Glengad - History

History

The name means "Glen of the Gads". Gads are willow branches used in basket weaving. When people of Northern Irish/Donegal origin, namely the Coyles, were displaced by the policies of Oliver Cromwell (to hell or to Connaught)in the mid 17th century, they brought with them their craft of making ropes, baskets and creels and they planted willows (from which they obtained their 'gads' or 'sally rods') in this townland where some still remain to this day despite the best efforts of the major landslide in September 2003, to destroy the last vestiges of the willows in the village. The custom of giving the settled area the name of the home territory was widespread. The native Irish people who were sent to 'hell' under Cromwell's policy of 'to hell or to Connacht' were mostly captured and sent as indentured servants to places like Montserrat in the West Indies to work on British sugar cane plantations.

Prior to the arrival of these displaced people the townland had been known as Dooncarton, a name which it took from the promontory fort known as Dún Chiortáin. Dún Chiortáin was a well fortified cliff fort probably dating back to the Bronze Age. It is mentioned in the Composition Book of Connaught in 1585. It was then owned by William Burke who was 'attained of treason' in 1592. In 1610 the property was in the ownership of Michael Cormuck. According to Thomas Johnson Westropp in 1912 he was still in possession of it in 1641 and in 1655.

Westropp described Donncarton as being a well-fortified cliff fort about 170 in length by 100 feet wide. It contained several buildings of various sizes, built of stone and mortar. The walls of some of the buildings were at least six feet wide. All are now reduced to a few feet in height by the road and fence makers. The main house was forty seven feet by thirty six feet with six feet thick walls. The other houses had three feet thick walls. The fort stood on a grassy cliff between two creeks. It had a lovely view of the shores of Dun Chaochain and the mouth of Broadhaven to Erris Head.

According to the ancient legend, a hero named Fergus came on a plundering raid to Erris which was then owned by the giant Donnell who lived at Glencastle. Fergus came to Donnell's castle at Glencastle where he charmed Donnell's faithless wife, Munchin who gave him Donnell's favourite sword. When Donnell found out that he had been betrayed he went to his neighbour Ciortan (of Dún Chiortáin) for aid but he found Ciortan was out in his boat. He shouted to him to come and help him but Ciortain refused to come to his aid. Donnell hurled rocks at Ciortan's boat in anger and managed to sink it. Ciortan was drowned and he is buried at a Broadhaven Bay harbour known locally as Tra Kirtaan Bay (called after Ciortan) close to Barnatra.

Glengad has always been exposed to the elements of wind and ocean. There is an oft told incident that happened before the area was fenced, when the land was farmed in Rundale. During the harvest one year there was a violent storm. The next morning all the stooks of oats were found all together at the far end of the parish, piled one on top of another. The people had great difficulty trying to sort out what belonged to each of them.

During the early 19th century the Irish Tithe Composition Act permitted Protestant clergy to determine fixed payments in order to provide support for them and their families. there was great opposition from the mainly Catholic community to paying tithes. Young men formed organisation such as the Steelboys and Whiteboys who persuaded people not to pay tithes. They visited people's homes at night and had them swear under oath to that effect. They gathered in the surrounding hills at night and sounded horns in defiance. A particular O'Donnell man stood up to them saying that he intended to make his tenants pay their tithes and in 1837 five men broke into his house and threatened that if he attempted to pay any tithes his home and ditches would be levelled. The people gathered on the hills surrounding his house each night sounding horns.