An Gort Breac

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An Gort Breac or Gortbrack is townland of 91 hectares or 224 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 94 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is in the Electoral Division of Castlehaven North, in Civil Parish of Castlehaven and the Roman Catholic Parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

An Gort Breac is bordered by Faiche Úrach (Fahouragh) to the north, Fearann Dáith (Farrandau), Fearann Deilgín (Farrandeligeen) and Eidhneán (Inane) to the east, Baile Uí Chatháin (Ballycahane), An Dúinín (Doneen), An Scoth Bhán (Scobaun) and An Glaisín Álainn (Glasheenaulin) to the south, and Blúid Thoir (Bluid East) to the west

OpenStreetmap contributors, with input from the Castlehaven & Myross History Society, have created a detailed townland map including all its minor placenames. Zoom in for further detail.

Etymology

An Gort Breac was interpreted by Bruno O'Donoghue as the spotted or striped field. Alternatively it was known as "the speckled tillage". Eugene Daly also interprets it as a spotted or striped field in his article in Volume 7 of the Skibbereen and District Historical Society Journal

The townland has nine neighbouring bailte fearainn (townlands) and is protected by the Fort, the Three Fingers and the now lost Carraig an Hoiste (the rock of the ghost). Many say the old school was haunted,even when it changed to a CYMS hall.

History

Roads: The townland of Gortbreac is easily approached by turning off at the cross to the south of Castlehaven Church (opened c.1840). This road takes you through the heart of the townland, ending as it joins with the New Line. This New Line was upgraded in the forties using stone from a quarry on the same road. Many old roads are still chiselled into the landscape. The new line is the road you take at Castlehaven Creamery to the Coast road. Ancient roads include:

- The road you use to access Knockdrum Stone Fort which continues on under the pleasant ridge and joins the New Line, eventfully using some of the present roadway. This junction is more x shaped than a normal cross roads and was most likely the primary road to the sea in earlier times. Old maps verify this.

- This same road takes a turn northwards ( at the old schoolmaster's residence) and finds an alternate route to-the New Line. This time it enters the neighbouring townland of Fahouragh before turning west . It then passes through the Board of Works field and the Tank Field, again joining the New Line.

Some of this road was probably constructed as a Relief Programme , hence the name Board of Works , using material from a now disused quarry.

Four cross roads are named as Crowley’s Cross, Jim’s Cross,Inane Cross and Burchill’s Cross.

Famine Pots: The Tank Field's origin may lie in the famine pots used to cook indigestible gruel in famine times. The most westerly field in the townland is now partly marooned as the New Line cuts across it, proof if needed that townlands predate most other features.

War of Independence and Civil War: There is a tale in Stories Of The Revolution that during the troubles over a century ago the Buckley farmhouse was used as a hiding place for republicans on the run. They were hidden in a cavity between two walls in the house and access was from the attic. Fearing that the hide out would be discovered,is was taken down at night and whitewash applied to camouflage any activity.

Farming: Farming is the pre-existing vocation of most of the residents with most families engaged in labour-intensive work. Few need reminding of chores like thinning turnips and mangolds or the dreaded cocking of hay. Nowadays the land has a carpeted tapestry of green grass interspersed with the odd ancient ditch. At one time there were over 94 páirceanna and garraí in the 224 acres of heaven. In the seventies a new cash crop venture began. The establishment of the Fastnet Food Factory in Skibbereen gave farmers the opportunity to grow celery ,early potatoes ,cabbage and turnips for this factory. Although labour intensive and weather dependant ,farmers saw a good return.

The O‘Neill farm as an example is listed in the Land Books of Griffiths Valuation of 1853 and the farm of 33 acres is still in their possession in 2022. Following on from the Land Books, it is recorded in the Revision Books and the Cancelled Books. Eventually in the 1970's these books were phased out. They are still available from the Land Registry.

Housing

As part of Griffiths Valuation in 1853, a survey of house quality was carried out to calculate what rates were due by each household. These were issued in 1850 in the form of house books (Pg 1, Pg 2) and a guide on how to interpret these can be seen here. These show that 16 of the 18 houses in the townland at that time were class 3. This means that they were thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Eight are described as being old (more than 25 years) but in good repair while seven more are also old but out of repair. The other class 3 house is described as medium (not new), slightly decayed but in good repair. There are also two class 1 houses in the townland at this time which means that they were slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - one was old and in repair while the other was described as old but out of repair. All of the class 3 houses in the townland at this time are between 4 foot 6 inches (!) and 7 foot tall which indicates that they are single storey at this time. One class 1 house is 11 foot tall while the other is just 6 foot high.

By the 1901 census, there were only six occupied houses and three had walls of stone, brick or concrete while the walls of the other three were made of mud, wood or other perishable material. Five houses had roofs of slate, iron or tiles.while the other was thatched still. Three houses have two, three or four rooms, two have five or six rooms and the other has seven, eight or nine rooms. One house has just two windows in front which indicates that it was probably still single storey at this time. Two houses have three windows in front, two have five and the remaining dwelling has seven.

