Highways & Byways of Killinaboy

The current project traces the many routes within the parish from the stage when travel was mainly on foot to the era of the mechanically propelled vehicle. Many of the earlier routes are no longer in use.

The group studied the three categories of routes, namely: Public Roads, Bothairins and Footpaths.

The Ordnance Survey Sheets, local knowledge and folklore provided valuable information on all three categories.

The Grand Jury Presentments provided much interesting detail on funding the maintenance of the Public Roads as well as the making of some new ones in the 19th century. As will be seen these Jurys met regularly at the Assizes and provided a certain sum of money for a specific portion of the road to be undertaken. This form of administration was abandoned on the enactment of the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898. It will be noted that the spellings of some townland names in the Grand Jury Records do not agree with the current spellings and that some locations shown do not agree with local identification e.g. Coad Cross is known locally as Crossard Cross.

There may be also some terms used that are not well known generally, e.g. the Furnicular on Clifden Hill. This was a means of transporting turf from the area above Clifden down to P.R. 5 at Clifden. This system was developed by the Burton Family who were the local landlords. The theory behind the system was that the loaded wagons coming down the hill pulled the empty wagons up the hill.

The system was in use for many years.

Sir Donat’s Road was a track that was used by Sir Donat O’Brien who lived in Leamanagh Castle to take horses from there to the race course that was in Turloughmore. Sir Donat became 1st Baronet of Leamanach and Dromoland and left Leamanach about 1685 to take up residence at Dromoland.

The group welcomes you to view its project on the Highways & Byways of Killinaboy. The Group wishes to thank most sincerely those who generously provided much valuable information.

 

Colour Code

PR = Public Roads

B = Bothairín

FP = Footpath