Pollagh also spelt as Pullough, is located in a small village in County Offaly, it is in the Civil Parish of Lemanaghan. A small parish, it extends from Ballycumber to Ferbane. Pollagh village can be found on the north side of the canal. The Parish lies in the territory of Dealbhna Eathra of the MacCoghlans – an ancient people. It has a rich heritage in its archaeology including the important monastic site, churches, and ringforts and the famous castles.
One of The townlands that we come along as we work our way down the line is Pollagh, the name in Irish is Pollach, meaning Place full of Holes.
| Townland | Area | Pop in 1841 | Pop in 1851 | No. of Houses in 1841 | No. of Houses in 1851 | Pop in 1871 | Pop in 1911 | No. of Houses in 1871 | No. of Houses in 1911 |
| Pollagh | 907 | 267 | 168 | 43 | 33 | 282 | 223 | 42 | 50 |
In 1911, Pollagh had one of the largest population and houses recorded in the census for this district, during this period the household returns and ancillary, and shows us that there were 50 private dwellings, with 47 inhabited, all between 2nd and 4th class category. The people who occupied these houses were between the ages of 1-76 years, with occupations that included boatmen and farmers. Below shows some of the families during this time.
Pollagh is a small rural village that lies on the Grand Canal line, between Ferbane and Tullamore. A lot of its area is bogland and the Grand Canal was used for transporting peat, turf and bricks, which were produced during the time from the late 18th century[1].
The village saw huge attraction to the local area during the early years of the Grand Canal, it benefited from the investment and employment that the brick yard industry and the turf business brought to it. It is now an important tourist attraction that brings local people and international visitors to learn about its rich history and its famous shrine at Boher church, the Harry Clarke and studio stained glass work. Harry Clarke was a well-known Irish strained glass artist, whose work features, both religious and Irish folklore motifs. His use of colour and eye for detail set him apart from other artists. You will find some of his work in St Mary’s Church, constructed in 1907, it features two large stained glass windows along with a Bog Oak altar.
There are a number of Harry Clarke and Clarke Studios windows in Offaly – from the Offaly County Council website we see that most are near the Grand Canal save Mount St Joseph.
- Tullamore – Church of the Assumption. These windows were originally located in Rathfarnham Castle and were donated to the church by the Jesuit Community. There are five windows in the south transept depicting St Brendan, St Patrick, St Benignus, St Peter and St Paul.
- Lis Church (now a private residence). The two windows are from 1929 and 1932 called ‘Music and Literature’.
- St Manchan’s Church, Boher – 5, 1931 windows with a striking one of St Manchan, his cow and the shrine.
- St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Pollagh – There are a pair of Harry Clarke studio windows of the Virgin Mary and the Sacred Heart from 1936.
- Mount St Joseph Abbey– An interesting site with windows from 1931, 1941, 1961. The first set are in the Former Infirmary Oratory, the second in the Collage chapel and the third is St Patrick in the Abbey Church.
- Killina Convent Chapel, near Rahan. There are two late Studio windows from 1967, Our Lady and the Resurrection.
Looking back we can see the impact the Grand Canal made in this area. With the use of the Canal system it was made easier to transport the unique bricks all over Ireland. Many of shipments would pass under Plunkett Bridge, which was built in 1809. This bridge is the only standing bridge that allows people to cross the canal nearby the townland.
On each side of the bridge could be seen the 12 brickyards that made the bank of the canal their new home in the 1830. By the end of the 19th Century there were 14 Brickyards recorded in the Pullough area.
Peat
Peat production made great strides from about 1910 under Purser Griffith. The Canal was used to transport to Dublin. By the 1940s Bord na Mona became the major company to oversee the development of bogs and peatlands[2].
As we leave the village of Pollagh and head down the line, making our way closer to Shannon Harbour. We can see the Grand Canal played a huge part in the development of the Pollagh area, the section of Canal was opened in 1804 and is built on the longest stretch between locks along the canal. The canal separates the townland in two.
The Grand Canal line has been developed for the local community and the tourism sector, with natural wildlife sections for wildlife habitats and the introduction of mooring platforms for boats, it also has a boy-man sculpture that is one of the well-known pieces in Pollagh, as it is to some a symbol of the hard work that local people did during the time when brickwork and turf cutting was the main source of employment, a job that required much skill and effort.