When we advance to the 1911 census there is an increase to eight occupied houses in this townland . All now have walls of stone, brick or concrete with a roof of slate, iron or tiles. Four houses have two, three or four rooms, three have five or six rooms and the other has seven, eight or nine rooms. Two houses has just two windows in front which indicates that they were probably still single storey at this time. One house has three windows in front, three have five windows, one has seven and the remaining dwelling has nine.

Places of Interest

Lios: The townland contains many well-preserved features of olden times . There are two liosanna (ringforts) in the townland with the one beside the Buckley farm buildings being remarkably preserved. Archaeologists wished to do a dig in the 1960's and were refused permission. Leave well alone.

Lios in Gortbreac

Cillín: Close to the border with neighbouring Dooneen is a field known as The Keil Field. This was used as a place of interment up-to the 1930's - cill is a graveyard. Once again when the ESB, as they were then known, wanted to put a steel stay on a pole, they didn’t use heavy machinery. Instead they used hand tools only. Local knowledge points to the wall of an ancient church close to the cillín. Many of these liminal burial grounds were within view of churches as the water from the roof was somehow deemed to be holy in origin There is evidence of a “church in ruins" close by. It is open to debate but many archaeologists and others state that children were not part of the community until the age of six. Some dangers facing the newborn included malnutrition, consumption and pneumonia as well as a lack of medical expertise.

Fulacht Fia: A long lost Fulacht Fia was also discovered on high ground overlooking the townland. While these were cooking places of old ,they may also have been used as saunas and sweat houses. What better place to be on a cold evening, drinking ‘mead’. What remained was simply a mound of charred stone with an imprint of a rectangular tank. Using these was reasonably straightforward. Build a roaring fire and place round stones on it. Fill the tank with water and then place the hot stones in it. Not too much water was needed as the level rose quickly.( remember Archimedes). It was important to have a source of water close by. We need to return to the Bronze Age to understand these unique features.

The Bronze Age in Ireland lasted from about 2000BC to 500BC. Knowledge of how to make bronze, an alloy of tin and copper, came to Ireland from Europe. The copper was mined in Ireland, chiefly in county Kerry, while the tin was imported from Britain. Could this artist's impression of a fulacht fia change our views on their uses. (Credits on picture)

Mass Path: A mass path still traverses the townland, being the prayerful route from distant Toe Head and places in-between. These people arrived fasting from midnight. In later years, horse and carts and pony and traps parked here, the iron rings in the walls were parking permits of old. As an aside, the locals were encouraged to park their horse and carts in a more orderly fashion when attending mass on Sunday as they were disrupting traffic.

There are a number of sites listed in this townland in the Historic Environment Viewer. As well as the two liosanna (ringforts) mentioned above, there is also an enclosure mapped. The Historic Environment Viewer mentions that this enclosure has an oval shape.

Interesting Placenames

A road known as the New Line runs through this townland. The point known as the Top Of The New Line is also in this townland

Besides the places mentioned above, we have also mapped the following field names in this townland: Bog Field, Tank Field, Upper Bog, High of the Courtney's, Cabhlach Field (field of the ruin), Eastern Gate, Board of Works Field, Páirc Amháin (strange name as it would mean one field - perhaps it is Páirc na hAbhann which would be the river field although there does not seem to be a river here), The Rock Field (this field is cut into the rock), Square Field, The Long Bog, Field East of the House, Páirc an Támhais (possibly field of the ghost), Leac Bhuí (yellow sloping field - might refer to a flower or furze), Front of the Cottage, West Of The Hill, Upper Horse Hill, Lower Horse Hill, East of the Shed, West Of The Hill, First Meadow, Second Meadow, Third Meadow, South Of The Cross, Cnoc a' Túir (possibly tower hill - this is a field of small hills), Tobar Loirce (maybe Lorc's well - Lorc was an ancient king of Munster), LowerTobar Loirce, Ródáil (meaning unknown), Charraig Láir (middle rock), The Piece, The Haggart, Creach (meaning unknown), Carraig a' Sleáin (maybe the rock of the slane - a tool used for turf-cutting), Tobar a' Chaoch (well of the blind man - maybe a hoy well here in the past for eye cures), Upper Tobar a' Chaoch, The Gardens, Páircín a Corrtain (meaning unknown - páircín is a small field - maybe a family name - there is a name that looks something like Cohna renting land here in 1825), The Turn Field (described in Lankford as a thrashing field - it has good shelter), Móinteán (boggy field), South Móinteán, The Gate, The Top Of The New Line Field

If you want to see the actual locations of any of these, go to detailed townland map on Open Street Maps. If you know any other field names or placenames in this townland (or if you need to correct any or give further background information), please contact us at [email protected]

Folklore

Shoes: There are mentions of folklore in both Castlehaven and Dooneen schools as some children from the townland attended both schools. Reasons for this are not definitive but perhaps falling numbers and disputes with teachers may be linked. The Schools folklore was collected by O’Donovan in Castlehaven and Motherway in Dooneen. A mention of Carraig na mBan at a place locally known as the cut rock was where the young women put on their shoes in preparation for attending mass. In former times people were restricted to one pair of shoes which they kept for occasions like mass. A story of old states that a young girl bashed her foot on a carraig (rock) while walking barefoot. Not thinking of the pain she uttered,” I’m glad I didn’t have my shoes on me or they would be damaged. A similar place exists in Gort na Clochy in Skibbereen and is recorded as Sruathainín na mBan.

