TOWNLAND TALES: Wicked dogs and windblown hawthorns

Two weeks ago, we were in the southeastern barony of Clanmorris, where we took our first look at ‘-field’ names. This time, we move further south/southwest to the baronies of Kilmaine and Ross, which together boast the highest number of townlands containing the word ‘field’.
There’s a short story in the nine prefixes: Anne, Nymphs, Grey, Church (Lower), Bush, Bloom, Corn, Music and Church (Upper).
Kilmaine and Ross are usually discussed in tandem. According to the Annals of the Four Masters, quoted in Fiachra Mac Gabhann’s ‘Logainmneacha Mhaigh Eo’, “The barony of Kilmaine, in the county of Mayo, was called Conmaicne Cuile Tolaidh, and the barony of Dunmore, in the county of Galway, was called Conmaicne Cineil Dubhain.” Conmaicne was a general term for a tribe or ‘people’ (as in, the Conmaicne Mara, anglicised as Connemara).
According to scholar Nollaig Ó Muraíle, “Ross appears on Browne’s Map, 1584, as part of Mayo, but this was disputed by Co Galway and it was dealt with as part of the latter county in the Composition Book of Connacht, 1585. About a third of the barony was transferred back to Mayo under the Local Government Act of 1898.
“Under this Act, part of Costello barony was transferred to Co Roscommon [following on from the transfer of Inishbofin and Inishark in the barony of Murrisk to Co Galway in 1868], Ross was [previously] considered part of Mayo in the uncertain early years, up to about 1585.”
Between them, the two baronies consist of 14 civil parishes and 593 townlands.

Nymphs and hags
Nymphsfield is in the parish of Cong. Possibly rendered in Irish as Gort na Caillí, 19th-century place-name researcher John O’Donovan translated it as ‘Field of the (Black) Hag’, and he qualified his translation with “those fields o’er which the nymphs (i.e. caileachí) will never roam.”
O’Donovan appeared quite taken by the place and added in his OS notes (1838): “Captain Webb’s Hole in Nymphsfield [is] a deep hole in which a woman threw him…. He had been in the habit of ravishing women and drowning them, wicked dog.” There is also a stream nearby, translated as the Hag’s Stream.
There are two ‘field names’ in Kilmainemore – Musicfield and Greyfield.
Musicfield comes from Gort an Cheoil, or ‘Field of the Music’, and if you ever turned left in Kilmaine towards Foxhall, you pass through it just after the graveyard, which is in Gortnastang (Gort na Stang, or ‘Field of the Land Divisions’). Named Gortakole on William Bald’s map of 1830, it has been known as Musicfield since 1838 and, possibly, even earlier. On January 21, 1748, a duel was fought here beside Killernan Castle between John Browne of the Neale (victor) and Robert Miller of Millford, Co Galway (vanquished).
Greyfield, also known as Clylea, comes from ‘An Claí Liath’, or ‘The Grey Ditch’. In 1838, this was the property of Mr Crombie of Annefield in Kilcommon parish. This townland is situated on the southwest boundary of the parish with Kilmainebeg – a third of a mile south of Clyard, Claí Ard or ‘High Ditch’.
Greyfield is not mentioned in the sources from 1635 to 1835. One form of the name is quite close to the original Irish form. A fence is qualified in this case by ‘grey’, Greyfield’s English version seems to be a kind of semi-translation of the original Irish form.

From bush to bloom
Both Annefield and Bushfield are in the parish of Kilcommon. Annefield was originally known as ‘Shehanagh’. A common townland name, it comes from Sceach na Gaoithe, meaning ‘Hawthorn of the Wind’. The English rendition comes from an Annefield House, shown on the first edition of the six-inch-to-the-mile map.
Bushfield, or Na Críocha Dubha Thuaidh (‘The Black Boundary Lands, North’), was recorded as “the property of David Watson Rutledge Esq (Dublin), held by Mrs White of this townland; sublet without lease to Robt Fair Esq of Kilmain parish at the annual rent of £280.”
Bloomfield and Cornfield are in Robeen parish. Bloomfield House gave its name to this townland, and there is uncertainty over the meaning of the original Irish name or translations thereof. John O’Donovan was given the name Poll Draíghean or ‘Hole of the Blackthorns or Sloe Bushes’ in 1838.
Cornfield is from Creagán an Arbha, meaning the ‘Rocky Place of the Corn’. There was a Cornfield House too, and both properties were owned by a Mr Ruttledge.
Finally, in Ballinrobe, we have Churchfield Upper and Churchfield Lower. These come from Páirc an Teampaill Uachtarach/Iochtarach, ‘Field of the Church, Upper/Lower.’

Dr John O’Callaghan is a mountain walk leader who has organised and led expeditions both at home and abroad. He has served on the board of Mountaineering Ireland and is currently on the Irish Uplands Forum board.