Derrycooly is in the Electoral Division of Derrycooly, in Civil Parish of Rahan, in the Barony of Ballycowan, in the County of Offaly. The Irish name for Derrycooly is Doire Cúile meaning Corner wood.
| Townland | Area | Pop in 1841 | Pop in 1851 | No. of Houses in 1841 | No. of Houses in 1851 | Pop in 1871 | Pop in 1911 | No. of Houses in 1871 | No. of Houses in 1911 |
| Derrycooly | 1707 | 245 | 184 | 41 | 37 | 103 | 310 | 22 | 63 |
Next we come along to Turraun, it is located just 1.5 miles from Pollagh village, it is situated in the Civil Parish in two townlands, Wheery and Killagally. This civil Parish is very interesting as its territory was anciently part of Delbhna Eartha and of Mac Coghlan country. You will find evidence of their castles that they had throughout the parish. While you’re in the Parish, you can also have a look at some of the remains that can be found here of two early Christian sites, at Killagally and Wheery.
| Townland | Area | Pop in 1841 | Pop in 1851 | No. of Houses in 1841 | No. of Houses in 1851 | Pop in 1871 | Pop in 1911 | No. of Houses in 1871 | No. of Houses in 1911 |
| Turraun | 979 | 191 | 176 | 32 | 31 | 136 | 108 | 24 | 26 |
In 1911, Turraun had 26 houses on record in the census, during this period the household returns and ancillary, shows us that there were 23 of Private Dwelling inhabited, all between 2nd and 4th class. Members that occupied these buildings were between the ages of 1-84 years, with occupations of farmers, servants and boatmen who worked along the Grand Canal Line. Below shows some of the families during this time.
Turraun is in the Electoral Division of Lea, in the Barony of Garrycastle, in the County of Offaly.
The Irish name for Turraun is An Torán meaning The Little Tower or Small Hill[3].
In this townland you will find Turraun Wetland, this is a nature reserve, created on an old turf cutting bog that was flooded in the late 120th century. It now holds up to over 100 different species of bird and is enriched in natural beauty with a variety of plant species and insects that now call this wetland their home. This walk around is a great way to take in a relaxing stroll while been surrounded by the historical natural beauty that lies in this area, don’t forget to take a packed lunch as the full length takes up to four hours to complete. Furry friends are also welcomed just don’t forget to keep them on a lead!
Looking Back Along the Line:
When we look at Turraun. We have to look at the hard working people who worked the lines along the Turraun Bog. Turraun Camp was one of the site set up during the 1940s to house employees that worked in the bogland. It brought men from across Ireland, with one person recalling “The number of local papers which arrived each week from all over Ireland amazed Him[4]”
The camp remained open till 1948, only lasting 8 years. The early closure could have been for a combination of two things. The area was small, no canteen for proper cooking and general living conditions were not up to standard. With the amount of bog starting to diminish the product line was slowed down to a smaller scale. A lot of workers then moved over to Boora, which only left a few staff remaining at Turraun until 1971, which saw its last day on May the 5th.
Here we see the last photo taken of Turraun Works, as the load and transport the last load of turf from Turraun Bog. Picture left to Right: Paddy Fitzpatrick, Eddie Joe Dooley, Paddy Hogan of Tullamore, Michael Doyle and Bertie Baker.
Turraun came under the wing of its giant neighbour Boora, which also took over Lemanaghan during this time[5]. Coming along, just outside Turraun we come to the Bord na Mora swing Bridge, this was constructed to accommodate the trains that transported peat and the Canal Boats.
Just pass the Swing Bridge, are a few miles of walkway that is enjoyed by walkers and is a popular destination shared by all, for fishing, boat cruising and canoeing up and down the Grand Canal Line. It’s a great location to get in some photos along the way.
The Grand Canal is filled with many stories. Don’t forget to look back at some of the early posts on the Grand Canal Townlands, East to West, to unlock some of its historical events and facts associated with the townlands along the Grand Canal way. You never know what you might discover! Next time we are heading to the Civil Parish of Gallen and we will be taken a look at Derrycarney to Gallen and see the gems they hold along the line.
All our blogs can be accessed on http://www.offalyhistory.com
[1] Towns and Villages in County Offaly. Pub:Books LLC, Memphis, 2010. 123-126
[2] All the way by the Grand Canal. Jo Kerrigan & Richard Mills. Pub the O’Brien Press LTD. 2023.166-168.
[3] Offaly Through Time & It’s Townlands Thomas Lee. Pub Ottait Publishing. 2018.256-258.
[4] Bogmen be proud. Towards a history of Bord Na Mona Boora. Pub: Brosna Press LTD. Ferbane 1997.P18.
[5] Bogmen be proud. Towards a history of Bord Na Mona Boora. Pub: Brosna Press LTD. Ferbane 1997155-57.
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