Gort an Chrosaigh

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Gort an Chrosaigh or Gortacrossig is a townland of 88 hectares or 217 acres and in the early part of the 20th century, 127 individual fields were mapped in this townland.

It is located in the electoral district of Castlehaven South, the civil parish of Castlehaven and the Roman Catholic parish of Castlehaven and Myross.

Gort an Chrosaigh is bordered by Fearann Uí Chonchúir (Farranconnor) to the north and Leic Eoghain (Lickowen) and Ceann Tuaithe (Toehead) 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 more detail.

Etymology

Gort an Chrosaigh can be interpreted as the field of the cross. Chrosaigh is a form of Crosach and can mean crosswise, netted or even scarred or pock marked. It is also said that a Canon Lyons said that a Crosach was a buffoon who went around on feast days wearing a cross and publishing mock sentences of excommunication. An alternative interpretation of Gortacrossaig is suggested by Bruno O'Donoghue, where Crosach could be the name or nickname of a local person (Cross). He also offers an alternative interpretation which is Gort a' Chreasa, which could be the field of the border/limit or the field of the girdle. This final interpretation seems speculative. The dinnseanchas behind the name has been lost, so perhaps all possibilities for Gort an Chrosaigh have some provenance.

Today, the Placenames Database of Ireland lists the original Gort an Chrosaigh and the anglicised Gortacrossig as the statutory spellings. Either version can be used as a postal address or for legal and other documents. Local pronunciation is very similar for both versions of the name and still follows the original Irish sound.

The anglicised spelling did not seem to change very much over the years. An 1833 reference in the Tythe (Tithe) Ledgers spelled it as Gurtacrossig.

History

Promontory Fort: There were many promontory forts by the coast during the Iron Age. There was one in Gortacrossig that was named Coosdergadoona (the dún of the red cove) which still exists. According to the Historic Environment Viewer, it was roughly triangular and projecting into the Atlantic. It also noted that around 1900, 'it had a straight, massive wall of large, thin slabs of dry stone, about 6ft high. This is 161 to 164 ft long (inside and out) and from 18 to 21 ft thick at various points'. It also had a lintelled, stone-lined entrance. The walls and entrance are now collapsed. There was another well preserved fort or dún to the east in Scobaun named Portadoona (dún of the strand) and also Dooneendermotmore (the little fort of big Diarmaid) to the west.

Signal Tower: A signal tower stands on the highest point in this townland. In earlier times, it linked up with other towers in the district to give early warning of an invasion. England had many European enemies, especially the French and the Spanish. n more modern times, the German armies were hoping to use Ireland as a back door to invade a poorly defended west coast of England .

To deal with these threats ,the Sea Fencibles (an early version of the Coast Guard) were established in Castletownsend under the command of Joshua Rowley Watson in 1804. The French always fancied a naval invasion of their long time enemy as superiority on the seas meant easy access to colonies and trading. A line of communication was needed and after much discussion and debate on the values of Martello towers (circular) and Signal Towers, the latter was chosen. As an aside, Martello Towers were much more expensive and were used to protect Cork and Dublin cities. Toe Head was completed in 1805. A little known fact is that the door was on the first floor with a retractable ladder for protection. The building was exempt from the dreaded taxes levied by Griffiths Valuation in 1853.

It was decided to construct 81 Signal Towers stretching all the way from Cork to Malin Head in Donegal. In West Cork ,the building of Signal Towers began in earnest around 1804. Each tower was numbered and Toehead was number 29, Cape Clear, 31 and Mizen number 38. These towers were about five to eight miles apart, each visible to the next except in times of fog. According to the Historic Environment Viewer, the adjoining signal towers were at Ballylinchy, near Kedge Point and at Reenogrena, Glandore. Building was slow as the construction of new roads, availability of stone and stone masons and slow payment needed sorting out. Another problem was dampness and to solve this, the structure was slated, to cover porous walls. The cost at the time was in the region of £900. However it is a testament to those workers that the buildings remain intact today.

Communication between towers was possible using smoke, fire and semaphore.The latter used flags placed in varying positions, visible through a hand held telescope. Living quarters, attached to each tower, could accommodate up to five Sea Fencibles and a Signal Lieutenant working on a week-on week-off rota. The invasions never materialised and in 1845 it became a coast guard station - did it? ***

Prisoners held here after Battle of Tráigh Liceach *******

Signal Tower at Gortacrossig

.Éire Sign: As the Second World War approached so too did a new enemy and a different type of warfare. Ireland by now was independent of England but had many economic ties with it. This would make it a legitimate target but it declared itself a neutral country. To this end Toehead, was again cast onto the international stage. To prevent any mix up in country coastlines, the word EIRE was built in stones, painted white, on part of the Móin Rua in 1943. Many believe that these markings on the coastline were made at the request of the American Air Force as they were navigational aids to aircraft on patrol.

