Kilfarboy
A Tale of the Ancient Church of Kilfarboy.
It is situated in the townland of Kilfarboy, about 2 miles from Miltownmalbay. In the time of the Penal Laws it was taken from the Franciscans by the Protestants, and the Catholics were compelled to attend there at Service, under pain of eviction.
All of the land around the church at that time was planted and cultivated by the Friars. The Catholics were so angry their church to be taken from them. One Sunday when all the Protestant gentry were collected from Spanish Point and the country around, 3 young men concealed themselves, up the trees, and the horses and gigs - the mode of conveyance they had at the time - were gathered outside in the yard. The men carried instruments made of sheep skins, and brass tingling boxes called "bouraun" which when worked with a cord gave out a strange weird sound. In the middle of the Service they worked the strange sound, all the horses took fright and darted in every direction. The people inside heard the uncanny sound, rushed to the doors and were trampled

Explanation of the Parish Name Kilfarboy1. Explanation given by Very Rev. D. Murphy P.P. Miltown Malbay
A race of people named "Faibre" lived in this locality in former times. The letters "b" and "r" of the word "Faibre" Became interchanged and we have the word "Fairbe". The church built by these people was known as "Cill Fairbe".2. Explanation given by Thomas Fitzgerald of Freigh (about 80 yrs of age).
The church attended by the people of this locality before the present church of Miltown Malbay was built, was actually in the townland of Kilfarboy. This townland is surrounded by the hills adjoining Mount Callan. Therefor the name "Kilfarboy" is equivalent to Cill-fó-breagh or the Church under the hill.3. Given by James Sullivan Ballinoe (about 80 yrs of age)
Since our parish church is under the patronage of St. Joseph and is known as St. Joseph's Church, the original church was also under the patronage of St. Joseph and therefore the name "Kilfarboy" means Cill Fear Béire or the Church of the husband of the Virgin.
2-3 were given in a broadcast programme from Miltown Malbay about two years ago (1936) P'OB.

In the Penal Times the Protestants took over the Kilfarboy Church for themselves and the Catholics were left without a place of worship as Kilfarboy Church was then the Church was then the Catholic Church of the Parish.
During service the Protestants left their horses and coaches outside the Church door so the young Catholic men of the Parish made a plan to frighten them. Every body was to have

There are three Graveyards in this Parish. Kilfarboy, Ballard, and Frey. There is the ruin of an old Church in Kilfarboy which I am interested in.
Long ago when the Catholics were driven out of Kilfarboy the Protestants who were living in this part of Clare decided to used the Church for their own service.
So on an appointed Sunday they came in carriages and in horse back to attend service.
Some Catholics who were in the Know decided to give them a reception
So when the service had just begun an unearthly sound was

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Fort in Kilfarboy.
The old people say that this was built by the Danes who raided the old Church of Kilfarboy during Mass.They massacred most of those at Mass and buried them round the church.They then hurriedly raised this fort probably in fear of sudden attack.

There are three graveyards in my parish namely, Kilfarboy, Ballard, Freagh. About 150 years ago Ballard graveyard was over in Mr Comyn's land he got it removed to the present place where it is.
The people used go there once a month crying after their dead that is the reason he got it removed. The old graveyard is in Mike Honan's field still and there is a blessed well there also know as Kilcorcoran's blessed well. When St Senan was preaching the true faith to the people he slept in the middle of Freagh graveyard and from that day to this its called St. Senan's bed.
In Kilfarboy there is

The parish of Miltown Malbay is commonly known as the parish of Kilfarboy.In days gone by a ship was wrecked off the coast near Miltown and the sailors perished.They were taken ashore and buried in the burial grounds at Kilfarboy.At this time the only church in the parish was at Kilfarboy and its walls are standing to the present day.The parish was known as Cill Fear Bhuidhe or the church of the yellow men.The first word Miltown tells us of mills being in existence in that part of the district.Malbay means bad bay without doubt this can be proved because so many ships met their fate in it.According to old people lights and phanton ships were seen sailing on the bay just as were

This is a large round white stone situated in an elevated position in Cloneybrace, Kilfarboy. Only very short green grass grows near and round it though the surrounding mountain is rough and heathery. It is known locally as "Cloch an Aifrinn".

