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Know your Townland – Deerpark/Páirc na bhFianna

Both Deerpark North and South were part of what was known historically as Ceathrú an Iúir.  (Ceathrú – quarterland, iúr – yew-tree). It was first recorded as Deerpark North/South in 1839. From 1580, when the first written records become available, until then, it appears under different English spellings of Carhunanure or Carrowanure. Deerpark is a generic name introduced by the landed gentry to describe areas where they contained their own stock of fallow deer as a permanent supply of venison. The placename is numerous in Clare and beyond and is easily confused during research with Deerpark in Doora.

Deerpark North/Páirc na bhFianna Thuaidh

Squeezed between Craggaunowen and Cullaun, Deerpark North, devoid of population, is almost entirely forested. The smaller Deerpark South, at only 13 acres, is now the more populated of the two with five or six families now residing there.

Census Records – Deerpark North

1841 Census: Population 11; Households 2

1851 Census: Population 12; Households 2

1861 Census: Population 4; Households 1

1871 Census: Population 7; Households 1

 

1881 Census: Population 5; Households 2

This was the last year that anyone was recorded as living in this townland. The enumerator reported that it was uninhabited in following surveys. See below:

1918 Redmond Fund:

Patrick Devanny and Morgan Fahy are listed with an address at Deerpark, Quin. Since neither census in 1911 and 1926 return any residents for either Deerpark townland, these may be land holders only.

National Monuments

Castle CL043-017002: Situated in a gently undulating field in pasture. Named ‘Castle (in ruins)’ on the 1st edition OS 6-inch map and ‘Castle (site of)’ on the 1922 edition with hachures indicating the mound on which it stood. Known as Cullaun Castle, Cullaun townland and Lough Cullaunyheeda lying immediately to the E. Few historical details are available but it was apparently built by either Seán or Eoghan McNamara (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997). Murrough O’Brien, in his will of 1551 leaves the castle of Cullaun to his son Donough O’Brien of Lemeneagh Castle (ibid.). By 1618 the castle was in ruins and had passed to his third cousin Donough O’Brien, 4th Earl of Thomond. An inquisition of that date records Donough conveying to ‘Maurice Mulconrey and his heir, the ruined castle and lands of Cullane…’ (ibid.). On inspection in 1992 extensive land reclamation was taking place and a large part of the mound had been destroyed. Large quantities of stone from the mound had been piled up, including quoins, window jambs and a sill stone with a pivot hole (SMR file). In 2004 a large chunk of mortared masonry (possibly portion of a collapsed ceiling vault) was noted on site and the mound was described as 15 in diameter and 3m high (Ua Cróinín and Breen 1997). On the same occasion a chisel-dressed stone was noted in a nearby wall. An inspection in 2019 found that all the above loose stone had been removed and a largely grassed-over mound remained.

Courtesy of Mary Tully, NMS

 CL043-015 & CL043-016: Enclosures.                             CL043-113 megalithic tomb/wedge tomb.

 A note on the function of deer parks

In the later medieval, the aristocracy preferred parks that were next to or close to their residences. By reserving large areas of land for their own use, elites made conspicuous statements of their high privileges to others. Designed to keep intruders out and animals in, park boundaries usually comprised inner ditches and outer banks surmounted by a palisade or wall. They usually contained a mixture of woodland and grazing pasture, and often included features such as fishponds, rabbit warrens and hunting lodges. Although a Norman introduction to Britain in the 13th century, the evidence of its later introduction here by the British is still to be found close to their former demesnes.

Deerpark South/Páirc na bhFianna Theas

Sample Petty Session Court Cases for residents of Deerpark

Martin Collins June 16th 1899, sale of pigs on public road.

 

Some Baptisms in Deerpark in 1800’s

December 1834 Bridget Murphy, born to Pat Murphy & Mary (Clune).

Witnesses Michael O’Brien, Ann Corbett.

May 16th 1868 Michael Meehan, born to Pat Meehan & Kate (Quin).

Witnesses Michael Strafford, Mary Strafford.

November 8th 1869 Martin Meehan, born to Pat Meehan & Kate (Quin).

Witness Mary Lillis.

 

Closing Comment

As it stands, the placename recorded in logainm.ie, the designated authority (and website) on these matters, is Deerpark/Páirc na bhFianna. Should not the original Gaelic name, Ceathrú an Iúir, be retained rather than the direct translation of the generic Deerpark. This practice has been undertaken elsewhere including the nearby Newmarket-on-Fergus.

William Marshal was the son-in-law of Richard de Clare, who we know of as Strongbow. Through marriage to the daughter of Aoife, daughter of Diarmuid MacMurrough, Marshal inherited vast tracts of land in Leinster. His wife was Isobel de Clare.

 

What did he ever do for us?

Marshal left his mark on the eastern side of the country through castle ruins at Ferns (home of the MacMurrough’s), Carlow, Kilkenny, Laois, amongst some others abroad. Most of his castles were built as four towered Keeps, in the same way as Quin Castle, built much later by Thomas de Clare. To re-imagine what his ancestor built in Quin, let’s look at what’s still extant elsewhere in Ireland.

 

Left: The marriage of Strongbow to Aoife. The painting depicts the 1170 marriage of the Norman knight Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke (“Strongbow”) to the Irish princess Aoife Ní Diarmait in Christ Church Cathedral, Waterford. It is portrayed as a pivotal moment in the Norman conquest of Ireland and the death of Gaelic Ireland.
In the foreground are the bodies of dead Irish warriors. To the left is a broken-stringed Celtic harp. Richard stands on a broken high cross.

 

Ferns Castle, Wexford

This castle was built on the site of the original MacMurrough clan seat of power to secure control of the region for William Marshal. The local Gaelic clans eventually burned them out in 1346, a faith very similar to that of Quin Castle. The Kavanaghs were then in control until 1540.

Carlow Castle, Carlow

Carlow Castle belongs to a small group of early stone castles known as four-towered keeps. These castles exhibit a rectangular or square design with cylindrical drum towers at each corner and cross-shaped arrow loop windows.

Excavations conducted in the 1990s revealed that the original structure was two storeys high, with some outer walls extending above the roof level. The castle walls measured 2.7 meters in thickness (as per Quin Castle) and rose from a battered plinth. The floors and roof were constructed from timber, with stone staircases embedded within the walls, providing access to the upper levels and roof. The entrance to the castle was located at first-floor level, accessible via a doorway in the north wall.

So what might Quin Castle have looked like?

We have other examples of Anglo Norman castles with round bastions, or towers supporting adjoining walls. Trim Castle, built by Hugh and Walter de Lacy, or Roscommon castle built by Robert de Ufford are of different footprint shape but otherwise similar. We know only that King John ordered the building of a castle in Limerick.

View from outside and inside a typical Norman Keep Castle

 

A previous attempt at recreating an image of Quin Castle was made by local architect, the late Frank O’Meara. As can be seen from this drawing, it is not dissimilar to what appears above in this post.

 

 

 

Left: Drawing by Frank O’Meara, courtesy of Ann McNamara Lawlor.

Is there a role here for AI?

Artificial intelligence may be useful and of course is improving all the time. Below is an attempt at availing of this tool to produce an image of Quin Castle surrounded by An Anglo Norman village. The moat and River Rine may not have been as wide as shown here:

We would welcome any input that readers would like to make to this exploration. The end result will help the visitors to our village gain a much better appreciation of what they are experiencing when they come here. Additionally, it will add Quin to the list of projects that will be undertaken next year as part of a broader European celebration.