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Cnap-hillock, lump, knob. Cnapóg-Little hill (sometimes found as Crapóg).

Knopoge derives its name from “Cnapoige”, the place abounding in little hills. It is applied to hard hilly land. There are many similarly named townlands throughout the country, but this English spelling is unique to our one. Knoppoge is in Kerry; Knappoge is in Longford.

The English spelling of our own townland has had many variations since first recorded in 1577. It is, to this day, at odds with the castle which resides within it!

 

Down Survey Records

Name: Carrowkeile (An Ceathrú Caol/Coill?) alias Drumhanlisha (Drom an Liosa?)

Profitable land: 30 plantation acres. Unprofitable land: 143 plantation acres

Forfeited: 30 plantation acres

1641 Owner(s): McNamarafin, Daniall (Catholic)

1659 Census Total: 16 (all Irish) Later record shows 29 (English: 27 Irish: 2) Titulado: Arthur Smith (until 1661).

1670 Owner(s): McNamara, John (Catholic)

Griffiths Valuation Records

1855 residents: Lord Dunboyne, John Fawl, John Hanneen

Census Records

1891 population 28, residences 7

1901 residents: Pat/Margaret Hannon plus 3 children; Patrick/Catherine Hickey plus 5 children; Thomas/Bridget Scanlan plus 3 children. Domestic staff: Patrick/Mary Moroney; Margaret/Kate Doogan; Thomas Brennan; Timothy McCarthy. 5 of 7 dwellings recorded.

1911 residents: Joseph O’Toole with Bartley Larkin (Lodger); Patrick/Catherine Hickey plus 4 children; Patrick/Anne Scanlan plus one child; Catherine Duggan plus Thomas Brennan (Boarder); Robert/Maude Dunboyne(Butler) plus one child and 6 domestic staff; Patrick/Mary Moroney plus 2 children; Francis Daly; Margaret Hannon plus 3 children. 8 of 8 dwellings recorded.

 

Knopoge (alias Knappogue) Castle & Tower House CL042-086

The castle was built by Sean Mac Con, the son of Sioda MacNamara. It was one of 42 castles built by the McNamaras in Clare as a defence against the approaching Norman invasions. They had ruled over the territories of Clancullen (Clann Coileán) for a thousand years but now faced a different class of enemy.

Sean Mac Con was the man who built the great transept of Quin Abbey and completed the construction of Bunratty Castle which his father Síoda had started. The Four Masters referred to him as “the chief protector of the men of Ireland and renowned for his hospitality”.

Knopoge Castle became a Cromwellian garrison during that era as the MacNamaras had supported the royalist cause. Arthur Smith was granted tenancy of Knopoge by the Cromwellians and occupied the building from 1659 to 1661. After the restoration of the English monarchy, the MacNamaras regained ownership.

 

1467 – Tower House Castle built by Sean Mac Macon Mac Sioda MacNamara

1576 – in the hands of Turlough O’Brien

1584 – John Mac Namara was in possession

1585 – He signed the composition with Sir John Perrott, as John Mac Namara of Knappock, called Mac Namar of West Clancullen. This branch of the family, who added Finn to their name, were lords of West Clancullen, and possessed the castle of Dangan Iviggen1641, in possession of Daniel Mac Namara Finn who died in 1652, but his castle was given over by the Cromwellians to Arthur Smith, Daniel’s son.

 

1800 – Francis MacNamara sold it to the Scott family. They spent a considerable amount of money renovating it.

1855 – Theobold Fitzwalter Butler, 14th Baron Dunboyne, bought it and turned it into the new family seat of the Dunboyne family. They continued the restoration work started by the Scotts. They added a drawing-room, the long room and a west wing, which included the clock tower and the gateway. The Knappogue demesne then covered 486 acres, but further purchases of adjoining lands brought Lord Dunboyne’s total acquisition to 1448 acres.