The old people say that this was built by the Danes who raided the old church of Kilfarboy during Mass. They massacred most of those at Mass and buried them round the Church. They then hurriedly, raised this fort, probably in fear of a sudden attack.

at one time a poor man lived near Saint Bridget's Well. He dreamt of a hidden treasure which was a long way off in a fort in the townland of Lolohanmore and in the parish of Kilfarboy. He dreamed three nights in succession of it, so next morning her prepared and went to seek his fortune. He let out his story to a family near where the money was and they delayed him till two days went and found the treasure. So the poor man was fooled and went home very sad.

of these signals were extended to other farther away so there was always a chain of information whenever it was needed.
In the district of Annagh which runs into the Sea at Spanish Point there is situated on of the most noted wells in Clare. It is dedicated to St. Lactan called in Irish "Tobar Lachtainn". The Patron Day is the 19th March and this is also the Patron Day of St. Joseph. The present generation calls the well St. Joseph's Well but this is wrong as the old people never called it any name but - Tobar Lachtainn. This St Lactan was born in Ardfert in North Kerry and he came across the Shannon to Clare and as he was coming that way he visited Scattery Island. Thousands of people from all over Clare, Galway Limerick and Tipperary visit this well all believing that it is dedicated to St. Joseph. The well dedicated to St. Joseph is Situated in the Churchyard of Kilfarboy and as both wells were in Kilmurry-Ibrickane parish in ancient days people mistook one for the other.
The 19th March is a holiday in the Kilfarboy parish and in the northern part of Ibrickane parish There is another well dedicated to St Lactan somewhere in the district of Kilnamona About four miles from Ennis.

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Pisreógha.
Most of the pisreógha centre round butter-making and butter taking.
About a mile to the east of Rockmount N.S. three baronies,
three parishes and three townlands meet.The Baronies of Inchiquin, Corcomroe and Ibricken .The parishes are Inagh ,Ennistymon and Kilfarboy .The townlands are ,Gklendine and Fahalunaghta, The divisions are marked by two little streams which meet at a point and a tiny waterfall is formed .Here the people of the surrounding districts came on May eve .They took a bottle of the water with them.The water was kept in the house for twelve months and shaken on the cows every Monday morning Such rite was supposed to have the power of preventing the evil one taking the produce of any of these cows.
In the townland of Leeds which adjoins the school there lived there lived a man named John Burke .His descendants still live there.In the early hours of May morning .John took out his sporting gun with the intention of shooting rabbits.On his way he went to have a look at his milch cows which at the time were being fed on the grass.To his surprise he noticed that a hare was milking one of the cows .On his approach the hare tried to escape .Burke discharged a shot at the hare and apparently wounded it as traces of the blood were discernable. He followed up these traces .They led to towards the the house of a neighbour .He continued with the expectation of having another shot .Great was his surprise to find the woman of the house discharging blood from the gunshot wounds.
Above story I got from my father R.I.P.
Another story related to the same subject I have received from Patrick Carroll of kilfarboy.In those days it was

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Epitaph in Kilfarboy Graveyard."here lies the body of Colonel Augustine Fitzgerald of Moy Castle who died 1776 ,and of his wife Mrs.Fitzgerald who died November 1779and of their sona Norman who died an infant".

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Father Patrick Mc Guane
The parish priest of the Parish of Kilfarboy about 100 years ago was Father Patrick Mc Guane.To him is attributed the powers of prophesy. He is supposed to have prophesied the great European War.:-
1."An té is sia ó rian na cruaidh
Gurb é is fearr a bheith as "
He used to say.
2".Bainfidís súla dá chéile dul go h-Aiherica
Agus tiocfaidís abhaile ar phlugge Sall arís dá bhféadfaidís."3""Tiocfaidh pláigh in ndiaidh an cogaidh .Caillfear níos mo leis ná mar caillfaoidhe sa cogaadh".Father Mc Guane was a nephew of Dr Murray who founded the "Murray College "in Paris.Dr.Murray in his early days worked as a doctor in France.In his day the daughter of an extremely wealthy nobleman fell ill with some internal trouble.It failed the doctors of note to diagnose her malady.Dr.Murray after long pleading was admitted to examine the patient .He diagnosed her malady she had swallowed a pin.He succeeded in abstracting the pin by getting her to swallow little balls of cotton .When she got well she refused to marry anyone but 180
Father Patrick Mc Guane
The parish priest of the Parish of Kilfarboy about 100 years ago was Father Patrick Mc Guane.To him is attributed the powers of prophesy .he is supposed to have prophesied the great European War.:-
1."An té is sia ó rian na cruaidh
Gurb é is fearr a bheith as "
He used to say.
2".Bainfidís súla dá chéile dul go h-Aiherica
Agus tiocfaidís abhaile ar phlugge Sall arís dá bhféadfaidís."3""Tiocfaidh pláigh in ndiaidh an cogaidh .Caillfear níos mo leis ná mar caillfaoidhe sa cogadh".Father Mc Guane was a nephew of Dr Murray who founded the "Murray College "in Paris.Dr.Murray in his early days worked as a doctor in France.In his day the daughter of an extremely wealthy nobleman fell ill with some internal trouble.It failed the doctors of note to diagnose her malady.Dr.Murray after long pleading was admitted to examine the patient .He diagnosed her malady she had swallowed a pin.He succeeded in abstracting the pin by getting her to swallow little balls of cotton .When she got well she refused to marry anyone but Dr.Murray Her parents would not hear of it and the marriage did not come about until the parents died.Dr.Murray founded the college which was free to students of the surname Mc Guane and Murray. Father Patrick and Father Anthony Mc Guane both of the townland of Shanavalla ,Parish of Inagh (brothers)spent some time there.