Stampy Cakes: Miss Kate Collins of Gortbreac was recorded as making Stampy Cakes on page 151 of Dooneen Folklore literature. Many of us would find them as tasty as potato cakes but the methods of making these might not suit today’s palette.

Troubled Times: In olden times this place was an O’Donovan stronghold. We are told in the McCarthy history that many were slain during Cromwellian times. More trouble ensued as John Ford was slain in the act of trying to recover money from Regan. Tragedy also befell Julia Keohane as she was presumed drowned but local knowledge states the she died of asphyxiation . Apparently she had a bag of shopping which somehow got caught around her neck. This was in 1904 and she was ‘within a field of her house’. There were Keohanes living in the townland at that time. One Keohane migrated to Kerry and his son turned out to be the great Joe Keohane of Kingdom football fame.

Station Parties: The fairies and the banshee did not seem to be active here except for the Fairy Gate just west of Lonesome Corner. Station parties were a popular pastime in the Gortbreac, Fahoura and Raheen Station area. Songs wafted over the ditches and into the soul of all. Ted sang The Shadow of the Pine while Jim crooned The Bridle Hanging on the Wall. Denny had The Star of the County Down while Jack promised to Take You Home Again Kathleen. The women sang as well but "preferred" to busy themselves in dishing out food and dessert. “Ní fheicimid a leithéad arís”.

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald, Courteney, Leary, Burchell, Burchell, Hanson, Cohna (?), Regan.

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Neal, Leahy, Donovan, Burchill, Driscoll, Donovan, Burchill, Fitzgerald, Hegarty, Leary, Burchill, Driscoll. In additional the following familes had land and/or offices only: Atkins, Buckley

The Census of Ireland of 1901 where the townland is listed as Gurtbrack lists the following family names: Collins, Neal (with Hegarty - grandson), Buckley (with Collins and Hurley - both servants), Tobin (with Collins, Sheehy, Collins, Hallihane and Tracey - all servants), Burchill (with Atridge - servant), Burchill.

The Census of Ireland of 1911 where the townland is listed as Gortbrack lists the following family names: Buckley (with Buckley, Horan, Hallihane and Buckley - all servants); Buckley (with Collins - daughter, and Coughlan, Collins and Hallyhane (Hallihane?) - all servants); Burchill; Murphy; Keohane; Neil (with Hallihane - servant); Burchill (with Hegarty and Driscoll - both servants).

Ellen Buckley (the second wife of O'Donovan Rossa) was born in this townland in 1843. She died in 1863 and is buried in the old graveyard in Castlehaven along with her son, Florence (given as Finghin by Bruno O'Donoghue but was probably listed as Florence on his baptismal certificate as Irish names were not allowed at the time) who died in 1887. He is the only one of O'Donovan Rossa's 18 children (he had three wives) to be buried in Ireland.

Ellen's brother Patrick Buckley was born on 17th March 1840. He was educated at the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. While there, in 1860, he was commissioned by the Pope's private chaplain to take a band of volunteers from Ostend to Vienna to join the papal forces against the Piedmontese. Serving under General Lamoricière he was present at the battle of Castelfidardo, and was twice wounded before being taken prisoner.

After his release, he eventually moved to New Zealand were he was elected president of the Wellington branch of the Irish National Federation, a home rule organisation. He got involved in New Zealand politics and at various times he was leader of the Legislative Council, colonial secretary, attorney general, postmaster general and minister of marine. In December 1895 Patrick Buckley retired from the Legislative Council and was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New Zealand.

Note: the term 'with' refers to a person or persons of a different family name staying in the house. This may have been an in-law or other relative, a guest, or a farm labourer/housekeeper or domestic servant.

Neighbours of the station area of Gortbreac,Fahoura and Raheen

Patrick Buckley

Demographics and Landholding

		*Occupiers	Population	Change	Link to record
1825	Tithe Applotment	9	45 est		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	26	132
1851	Census of Ireland	13	63
1853	Griffith's Valuation	15 (Incl 3 unoccupied)	90 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	8	47
1871	Census of Ireland	8	41
1881	Census of Ireland	7	48
1891	Census of Ireland	7 (Incl. 2 unoccupied)	32
1901	Census of Ireland	6	38		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	8	50		1911

*Occupiers generally equate to households having a house and land but may also include households having houses but no land.

Between 1656 and 1658 the Down Survey mapped all areas of the country to track ownership of land after much had been granted to followers of Cromwell after the war of the 1650's..The most prominent proprietor (titulado) of this townland at that time was Daniel O'Donovane and also O'Donovane. This townland was part of Gortbrack & Ballycahen at that time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Colonel John Townsend of Castletownshend and his agent was Charles Clarke of Skibbereen. It was all held by tenants with some under lease.

In 1841 the soil was described as coarse and rocky mixed with arable, producing light crops of wheat, oats and potatoes