1856 – He then proceeded to enlarge the castle, the foundation stone of a new west wing and clock tower was laid

 

1920 – During the Troubles the Clare County Council met here, guarded by the East Clare Flying Column of the I.R.A., whose commanding officer, General Michael Brennan, used this historic building as his headquarters.

1927 – the Knopoge demesne was purchased by the Land Commission and the castle became the possession of the Quinn family.

1966 – bought by Mark Edwin Andrews of Houston, Texas, former Assistant Secretary of the United States Navy. With his wife Lavonne, a prominent architect in the U.S., and in co-operation with the Shannon Free Airport Development Company and Bord Failte Eireann, he carried out an extensive restoration before leasing part of the castle to the Irish Government as a cultural and tourist amenity for a nominal rent.

Knopoge Wedgetomb CL042-092

Wedgetomb as it is today and sketch made by TJ Westropp c1910

This small Wedge Tomb, marked on the OS map as a ‘Cromlech’, is located on good level
pasture, east of the standing stones and castle at Knopoge. The tomb, orientated NW – SE, consists of four side-stones, two on each side, a back-stone and a roof-stone. The chamber is partially filled with cairn material and the entire structure is sited on a circular mound 10m in diameter.

 

Other National Monument Features

CL042-085/088/177 Standing Stones

CL042-089 Standing Row

CL042-091 Embanked Barrow

CL042-087 Burial Ground

CL042-176 Fulacht Fia

CL042-048001 Enclosure (part of Ballymarkahan Cashel cluster)

Although not recorded as such, the gate pillars surrounding the castle estate surely deserve National Monument status and should be given due protection.

Gatepost at the castle showing distance to Quin, Spancilhill, Ennis in both English and Irish miles.

 

Closing Comments

Of the 2sq/km (0.78 sq/miles) contained within Knopoge townland, two thirds is within the area we know as Knappogue Castle demesne. It is difficult to discuss this townland without giving widespread attention to the castle estate.

The estate, castle and many noted heritage features add to the richness of our parish in terms of places to see and visit. Alongside Craggaunowen, Mooghaun, Magh Adhair and Quin Abbey, we are surrounded by an abundance of historical antiquities. The estate itself is due to reopen in spring offering 5-star accommodation. Further investment is promised for Craggaunowen. We hope to see the visitor experience of our abbey to be enhanced in the coming year. All of this, if clustered and marketed together should attract more visitor numbers and appreciation for the heritage of Quin into the future.

 

Reference websites

Butler family history:

https://landedestates.ie/estate/1997

National Monument & Heritage map

https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8

Townland/Placename information:

https://www.logainm.ie/en/7977

 

 

 

 

Seán na Gealaí

Halloween is the direct descendent of Samhain. It was the night when the gap between this world and the spirit world narrowed.  Known as Oiche Shamhna or ‘spirit night’, the souls of the dead were expected to return to the family home. The Church introduced the Feast of All Saints (Nov1) and the Feast of All Souls (Nov 2nd) to counter Samhain. Evil spirits were also thought to be abroad and people avoided travelling alone on this night.

   “Deireann na daoine go mbíonn sidheogaí amuigh oidhche Shamhna”, Schools’ Collection (NFCS 249).

Origins of Samhain

Contender 1- Tulsk, County Roscommon

Oweynagat Cave, Uaimh na gCat, meaning the ‘Cave of the Cats’ in Rath Croaghan. The Book of Leinster names it as dorus iffrin na Hérend – Ireland’s Gateway to Hell. Demons and all kinds of creatures emerge from here on Oiche Shamhna.

 Echtra Nerai (the Adventures of Nera) is first mentioned in the 10th century Cath Maige Mucrama story,  happening at Samhain.

Oweynagat Cave is also said to be the home of the Morrigan. She is portrayed as a goddess of battle and war, with the power to transform into crows or ravens. Her dreaded cry was frequently heard over battlefields.

