The Closh

The Closh in Tiervarna was a well known well. In Irish its translation is Clais which means a water channel or gully. People relied on the Closh well during spells of drought in particular as it had a never ending supply of water. The stream from that well, which flowed by the side of the road, was also used in the days of the pony and car as a means of expanding the timber of the wheels, as the timber would shrink in dry weather which could cause the iron band to fall off. The farmers were known to immerse the left wheel in the stream on the way to the creamary and the right wheel on their return journey. Unfortunately the well no longer exists today. The Closh also lended its name to the local pub for a number of years. It was located at the end of this trail across the road.

Tiervarna is also unique in that the whole townland is owned by the Cunningham family.

As you continue down the road another of our named forts is in to your right. This too is on private property so please do not trespass. Its called Lisnalarabaunia which is most likely the anglicised version of Lios na Láir a Bháine = The fort of the white mare. This fort is in O’Connell’s farm, Burrane. It is believed locally that at certain times of the year a white horse appears at the fort in Burrane, ridden by a man who is supposed to have been the former occupier of it and who, judging by the account given of his dress, appearance and trappings, was an Irish chieftain.

This is the final stop on this trail, and the road ahead leads back down to the ferry. We hope you enjoyed exploring this historical trail and gained a deeper understanding of the past.

If you would like to continue your journey, there are two more trails to discover — The Trail of Tears and In the Footsteps of Saints.