Irelands Ancient East

HISTORY OF THE TOWNLAND OF COOLNACON

COOLNACON (meaning “The back of the hound”, also meaning “corner for the hound” and in this case wolves.)

The EARLY YEARS:

In a civil survey of 1654/56, Ballyboro was detailed as the inheritance of James Butler who owned the whole Parish of Killegney in 1641. The lands of Chapple were owned by William Doran, an Irish Papist, residing of Chapple. He owned the townlands of Clonroche, Ballymaclessy, Rathgrough, Chapple and Tomfarney. Both families were deposed after the Cromwellian wars and sent to Connacht together with thirty other families.

The townland of Clonroche was known since 1598 as Clone Roche, 1606 Cloneroiste, 1654 Clonrock, Clonroch. It was thought for some time that the name refers to Roches Meadow but a better translation comes from a mixture of Irish and French meaning “Rocky Pasture” which best describes the nature of the shingle soil. Cromwells Troops accepted the surrender of Enniscorthy Castle on 29th Sept 1649. The landlords of the time were deposed and their lands granted to Andrew Ram on the 8th July 1668 and Ballyboro was granted to William Leigh on the 13th Aug 1668.

Robert Carew, a Welsh man, was granted lands in Waterford on the 9th Feb 1668. Carew purchased the lands of Ballyboro from William Leigh on the 7th Feb 1669 and purchased Clonroche and Ballymaclessy from Andrew Ram on the 5th July 1670. This Robert Carew died in 1673. His descendent, Shapland Carew pursued a legal and political career in Dublin.  He married Doherty Dobson and returned to take over the estate of Ballyboro. In 1770, a mansion house was built on the opposite side of the Forestalstown River and the townland was renamed Castleboro. He died in 1780.

During his time as landlord, Coolnacon was heavily wooded. Carew’s forester lived there and “middlemen ” by the name of “Clancey ” rented the land from Carew and, in turn, sublet to local tenants.  Middlemen would have worked as go-betweens with all landlords of the time.

The Clancey’s – Patrick, William, Peter and Edmond rented land from Carew on 25th March 1742.  Another reference to Coolnacon states that Carew gave permission on the 26th April 1763 to the locals of Coolnacon to cut 9 parches of turf from the bog in Killegney. One of the Clancey’s travelled to America around this time to make money to pay off a debt his mother had. In the 1800’s he arrived back from America. He is reported to have stopped off at a shebbin presently called M’Cabes (which later became the local pub). But he never made it back to Coolnacon and his body was never found. A local man in the area was suspected of the murder but it was never proven.  Years later, the same man was convicted of another murder and sent to prison.