The threat of dreaded German bombers destroying Irish towns was averted in part due to these large signs visible from the air. Eighty three signs were erected in 1942 and 1943. The work was carried out by locals and Toehead was numbered 28. The sign is in great condition still and is keenly visited by many. It got a makeover in 2021.

Get image **********

Coastwatching Service: Another development during the war was the establishment of defence forces known as the Coastwatching Service who had a concrete structure known as a Look Out Post, (L.O.P.) as their base, measuring 9’x7', partly camouflaged, close to the tower. These volunteers were issued with a uniform and had access to a phone- probably the first in rural Castlehaven . There were eight men on call, all from the locality. They were familiar with the coastline, tides and currents. The unit worked in pairs, in eight to twelve hour shifts. The two on duty had specific roles, one patrolling the outside while the other manned the telephone (installed in June 1940). It is believed that they spent the first winter in tents before the L.O.P. was ready (hardly an attractive glamping location in rough weather!)

On a less serious note ,this phone was often used by local fishermen to enquire which fishmonger was paying the best price on that day. Also as only one bag of coal was allowed per week to heat the LOP, many members would bring timber on their shoulders.

Payment was 3/6 a week and members were required to stay within six miles of the base. As there were 84 bases around the coast, the unique number of this structure was 28 - the same as the ÉIRE sign that these men constructed on the Móin Rua. Some of the equipment in the concrete observation hut included a telephone, telescope, binoculars, admiralty charts, a first aid kit, silhouettes of unfriendly war ships and a bicycle. On a final note, these volunteers were held in high esteem and the local sports on the last day of May 1945 had team events for them. A record of the L O P activities in Toe Head is available in eight log books, lettered a to h.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hdbwBDU1pcYeUiPg432riKSt13zve5lF/view?usp=sharing

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 12 of the 14 houses in the townland at the time were class 3. This means that they were all thatched houses with stone walls with mud or puddle mortar. Within class 3 there are a number of different categories. 11 of these class 3 houses are old (more than 25 years old) with six being in repair and five fourteen described as out of repair. One other house is described as medium (not old), deteriorated by age and not in perfect repair. Two houses in Gortacrossig at this time were class 1 which means that they were slated and built with stone or brick and lime mortar - one is described as medium (not new), but in sound order and good repair while the other is old but in repair All houses in the townland at this time are between 5 foot (!) and 8 foot tall which indicates that they are single storey at this time.

By the 1901 census, there are just 10 occupied houses in this townland and all have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Eight still have thatched roofs at this time while the other two now have roofs of slate, iron or tiles. All houses, bar one, have either two, three or four rooms while the other house just has one room. One house has no window in front, another just has one window in front while another five have two windows which indicate that they are probably all still single storey at this time. The remaining house has three, four or five windows in front respectively.

When we advance to the 1911 census there are now just 8 occupied houses in this townland and, not surprisingly, all still have walls of stone, brick or concrete. Five are still thatched while the other three now have roofs of slate, iron or tiles. All houses in the townland now have two, three or four rooms. Four houses have two windows in front (probably all single-storey) while two houses have three windows in front and the remaining two have five windows each.

Places of Interest

Signal Tower: A signal tower (as mentioned above) is located in this townland

Look-Out Point: A Look-Out Point (L.O.P.), as mentioned above, is located close to the Signal Tower

Lahern: - sub-townland*****

The Promontory Fort, Signal Tower and Look-Out Point are all mentioned in the Historic Environment Viewer.

Interesting Placenames

There is a cove known as Cuas na Séisrí which can be interpreted as the cove of the plough-horses. As you will see in the Folklore section it is believed that a farmer drove his horses off this cliff.

There is a cove known as Cuas Dubh (black cove) which forms the border between Farranconnor and Gortacrossig. Other coves in this townland are known as Cuas na gColúr (cove of pigeons?), Cuas Dearg a' Dúna (means the red cove of the fort and lies at one side of an Iron age fort), Cuas Dhónail Uí 'Dhrisceoil (Donal O'Driscoll's cove) and Cuas na gCrothóg (cove of the pollock - could possibly also be derived from geabhróg = tern, sea-swallow).

