded to have been around 11:30 in the morning and it landed and sank
before noon. Garda Laurence Rooney of Easkey reported that at 11.50am he went from
Easkey with Garda Sergeant David Dempsey by bicycle to Killenduff. They went into John
Maguire’s field at the back of Seafield Hotel and saw it floating on surface. He and members
of the Local Defence Force searched the shoreline for survivors to no avail. Witnesses to the
crash and their statements are recorded in the Irish Military Archives G2 file (G2/X/1013)
and include Bridget Munnelly of Killenduff; Patrick Gordon and Patrick Kilcullen, of
Ballymeeny; William Casey, Ballyferris; Anthony and Kathleen Conlon, Killenduff; Anthony
Davitt, Killenduff; Daniel O’Connor, Clooneen; Henry Kilcullen, Lenadoon LOP; Charles
and Mary Ann Dowd, Ballykillcash, and Henry Culking of Donaghantraine.
33
The Irish Military advised the British Authorities in Northern Ireland and at 3.05pm the
British rescue boat, the Robert Hastie travelled from Killybegs to the scene of the reports and
searched until 12.35am but nothing was found. The Robert Hastie was a British manned
vessel which was permitted to be stationed in the harbour of Killybegs in Co. Donegal. The
body of Royal Canadian Air Force pilot Flight Lieutenant James Constabaris was discovered
near Drumbannon Point on the north coast of Donegal Bay, near to the harbour of Killybegs
six days later on Friday, 29 May 1942. His mess bill for $4.45 from the base as Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan Province, Canada was the only clue to his identity. The British Authorities in
Northern Ireland and the Canadian consulate in Dublin were informed and James
Constabaris’ remains were transferred across the border at Pettigo on May 31, 1942.
September 4, 1944
One story that is remembered well in the area around Easkey and Aughris is that of the forced
landing of Fairey Swordfish III of 811 Squadron, which had been temporarily based at the
RAF Coastal Command at Limavady, Co. Derry. The Fairey Sword fish was a torpedo
bomber biplane that began life in the 1930s, but remained in front-line service until the end of
the war, primarily as an anti-submarine aircraft. This Swordfish, with its two-man crewAlan
Arcus and. Dennis Pender had lost its bearings in bad weather while engaged in air-sea rescue
work. The aircraft was seen over Downpatrick LOP at 7.10pm before it crash landed at
9.00pm. It landed in Foley’s Field in Carrowcaslan near Skreen. It had slammed into Stephan
Foley’s hen house killing 30 chickens as well as damaging half an acre of cabbage. Mr Foley
was at a funeral of his son at the time who tragically drowned with five others in Ballysadare.
The plane crash report, including the fact Mr Foley was at his son’s funeral was to appear in
the Irish Times the following day but was censored. The henhouse was valued at £5 and the
chickens at 7 shillings 6 pence each. All bills were sent to the British Department of Defence.
The aircraft was dismantled and moved to Finner Camp, Co. Donegal before it was handed
over border to the RAF Northern Ireland at Strabane on 10 September 1944. The crew
members, Arcus and Pender, had been handed over to British authorities at Belleek on 5
September 1944.
Further Reading
Burke, D. 2011-14 www.csn.ul.ie/~dan/war/crashes.htm. Accessed 23 June 2014
Irish Military Archives Aircraft Crashes Sligo G2/X/0645; 0806; 1013; 1098; 1107; 1338;
1366; 1373.
MacCarron, D. 2003 Landfall Ireland: the story of Allied and German Aircraft which came
down in Éire in World War Two. Colourpoint Books, Newtownards.
34
Hawker Henley target tug similar to one that landed briefly near Easkey (Image: Imperial War Museum)
A Lockheed Hudson bomber, similar to one that landed in Derk Beg, near Dromard and Skreen
(Image: Royal Canadian Airforce)
35
HE
ERITAGE CO
ONNECTS CO
OMMUNITIE
P
no 507785
Flight Lieutenant
L
of thhe Royal Canadian Air Forrce, James Con
nstabaris, whoose Hudson boomber crashed
d into the
sea offf Carrownabinnna Point neaar Easkey, Mayy 1942
(Imagge: www.csn.ul.ie/)
Fairey Swordfish
S
sim
milar to one thaat force landedd in Foley’s Field, Carrowccaslan, near Skkreen, Septem
mber 1944
(Image: www.wikipedia.com)
36
37

Easkey Historical Society Edition

Transcription

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