In the Penal times there was a great Catholic Priest living near Miltown Malbay in a place called Kilfarboy he was Rev Fr John Corcoran.
He was hunted down by the British and one day when he was celebrating Mass in a lonely valley near Miltown he was caught by the British and killed. They beat him to death. Next day he was buried by the Poor Catholics who attended his Mass. Next morning a beautiful spring well appeared at the foot of the priests grave. It was a holy well and for years after people used to visit it and got cured from eye trouble. In later years a woman in the neighbourhood used the water for boiling potatoes but they would boil, so next morning

of a foals skin of gold in Ballyvaskin hill.
Rev. Fr. Patrick McGuane prayed in the Kilfarboy graveyard and foretold that lightning would never do any harm to the parish. He also foretold the headless horses or the motor cars and the telegraph or the talking in the wottle. All the priests words came true. Fr. McGuane is supposed to be a saint. He is laid to rest in the Miltown Church.(Fuair sí é ó Tomás Mac Gearalt, Freagh)

heard close by
The horses of which there were many got frightened and bolted tearing through the country. The Valets and servants also got frightened as they thought it was the Devil was there. What was really there was a man named O'Sullivan hid in a tree close by and had what is known as a "Bourawn". He put a hole in the middle of it and through it he drew a rush which made a very queer noise and sent the horses mad and made their drivers think it was the Devil.
That was the first and last time Kilfarboy Church was used by the Protestants.

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It is said that Storms were very prevalent long ago. Much damage was done by them. Ricks of hay on the houses and cabins of the peasant used to be blown down. Probably the storms were not very fierce as it was easy to blow down the houses. They were constructed of mud and the thatch tied with the "Sugain" or Straw Rope. The sugan did not hold long because it rotted after a few months and the least wind could blow off the thatch. During the storms many ships were wrecked. When the Spanish Armada was sent to conquer England a storm occurerd and parted the fleet. Many of the ships were wrecked some of them off the West Coast of Ireland especially off the coast of Clare near Quilty. Some of the bodies were recovered and buried in a neighbouring graveyard known as Kilfarboy "Cill Fear Buide" or church of the Yellow men or Spaniards
Oiche na Gaoite Moire 1839 A great storm occurred in 1839 probably the

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appeared to him on top of a bush which grows there.The light seemed to move about from one bush to another .Commane was very much frightened and was hardly able to make his way home.12.A story is told about an ambush of Black and Tans which took place at Ballyvahareen ,Ennistymon :Lorries of Bl and Tans were returning from Ennis to Ennistymon and they were fired on by an ambushing party through a hedge or clump of bushes at the spot mentioned -two of the Black and Tans being killed .It is said that those bushes have never got green since then .13.Two brothers named Malone lived in Kilfarboy over 60 years ago. When their father was dying he divided the farm between the two sons .They each got married and were quite prosperous for a number of years each having a number of stock as his

There are four blessed wells at least in this parish. There are two wells dedicated to St Joseph, one in Kilfarboy and the other in Dough. There is one in Glenville dedicated to St Annastatia and the fourth one is in Cillcorcoran.
The people go to St Joseph's wells on 19th March to perform rounds in order to get some request.
In the land of Mr Michael Honan, Cillcorcoran, there is a field known as Páirc an Tighe Mhór. In days gone by there was a grave yard in that field.
On one occasion the relatives of a person buried came for a long time crying and lamenting to the graveyard every day and night for about three or four weeks.
The Comyn's family lived in a field near the graveyard and they could not stand the lamenting any longer so they prayed one night going to bed that the graveyard