Other points along this coast are known as Scullane Rock (named after its resemblance to a sciollán (a seed potato traditionally cut in half) - its alternative name Carraig Bhuí is due to its yellow colour), Scollane Point and Red Rock. The cliffs at the south side of the townland are known as Faill Bhróighe. This can be interpreted as the cliff of shoes after a sailing ship was ship-wrecked here around 1850. Is this linked to two left shoes story ***

We have captured some old field names in this townland which are as follows: Cnoc (hill), Leaca an Tobair (slope of the well), Clais na Lochán (possibly means the field of the pools), Páircín (small field), Clais na nGiorraí (probably the field of the hares - correct spelling would be Clais na nGiorriacha), Móintín (this is an alternate form of móinteán (a boggy area), Carraig na Fuinseoige (rock of the ash tree), Páirc na gCaorach (sheep field), Gairdín an Inír (grazing garden), Gairdín Mór (big garden), The Acre, Plán Mór (large plain/open or flat field), Talamh a Pet (the meaning of this is unknown - talamh means ground), Bán Gearr (short pasture), Maultivideen (possibly Meall Tighe Diomhain = the knoll of the unoccupied house - also described by Lankford as the "central or selected" tract)

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

Cuas na Séisrí: A team of horses was said to have been driven over the edge into the water at Cuas na Séisrí to stop the landlord taking them in lieu of rent in the 19^th century.

Standing Stone: It is said that there was once a standing stone in this townland which now lies flat.

Seánín Ó'Gráda: It is said that sometime in the early part of the 19th century, there were a few botháns at/near the top of Beann tSídháin (the Been) - poor dwellings. One scrap of a child, Seánín Ó Gráda, was crawling outside in the dirt & a White-tailed Eagle swooped down & picked him up. These eagles nested on the cliffs off the Móin Rua at this time. The eagle carried the boy towards the cliffs with his mother screaming for him - the eagle was low with the weight of the child & dropped him before getting to the cliff nest so the child survived. (Source of story: L.C. Toehead who says that his grandfather told him the story as if he witnessed it)

The first 4 lines of a poem about this event were as follows:

Sé mo leanbh é

Sé mo phaiste

Sé mo leanbh é

Seánín Ó Gráda

Families and Notable Residents

The Tithe Applotment books of 1825 list the following family names: Burke, Sullivan, Bracken (?), Sexton, Sweeney (?)

Griffiths Valuation of 1853 lists the following family names: Dwyer, Collins, Collins, Collins, Collins, Collins, Daly, Hurley, McCarthy, Halahan, Brickley, Leahy. The Coast Guard were also listed as having a house. In addition, the following families had land only: Kean

The Census of Ireland of 1901 lists the following family names: Leahy, Hurley, Donovan (with Leahy (cousin)), Maguire (with Attridge (ward)), Ronan, Hurley (with Halahane (servant) and Keane (boarder)), Collins, Collins, Collins, Collins

The Census of Ireland of 1911 lists the following family names: Collins, Collins, Collins, Collins, Hurley (with Bowen (niece and nephew) and McCarthy (visitor)), McGuire (with Attridge (cousin)), Donovan (with Rohan (visitor)), Donovan (with Leahy (step-daughter))

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.

Demographics and Landholding

		*Occupiers	Population	Change	Link to record
1825	Tithe Applotment	5	30 (est)		1825
1841	Census of Ireland	26	156
1851	Census of Ireland	15	88
1853	Griffith's Valuation	15 (Incl. Coast guard and 2 unoccupied)	90 (est)		1853
1861	Census of Ireland	14 (Incl. 1 unoccupied)	71
1871	Census of Ireland	13	83
1881	Census of Ireland	13	67
1891	Census of Ireland	11	49
1901	Census of Ireland	11 ((ncl. 1 unoccupied)	41		1901
1911	Census of Ireland	9 (Incl. 1 unoccupied)	41		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 the Earle of Castlehaven. This townland was part of Twoh at that time.

The proprietor of this townland in 1841 was Lord Audley of London. It was first let by lease to Lord Riversdale and from him to D. Callaghan & Co., Cork, and from these by lease to Messrs Shaw of London who sub-let it to Thomas Somerville of Drishane, Castletownshend and last of all sub-let to tenants without a lease.

In 1841 the soil was described as poor with half coarse and the other half was middling producing light crops of wheat and potatoes.