From Ballyboyle to Corglass... a Boyle family's story
Part 1 - Ballyboyle - our ancient ancestors
Seafarers, Vikings and Wreckers?
In 1517, the annals record that
Donough, the son of Turlough O'Boyle, a man who, for his means, was the best gentleman, and who had carried on the most war, and performed most dangerous exploits, of all who had come of his own tribe, set out with the crew of a boat for Tory; but a wind drove them westwards through the sea, and no tidings of them was ever since heard.
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The territory of the O'Boyles, whether in their original location in north Donegal, or later in the south-west of the county, has always faced the Atlantic Ocean and included extensive dangerous rocky coastlines, islands and sheltered bays.
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Surprisingly, there are only a few scattered references to their seafaring activities though it seems that some of their raids were carried out by sea, as in 1247
O'Dowda and O'Boyle brought a fleet to plunder Carbury; and the crew of one ship, under the command of Manus O'Boyle, were drowned at Inis-Tuathrass
and again in 1551
Caffer, (the son of Manus, son of Hugh Duv, son of Hugh Roe O'Donnell), the son of O'Boyle, and the son of Mac Sweeny Banagh, together with the crew of a long ship, were slain by the Scots on the 16th of September, on Tory Island.
The mentions of a 'fleet' and a 'longship' suggest that there was enough skill and experience to plan and execute a naval attack.
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The seas around the coast could be treacherous; in 1517
Donough, the son of Turlough O'Boyle, a man who, for his means, was the best gentleman, and who had carried on the most war, and performed most dangerous exploits, of all who had come of his own tribe, set out with the crew of a boat for Tory Island; but a wind drove them westwards through the sea, and no tidings of them was ever since heard..
His disappearance might not have been lamented by everyone, as this Donough had form. A few years previously he slew Owen Roe MacSweeney, and a few months before his disappearance he slew MacDonough of Ballymote and his son while supporting O'Donnell on one of his raids into Sligo. The attack on Sligo was assisted by a "ship with great guns" provided to O'Donnell by a French knight who had come on pilgrimage to St Patrick's Purgatory on Lough Derg in Donegal. The knight "visited O'Donnell, from whom he received great honours, gifts, and presents; and they formed a great intimacy and friendship with each other".
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Of course the prime example of seagoing warriors were the Vikings (or the Danes and Norsemen, as they were known in Ireland). They attacked and raided Ireland relentlessly in the 9th and 10th centuries and though their targets were located in the less rugged parts of the country, it is possible that they had a presence in or close to O'Boyle's territory in Donegal, . The name itself is an anglicisation of Dun na nGall. - the fortress of the foreigners, i.e. the Vikings, and it is possible that they used the bays and inlets of the Donegal coast as staging posts when sailing from their bases in Western Scotland.
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Although there is now little physical evidence for a Viking presence in Donegal, recent research into placenames by local historians is suggestive. Donnchadh O Baoill, speaking of the Loughros peninsula which was base of some prominent O'Boyles, said "I have not come across any other area with so many minor Viking names in such close proximity. The Vikings, who came here from their base in Western Isles of Scotland, didn't really make a big impact in Donegal because the O'Neills, the O'Donnells and the O'Boyles who were able for them and kept them at bay, for the most part". He offers no evidence for this latter point, despite the fact that the existence of placenames suggests that the Vikings managed to establish something more than a temporary base there. He goes on "One only had to look at the O'Boyle names in this area when the Vikings were here in 1259. One of the lords was called Sigfraidh O'Baoill, a Viking first name. Other Viking names used by the O'Donnells' was Godfraidh and Maghnús. This is proof that not alone was the Viking trading here but most definitely they were intermingling and marrying the Donegal clans."[1]
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Wreckers?
Coastal dwellers around the world are often accused of deliberately, attracting passing ships onto rocks to wreck them and obtain their cargo , and the O'Boyles are no exception. Whether true or not, the belief that this occurred persisted in the folklore of the area. The following story was collected in the 1930's, the informant stating that he had first heard it twenty years previously:
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One evening in the days of the O'Boyles in Maghera a disabled ship was seen off Slieve-a-Tooey. The observers noticed that the crew intended making for Rosbeg or one of the Rosses ports, so they came to the conclusion that it would be much more profitable for themselves if she happened to be wrecked close to Maghera.
They immediately lighted the signal fires, and after some time the boat got turned and crawled towards the opening of the bay at the foot of Slieve-a-Tooey. But the crew little knew what was in store for them. Across this opening runs a very dangerous Barr which means destruction to any ship that attempts it. The disabled boat was soon breaking to pieces, and the crew jumped overboard and swam in the direction of Maghera.
The first sailor to reach the shore was cruelly put to death by the O'Boyle's. On seeing this the other members of the crew turned out into the deep, and were all drowned. This was what the O'Boyle's expected to happen. There would be no one left to claim the wreckage.
The body of the murdered sailor was buried where he fell. But that night a high tide arose which covered the fields along the shore. The covering put on the body was washed away, and the following morning the corpse was exposed to view. The corpse was taken further inland and again buried but as before the tide came in and washed it out of its grave. This state of affairs continued for nine days and nine nights. At last a holy friar was sent for and the situation explained to him. He prayed long and fervently over the murdered body, and then laid it in its grave where it has lain ever since.
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He told the O'Boyles that they had drawn the wrath of God on their own heads, and that a day would come, and that sooner than they thought, when there would not be one of the name in the townland of Maghera.
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The last of the O'Boyles died about eight years ago. Since then there has not been one of the name living in the townland.[1]
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Less dramatic, but probably more profitable was the activity of smuggling, as recounted in this story:
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The townland of Maghera lies at the foot of Slieveatooey about eight miles due west of Ardara. At the present day it is famous for its caves but in olden times (about two hundred years ago) it was well known throughout the country as being the home of one of the O'Boyle clans who were in direct descent from the O'Boyle chieftains who ruled Tír Baoghalach from the very dawn of history down till about 1619.
In that year the protestant planters under Sir John Murray took possession of Loughross Point and installed themselves in O'Boyle's castle the ruins of which can still be seen on a farm occupied by Mr Frank Gallagher of Stonebrook. According to Canon Maguire it was after this event the O'Boyle's took up their abode in Maghera.
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The soil of Maghera not being suitable for cultivation the new residents fell to smuggling for their subsistence. In those days ship wrecks were common off this part of the coast and many a windfall came to the O'Boyle's in the shape of silk, wine, tobacco and other commodities which had formed part of the cargo of some wrecked trader or smuggler.
Day and night eager eyes scanned the sea from the cliff-tops of Slieveatooey. Fires and torches were used to direct the movements of the smuggling vessels, and also to convey information as to the presence or absence of British coast-guards. The smuggled goods were stored in caves and hidden in hollows on the mountain side until such time as they could be conveyed to the nearest towns. There was no road within eight miles of Maghera in those days, (the present road was constructed about fifty years ago, i.e. the 1880s) and the peasantry carried the goods in creels on their backs across the mountains to Killybegs and other towns. Half a crown was the pay for carrying a hundredweight of tobacco, a roll of silk or a small keg of wine to Killybegs.
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[1] Schools collection Brackey NS Volume 1041, Page 88 https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4428309/4393845/4478794
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