Introduction

On this page, over the coming years, we intend to give an account of the history of Myross and the village of Union Hall. Local history is often based on the research of one individual in certain institutions and libraries or the oral accounts of individuals whose views may be coloured or cannot be verified because others who may have opposite views have passed on or prefer to remain silent. The accounts which we will give in this website are as presented to us but we welcome comments from any person who may like to add to them or disagree with them.

In our opening piece, we will deal with an overall view of the parish as well as providing the addresses of websites for those interested in tracing their family trees.

Union Hall in the Parish of Myross, once known as the “Garden of Carbery”, is situated on famed Glandore Harbour.  Myross is a peninsula bounded to the east by Glandore Harbour, on the south by the Atlantic and to the west by Castlehaven Harbour. Steeped in history, there is plenty of evidence of the existence of early civilization in the area. In the townland of Carrigillihy are the remains of one of the oldest known Bronze Age Forts, and scattered around the parish are the remains of many Stone Age Forts or Fairy Forts which were formerly the homes of our ancestors between 500BC and 600AD.

Still to be seen are the ruins of two O’Donovan castles - Castle Eyre/Ivor built in 1251 in the townland of Listarkin - and Raheen Castle built  circa 1584 around the same time that the O’ Donovan’s built Castledonovan in Drimoleauge.

Churches and Burial Grounds

The Patron saint of this ancient parish is Brigid, and in the townland of Ardra is a well to her memory.  Legend has it that the well was originally situated on Rabbit Island but when a pilgrim returning to the mainland was drowned, the well was supposed to have moved from the island to the mainland overnight. Both the school and the R.C. church are named after Brigid and there are also legends associating her with Loch Cluichir.

Off the coast on Low Island are the remains of an early burial ground which probably existed pre 1615 when the present graveyard and church in Myross came into existence.

Prior to the Myross church, we know that there was a church at Rinneen which may have continued to be in existence up to the time the church in Stookeen was built. Stooken was closed when the present R.C. church was built circa 1827. The present Church of Ireland church was built in 1827, and before this the Anglican Community worshipped at the “Teampall Bán” in the townland of Ardagh.  Both of these have burial grounds attached. There was also a Methodist church in the parish which was in existence and use up to the late 1950’s.

Union Hall Village

We know very little as to when the village of Union Hall itself came into existence. Some say it existed pre 1800, and was at that stage known as Trá an Bhróin in commemoration of a battle which took place there in a previous century.  Some would contend that it grew up around the “Big House” which was built by William Somerville Limrick at the end of the eighteenth century, and called The “Hall” and later Unionhall to commemorate the passing of the Act of Union in 1801. Along with building the “Big House”, houses were built on the lane for both the gardener and the butler. As early as 1828 the Fuller Family had opened their first shop opposite the present Post Office, and records tell us that a Con Collins was granted a licence to sell alcohol on his premises in the square in the house belonging to the late Mrs Shanahan. This remained a public house until the early sixties. Griffiths valuation which was carried out in 1844 in the south indicates that most of the village was in existence at that period. In an article in the Skibbereen Eagle of Saturday July 7^th 1866 it states “ On the opposite side of the harbour of Glandore stands the equally beautiful and  picturesque village of Union Hall surrounded by with handsome villas and elegant demesnes”.

Myross is in the Barony East Carbery (western division) and when the Poor Law Unions were set up in  1832 it became part of the  Skibbereen PLU. When the Poor Law Union was divided up into dispensaries in 1851 Myross became a dispensary area, and it was the doctor in charge of this area who registered births, deaths and marriages for the surrounding area which included Glandore and Leap. It is also worth noting that the Civil Parish of Myross is exactly the same as the Roman Catholic parish of Myross, which is not the case with many local Catholic parishes.

We also know from records of the existence of a courthouse at Ardagh Hill as far back as 1832. Because the field across the road from it was used for impounded animals, it became known as Páirc a’ Phóna,  and this is why the new housing estate in the field is known as “Páirc a’ Phóna”

The R.I.C. was in existence from 1822 to 1922 and it would appear that shortly after its founding an R.I.C. barracks was opened in Union Hall. Up to 80% of the force was made up of Catholics, and we read of a Constable John Lordan carrying out a survey on behalf of Dublin Castle in 1846.

All the above facts lead us to believe that although Myross / Union Hall was on the verge of the Atlantic it became an important administrative centre for justice in the early 18^th century.