Echtra Nerai, the Adventures of Nera

An Irish text taken from the Ulster Cycle, dating to the tenth century entitled ‘Nera and the Dead Man’, tells of the warrior Nera who accepts a dare during a dark and stormy Samhain night to tie a withy around the ankle of a hanging dead man. As he does so, the corpse suddenly comes to life and asks Nera to carry him on his back. Nera complies. After some adventures Nera gets the dead man back to his tree. All of this takes place at Samhain at Rath Croaghan/Cruachan, hence its association with Halloween.

Contender 2 – Tlachtga, Meath

The original Tlachtga was a druidess of considerable power and importance, the daughter of Mug Ruith who lived on Valentia Island in Kerry. He is said to have lived through the reign of nineteen kings, with his lifespan stretching back to the time of Christ on earth. Tlachtga and her father could travel the world on the Rath, a fabulous spinning wheel of fire that easily transported them. Mug Ruith sought out knowledge and learning like few before him and it was in this manner that he and Tlachtga travelled to study under Simon Magus (Simon the Sorcerer), who is mentioned in the Bible.

Simon Magus and Mug Ruith sent Tlachtga out into the world to gather as much knowledge as she could find. Upon her return they realized that her knowledge far surpassed their own!
They were outraged and such was their jealousy that they set the three sons of Simon Magus upon Tlachtga, who defiled her. She returned to Ireland where she gave birth to three sons, Dorb (Doirb), Cuma (Cumma) and Muach.

It was on the hill of Ward in county Meath that Tlachtga brought her three sons into the world, and it was there that she died, unable to sustain her life in the face of the utter grief and despair she felt at the indignity she had endured.

In recent years a renewal of the annual gathering on the hill of Ward now attracts hundreds of people at Halloween. A walk from Athboy up towards the Hill itself culminates with a celebration, with elaborate ceremonies and an acknowledgement of the cultural gift to Ireland and the world that Tlachtga represents.

In the ancient kingdom of Mide, Tlachtga was considered an important assembly place alongside Tara, Teiltun and Uisneach. These four ‘corners’ are recorded as having been the location of fortresses constructed by high king Tuathal Techmar at the foundation of Mide in the early decades of the first millennium AD.

‘Much of the (archaeological) evidence points towards a long history of ritual activity. Large quantities of animal bones – a sign of large scale feasting have been found throughout all phases of the site. The lack of evidence of any residential or day to day activity strengthens the idea that it most likely it was set aside purely for ritual or celebratory activity.

There have been finds in all three phases of the site, including scattered Bronze Age human remains and the skeleton of an infant between seven and ten months old… The child burial, next to a ritual deposit of cow bones, dates to AD 450 – around the time of the arrival of Christianity.

“The child was clearly buried with care and having not found any evidence of burials on the site, we’d have to guess that This child belonged to someone significant”.

Harvest knots and Guises

 

 

Homemade masks made by village boys calling to local houses on Oiche Shamhna

Outdoors

Unlike May when the fairies are active, November Eve brings malevolent spirits. It is the night for community bonfires, especially in housing estates in the cities and towns. Collecting the last handful of fruit and nuts.

Indoors

Families would attempt to have a celebratory supper on Oiche Shamhna. Family supper might be colcannon or pandy. They would first secure the house by sprinkling Holy Water and possibly placing a religious object in the thatch near the front door.

Typical Samhain Food included pancakes, stampy (a potato and apple cake, crusted with barley, enhanced with sea spinach and rock samphire & cooked with oil) apple cakes, nuts, blackberry pies.

An bairín breac/the barmbrack or the ‘speckled loaf’, containing oodles of dried autumn fruits is still a favourite treat, with lashings of butter.

Tokens inside the traditional loaf included the ring as a symbol of love and marriage,  a thimble (spinsterhood); a button (bachelorhood); a stick (to be beaten by the spouse); a rag (poverty); a coin (wealth) and a crucifix (the taking of religious orders).

Future Reading