O'Donovan's fourth letter from Tullamore on 27 December 1837 recounts his visit to Laurence Byrne, in his 87th year and living at Fallybeg , Co. Laois. The two antiquarians met on Christmas Day.

ORDNANCE SURVEY LETTERS KING'S COUNTY

[ Letter no 4 from John O'Donovan ]

Some notices of Clanamaliere and Doohy-Regan.

Visit to Laurence Byrne (the senior representative of Felim, the son of Fiach O'Byrne) now living, in the 87th year of his age, at Fallybeg in Leix.

LAURRENCE BYRNE REMEMBERS

Mar Mac Ronain deis na bhfian !

Tullamore,
December 27th 1837.

Dear Sir,

I have travelled much since I wrote last; on Saturday I went to Mount Melleck and to the foot of the Slieve Bloom Mountains to ascertain the situation of Doohy-Regan, O'Dunne's Country, and succeeded to my utmost satisfaction.

Doohy-Regan is the present Barony of Tinehinch and General Dunne of Brittas is the senior of the tribe of the Hy-Regan of Ofaley. On Sunday I traced the southern boundary of Clanmaliere; it was (is) divided from O'More's Country by the Great Heath of Maryborough and a stream which, rising in a well near the Castle of Morette and flowing thro' a bog in an east direction, falls into the Barrow, near the Fort of Dunrally, within about five miles of Monaster-Evin. From the Castle of Morette the boundary of Clanmaliere extended through a valley in a westerly direction so as to embrace the Church of Coolbanagher and a small portion of the lands of Shane; thence it ran in the direction of the present Mountmellick, where it met the Country of Doohy-Regan or O'Dunne's Country. From this it appears that the part of Clanmaliere lying south of the Barrow is exactly coextensive with the present Barony of Portnahinch in the Queen's County. (Mageoghegan is correct in this instance!).

It is generally believed (said) by the writers of Irish history that Ophaley was coextensive with the present King's Co, but there is as much of ancient Ofaley in the Queen's County and it does not embrace the quarter part of the King's County. But this I shall shew clearly before I have done.

On Monday (Christmas Day) I went to Fallybeg, within seven miles of Athy and saw old Laurence Byrne, a worthy old Milesian, who is seven or eight generations back in time (history) but now on the verge of the grave. He knows more about the history of Leix and Ofaley than all the men now living and I was very sorry that I had not the Books of the Queen's County ready, as he will never get through another winter.

I proposed him several questions about Leix and Ofaley, but it being Christmas Day I did not wish to intrude upon his time. The following are well worth preserving:-

1. Monasterevan was always called Mainistir Eimhin (Eveen) while Irish was spoken in the district.
2. The Stradbally River was always called Abhainn O'gCeallaigh, because it rises in O'Kelly's Territory.
3. O'Kelly's Territory is the best tract in Leix and extends from Ath Bailteoige near Timoge to Ath Faiseoige near Cooper Hill. O'Kelly came to Leix from Connaught. The tradition about the manner in which he obtained this beautiful tract from O'More is very well worth preserving. This extent of his country agrees pretty well with the old Map of Leix and Ofaley, now before me.
4. The three sugar-loaf hills rising over the Great Heath had three distinct names, now forgotten in that neighbourhood viz., (1) Carraig-Fhinn, now Killowen Hill. It contains a cave called Poll a Stoir i.e., Treasure or Store Hole; (2) Carraig-Oisin, now Killiny Hill (Cill Fhionna); (3) Carraig-Oliam, now Raheen Hill.
   
   Carraig Uilliam (O'Liam) a rug a geall
   O's i is aoirde cnoc 'sis isle gleann.
   
   
5. The Great Heath was always called An Fraoch Mor, which is the name given it on the old Map.
6. O'More's head residence was at Abbey-Leix not at Dunamase, which was an English castle.
7. The Great Heath was the demesne lands of Dunamase.
8. The Devoys (Deevys) one of the seven septs of Leix, are not, as Hardiman says, the same as the Macavoys; the former are O'Diobuidne, the latter Meg Giolla-Buidhe.
9. The general tradition among the people of Leix about 50 years ago was that Cathaoir na gCapull O'Dempsey, the celebrated robber, was the senior of the family of Clanmaliere and that he occupied the Castle of Lea (Leighe) in the subterranean vaults of which he hid his horse. Cahir was of high blood and related to the Fitzgeralds and many other families of distinction, and when brought to the scaffold, he exclaimed loudly that he knew the Fitzgeralds to be traitors.
10. Donnell Oge O'Dunne was the head of the Hy-Regan during the Rebellion or War of 1641 and, though he took active part with the Catholics and was impeached, it is said that he did not forfeit all, but retained Brittas and the estate now possessed by General Dunne.

Is this Donnell Oge O'Dunne mentioned in the Book of Survey and Distribution?

Charles O'Conor has committed a curious blunder in Ortelius Improved by making the Hy-Regan, which was the tribe name of the O'Dunnes, the O'Regan family.

Can Mr. Petrie inform me where the celebrated Sir Teige O'Regan was located? In the County of Carlow? O'Conor is certainly wrong.

Please to send me the rest of the Name Books of this County.

Your obedient servant,
J. O'Donovan.