Kilshannig
Cill Seanaigh (keel shanig)/Kilshannig – Seanach’s (shanuch) Church. In 1841 it had a population of 197 and 36 inhabited houses.
An Teampall (un toumpul) The church – The first record of Kilshannig Church was in 1302 although it is likely that it was built on a pre-existing monastic site. It is thought that the present church may have been a 15th or 16th century refurbishment. The Kerry Field Club, following a visit to the church in the early 1940’s, maintained that it was here that Gregory Hoare’s son, Hugh, married Marian, the daughter of his father’s
arch-rival, William Moore.
Carraig a Mhúraig (korig uh voorig) – According to folklore, this was the rock on which local man Tom Moore found the mermaid that he later married.
An Reilig (un relig) – The Graveyard.
Bun a’ Teampaill (bun uh toumpil) – (On the strand) below the church.
The Spa – A spring well which was used by the local women for washing clothes.
Tommy Jack’s Gap – Named after Thomas Flynn who lived nearby.
Pairc a’ Teampaill (pawrk uh toumpil) – The church field.
Cloch a’ Turais (cluch uh trish) – Rock of the pilgrimage. ‘Rounds’ of the rock were done here on Good Fridays.
An Pháirc (un fawrk)/The Páirc – The field.
Carr na Gaibhle (cor nuh goyleh). The rough patch of the fork-shaped inlet. The gravel found on the beach was used by Kerry County Council to make concrete blocks during the 1950’s.
The Carr na Gaibhles – The fields immediately to the south of Carr na Gaibhle.
Mullach’s Carr na Gaibhle – A field belonging to Ned Moriarty, originally from Mullach Bhéal (muloch vee-ul), Cloghane, who married in Kilshannig. He was known in Maharees as ‘Mullach’.
Poinnte Garbh (peenteh goruv) – Rough Point.
Tóin na gCliabh (tohn nuh glee-uv) – The bottom of the ribs. A submerged limestone ridge extending from Donnagán Island to Rough Point The ribs may refer to the strata of the limestone visible through the clear water on a calm day.
Páirc Lár (pawrk lawr) – The Páirc Lárs – the middle fields. The field belonging to Patrick Ashe (Nameny), where the signal tower was built was known as ‘Nameny’s Páirc Lár’ which became the title of a song composed by a Fitzgerald man from Brandon.
The Towers – The fields surrounding the signal tower.
The Paddock.
The Tower – The Kilshannig signal tower was built between June 1813 and July 1816 by a father and son from Tipperary named Quinlan. The towers, located around the coast, were originally intended as look-outs during the Napoleonic Wars. The defeat of Napoleon in 1815 reduced the threat of a French invasion and the Kilshannig tower later accommodated the coastguard, Frank Goodwin, who arrived from Foynes, Co. Limerick between 1820 and 1825.
Portachard (portachawrd) – Meaning unknown. An inlet on the south western side of Pointe Garbh.
Na Calaithí (nuh koluheh)/The Calaithes – A caladh (koluh) or calaithe (caluheh) is ‘a landing place’.
Calaithe ’n Ghrin (koluheen g*reen). – The gravel landing place. It was here the inhabitants of Oileán tSeanaigh landed when visiting the mainland prior to the construction of the pier at Scraggane in 1897. The loose gravel allowed the islanders to dig the gunnel of their canoe into the beach which was a help when loading or unloading cattle and horses.
Calaithe ’n Bháid (koluheen vawd) – The landing place of the boat.
Calaithe ’n Bháid Gap.
Poll Ceoin (poul kyohn) – Derived from Poll (Mhi)c Eoin – ‘Johnson’s Hole’. Although not extensive in size, it was a great place for seaweed as it was located beside the Calaithe ‘n Bháid Gap.
Mullach’s (muloch) Meadow – A field belonging to Ned Moriarty.
Na Carnáin (nuh kornawn)/The Carnáns – The Mounds. Fields with low-lying sand dunes, much of which were removed to increase soil fertility.
Calaithe an Charnáin (koluheen chornawn) – The landing place of the mound.
The Limestone Gap – A gap from the strand through limestone rock at Calaithe an Charnáin.
Calaithe Léin (caluhee layn) or Tráigh Léin (trawg layn) according to ‘An Seabhac’ – The landing place of Léin/Ellen.
Srón Firtéar (srohn firtayr) – Ferriter’s Point.
Stuaic Firtéar (stoo-ek firtayr) – The sand dune immediately inland from Srón Firtéar.
Oileán Liath (ilawn lee-eh) – The Grey Island. The local people used pick carrageen moss here during very low tides.
Log na gCapall (lug nuh gopul) – Hollow of the horse. On the way out to Oileán Liath, a sandy patch with a few rocks, visible only during a spring tide.
Carr na Gé Mhór (kor nuh gay voo-ur) – The large rough patch of the geese.
Carr na Gé Bheag (kor nuh gay vyug) – The little rough patch of the geese.
Oileán Domhnaill (ilawn dohnil) – Domhnall’s Island). In October 1758, the 499 ton East Indiaman sail vessel, the York, with a crew of ninety nine, was wrecked here having been deliberately led by pirates onto the submerged rocks.
The Kiln – In the 1890’s James O’Donnell, Castlegregory, organised the building of kilns for burning of seaweed to make kelp which was sold for the production of iodine. The industry was revived in the early 1930’s by Cllr. Kate Breen.
Kilshannig Point.
An Eitir (un etir) – The channel.
The White Bank – A low-lying sand bank, visible offshore at low tide.
Poll Buí (poul bwee) – The Yellow Hole; a yellow clay was dug here from the cliff. Mixed with water, the clay formed a mortar named gaoidhean (geen) used for building stone-walled houses.
Glasláthair (glos-lawhir) – The green place; derives its name from mud banks of green Zostera grass, locally known as ‘swi’.
Clochar (kluhur)/The Cloichears – Stoney fields.
The Wells.
Milleach (miluch) – Derives from ‘imleach’ (imiluch), a piece of land differing in quality from the land around it.
The Middle Gap.
Scairt (skart) – Shelter. The beach to the east of Milleach, sheltered from the Atlantic Ocean and the prevailing south westerly winds. On 24 December 1847, at the height of the Great Famine, the 31 ton sloop Industry, with a cargo of flour and meal destined for Tralee, was deliberately driven ashore at Scairt by the captain in an effort to provide food for the starving people.