There resided once at Coumnegella, Kilcommon a family named McDonald. The claimed to be direct descendants of McDonald of Glenco, Scotland. How they came to reside there I do not know. The name is now extinct in the locality but there are several families of the name ‘ Hanly ‘ who are direct descendant’s of MacDonald on their mother’s side.

At the time of the Rebellion of 1798 there was a small branch of the United Irishmen in the locality. One James McDonald was the leader. Prior to the Battle of Vinegar Hill He received orders from headquarters Dublin to take out his pikemen and intercept a party of British Militia or Yeomenry who were journeying from Limerick to Wexford. They were to intercept them somewhere in the hills between Kiloscully and Nenagh or that direction. Whether McDonald failed or his men failed or both failed cannot very well be ascertained. It is sufficient to say that they did not ambush them. Some say if they did Vinegar Hill would be an Irish Victory instead of a defeat