TOWNLAND TALES: Digging into the fields of Murrisk, Burrishoole and Carra

THIS is the third article on the townland names in Mayo containing the word ‘field.’
This week, before concluding the series in a fortnight’s time, we will take a look at the baronies of Murrisk, Burrishoole and Carra.
Rockfield appears three times as a townland name, with one in the parish of Aghagower, in the barony of Burrishoole, another near Claremorris, and the third one located close to Castlebar, in the barony of Carra. There is also a Rockfield House in Keel East on Achill.
This reduces the remaining number to six, ie, Newfield, Buckfield, and Forkfield, all in Burrishoole; Springfield in Carra; and Churchfield and Midgefield, both in Murrisk.
Ostensibly, Rockfield, Gort na Cloiche, ‘the field of the stone,’ may not rank as one of the most remarkable placenames in our county, but occasionally this townland name may have derived from the presence of a significant ‘standing stone,’ or gallán, in the area. In the specific case of Rockfield in Aghagower, Mac Gabhann says ‘there is no mention in the usual sources of a gallán in the townland; there may once have been one on the hill to the south-east. There are streams on the eastern and northern borders, but it is hardly necessary to imagine a ‘rocky shore’ stone.

Translated version
A TRANSLATED version of the Irish placename began to be used around 1833. There are 20 townlands called Rockfield in the country and there are two others in Mayo. The railway line passes through Rockfield and it is located south of the N5, close to Kilbree Upper and Lower.
Rockfield, near Turlough, started out as Gort na Cloiche, in 1661, and Stonepark, Turlough, was recorded in 1738. A Rockfield Lodge appears on Taylor & Skinner’s map of 1778 and this Rockfield came into common usage around 1810. John O’Donovan recorded the Irish name and added the following information in his Ordnance Survey Namebooks: ‘[Rockfield] contains 365 acres, soil [is] heavy clay ground. Bog, plenty. Prevailing names, Clarke and Ruane. [There are] four forts in this townland. [There are] some caves in these forts.’
According to the Census of 1851, there was only one Newfield in the country, and that is the one synonymous with Tiernaur, Tír an Áir, ‘the district of slaughter’, located between Newport and Mulranny. In 1838, Newfield House, on the coast, was the property of J Mcloughlin, later it was bought by Henry J. Smith of County Meath.
Newfield, An Pháirc Nua, is nowadays best known for Nevin’s Newfield Inn, a fine bar/restaurant on the main road adjacent to Newfield Church, and easily accessible from the Greenway. However, in 1869, Tír an Áir lived up to its infamous name, following the murder of James Hunter, a Scottish farmer, who had moved to the area following a period of employment with Captain William Houstoun of Doolough. Tiernaur is a very ancient name, that can be traced as far back as circa 1100 via The Metrical Dindshenchas.
Buckfield, (?)Cill Dabheoige, ‘St Dabheog’s church,’ was named that in 1617 and it remained so until 1797 when first recorded in Lord Sligo’s Rent Rolls as ‘Buckfield.’ I doubt anyone refers to the townland as Cill dá bhoic, ‘church of the two bucks (stags)’ nowadays but that was how O’Donovan translated it in 1838. He recorded no antiquities and there is no trace of a cill or church there today.
Meanwhile, over near Aghagower, Forkfield is also known as ‘Gowel,’ an anglicisation of gabhall, meaning a fork. There are two other Gowels in Mayo, in Costello and Clanmorris. In placenames it generally refers to a fork in a river.

‘Half quarter’
SPRINGFIELD townland, Gort an Tobair, is a suburb of Castlebar. It started out as the ‘half quarter’ or Leath Ceathrú, in 1614. William Bald marked it as Springfield for the first time in his 1830 map of Mayo. The OS namebooks (1838) added: ‘The townland is supposed to have its name from a remarkable spring which is situate near the centre of the townland and south bank of the Castlebar River, nearly opposite to Millbrook House ruins [in Knockthomas], and about 8 chains west of Bleach Mill ruins. In the south angle of this townland stands a house with a large garden called Springfield House.’
Churchfield, An Nuachabháil, ‘the new foundation,’ is the townland where ‘Aghavale’ cemetery lies on the ‘west’ road to Louisburgh.
Finally, we looked at Midgefield, Tawnynameeltoge, Tamhnaigh na Míoltóg, meaning ‘the mountain-field’ of the midges,’ previously in an article on tamhnaigh.

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.