Canrawer West
Townlands of Oughterard
By Paul Gibbons
Anglicized from Irish: Ceann Ramhair Thiar
Translates to: “Thick headland of the west”
Etymology:
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water. This perfectly describes this townland’s topography as Canrawer commands a high position over the land further west with a sheer drop down to the Fough/Owenriff river. The term ‘thick’ may hint that the area was once a heavily wooded thicket. The fact that many large trees which date back a few hundred years still exist in the area lends credit to this theory.
Size: 144 acres, 2 rods, 7 perchs
Siting:
In the northern extremity of the parish. Bounded on the north-east by Carrowmanagh and Fough West; on the south-east by Cregg; on the north by Canrawer East and Claremount and the south-west by Rusheeny.
Description:
Containing 140 acres of land about 60 acres are under tillage and 6 and a half acres are composed of water, the remainder is bog. There is a corn mill, spa well, waterfall and eel weir, the former two are close to its north-west boundary and the latter two (and also a cave) are near its eastern boundary.
Placenames within townland:
Teampailliní (burial ground) – This unblessed graveyard was attached to the local workhouse as the local cemetery was unable to cope with the vast number of inmates from the poor house.
Enclosure (arch. remains) – On sloping pasture-land. Marked on the 1st & 2nd eds. of the OSI 6 inch maps as a circular enclosure. No visible surface traces remain or the ‘cave’ marked in the interior on the 1st ed. map.
Unnamed Well (well) – Located on the north-western end of townland across the river from the mill in Claremount.
Lough Mall (lake) – Translates to “the lake of the knoll/hill”
Previous proprietor/landlord:
Earl of Clarickard (1641)
Earl of Clarickard (1670)
Captain O’Flaherty of Lemonfield (c. 1850)
Land Value (1857): £22 s.1 d.0
Buildings Value (1857): £25 s.19 d.0
Surnames attached to the townland (1857-1911):
Naughton, Phillips, Higgins, Neville, Cooney, Curley, Hicks, Healy, Walsh, Glynn, Davis, Dowd, Devine, Flaherty, Durany, Faherty, Keeler, Ryan, Welby, Halloran, Murray, Green, Heffernan, Devaney, Rubarry, Newell, Farrell, Joyce, Thornton, Toole, Gibbons, Nee, Kinneavy, Conneely, Hopkins
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