Cahergowan townland minor placenames

The minor placenames of the townland of Cahergowan, Claregalway, Co. Galway

O'Flaherty

Larkins 1812 Map of Co. Galway showing Cahergowan/Summerfield with settlement marked in Cahergowan and Clogher

The minor placenames of the townland of Cahergowan, Claregalway, Co. Galway

The large townland of Cahergowan is located southwest of the village of Claregalway and covers an area of approximately 841 acres. Today, much of the modern village of Claregalway is located in the northeastern portion of the townland. In the 1830s, the Ordnance Survey recorded this townland as ‘Cahergowan or Summerfield’, although today, Summerfield is seldom used to identify the locality. The Ordnance Survey Name Books record the townland as: ‘the property of Lord Clanmorris, and under tillage with the exception of some portions of rocky pasture. It is bounded on the east by the road from Galway to Tuam and it contains a large portion of bog on its west side, in its centre a large village of houses, and a great portion of it centre is subject to Winter floods.’

At the time of this survey Cahergowan is recorded locally as Cathair Ghobhan meaning ‘fort of the smith‘. No provenance is given for the origin of the placename Summerfield, but a simple interpretation of this name is an area of ground that is used for pasture predominantly during the summer months. A large portion of the north of the townland was boggy, wet and subject to flooding during winter, and the name Summerfield might reflect this. 

There were two significant settlement clusters in the townland of Cahergowan in the mid 19th century, both of the fringes of the bog. The first of these was at the end of what is known today as Clogher Road, and comprised 26 buildings grouped around a network of small fields and bótharíns. However, the name Clogher is not recorded at this time, and is not marked on a map until the time of the First Edition 25-inch Ordnance Survey toward the end of the 19th century. The second mid 19th century settlement cluster was located at Búisín Pádhraic and comprised approximately 55 buildings, again grouped around a network of small fields and bótharíns.

Together with Montiagh, the settlements at Clogher and Cahergowan/Búisín Pádhraic represent a distinctive settlement pattern on the edge of the boglands. These settlement clusters, known as Clocháns, were relatively densely populated areas on poorer quality land at the fringes of the wetlands, and away from the estate lands of Rocklawn and Rockwood.

Our work in the townland during 2020 identified 45 minor placenames and places of interest known locally. These are marked on the map below, and included in tabulated format. These placenames were collected by Mike Hession from Páraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty and Gerry Cullinane.  Included in this are numerous names provided by Clogher resident Phillip Cribbin who inherited the list of field names provided by his late bother-in-law Johnny Casserly who resided in Cahergowan. The placenames collected are frequently as Gaeilge, and refer to fields, wells, houses, hills, bogs, gardens, and other elements of the local landscape.

This work is on-going. If you know of any other minor placenames in the parish of Claregalway that may be of interest, and you would like to contribute to our survey, please do get in touch.


Placename (Gaeilge)Placename (English)CollectorInformant
Triangulation PillarMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Tobar WellCahergown WellMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Mass PathMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Tobar CasbhailteMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
SandpitMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
LimekilnMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Oileán DroicheadMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
CommonageMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
CommonageMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Johnny Casserly’s plotsMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
The Hurling FieldMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Mike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Right of WayMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Martin Walls HouseMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Clochán an SagartMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Foot BridgeMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Búisín PádhraicMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Julia Fordes HomeMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Páirc na h-Altora botharínMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
An LisínMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Páirc na h-AltoraMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Fr. Mannion’s HouseMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Noones Family HomeMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Ram PháircMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
McGuinness’sMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
An Páirc fadaMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Batty and Paddy Coady’s sand pitMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
The CanalMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Well at Sonny Kellys houseMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Tóim na TalúnaMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Tobar an ClochairMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
GallassesMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Bóithrín na LacaMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
An RíascaighMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
An leaganMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Bun na RíascaighMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
An MóinchéanMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Cnocán DroighnínMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Páirc AinmhitheMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Pairc na MánaighMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
QuarryMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Páirc DaithíMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Tobar PáraicMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
Páirc na bpoillMike HessionPáraic Noone, Tomás Noone, Martin Flaherty, Gerry Cullinane
WellEnda O FlahertyEnda O’Flaherty
This page was added on 04/02/2022.

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