Townland of Glennagiveny

Area: 1697 acres
Irish Name: Gleann Ui Chaomhanaigh - Kavanagh's Glen
Spelling Variations: none

On the sea coast N.W. of Inishowen Head in the Parish of Moville are two glens leading down to Kinnagoe Bay. The southernmost one called Glenagivney, or locally "the Black Glen", is very narrow and steep. This out-of-the-way place can be approached in two ways. A rough road, in parts almost unfit for motors, leads up from Greencastle, through a miniature pass 855 feet above the sea. When this road from Greencastle crosses the river running down into the Atlantic it rises steeply to the village of Ballybane, and winds round the picturesque slopes of Kinnagoe Bay, before it meets the other, and less attractive glen called the "Long Glen" down which flows the "Long Glen River" running up towards Leckamy, on the road from Moville to Gleneely and Carndonagh. A circular tour by foot or car from Moville takes in these two glens. Glenagivney has sometimes been called "queen of Inishowen Glens". When in 1588 the great Spanish Armada was limping home on its terrible journey, one of the ships, the "La Trinidad Valencera", was driven on the rocks in Glenagivney Bay and founded.

Overlooking the bay are the remains of a fine double-ringed ancient fort. The ancient craft of creel and basket making is still carried on in the district. (Harry Percival Swan)

Fort (Iron Age or later)
On N. coast of E. side of Glenagiveny Bay, about half-way between hamlet of Gortnageeha and mount of Glennagiveny River, Greencastle/Kinnagoe Bay road passes near 0.5 miles from coast leave this road at fork, continue through hamlets of Claggan and Craig,. Arable. Fine commanding view.
Fort: This must have been a very fine double-ringed fort. At the time of inspection parts of the ditch between the two banks were filled with rubbish and nettles, but the road utilising the rest of the ditch at the N. arc of the fort, curves around in it. The road is bounded on either side by the banks which remain, the inner very thick high one being complete here, save for a 7ft. wide opening at the N. leading into the field which now incorporates the N.W. half of the fort. To facilitate this the banks at the field side were levelled about 100 years ago, "a man was paid £4 for doing it". At the time of inspection this part could still be traced in growing corn, but owing to the crop it was not possible to measure the diameter, presumed to be about 70ft. There is said to be a 'flagged place' within the enclosure. The site was well chosen, a few yards to the N. is the cliff edge, and close by to the W. and N. W. the land drops steeply to the river near where it flows into the sea.

Small Cross Slab (Early Christian?)
This beautifully shaped stone with a carved wheel cross was found some ten years ago while getting stone for a 10ft. deep drain, by a man called McLaughlin. It was down by the shore to the E. of the river at the foot of the glen, "the brew (bank) would have fallen on it". It is now in the possession of Mr. T. O'Kane, Moville (at Bredagh Glen School) who has full details. (Later note: Mr. O'Kane has died and the cross is now (1973) at the Parochial House, Moville).
Local Traditions: Many fairy tales have gathered round the fort and glen. "The fairies used to be heard singing". "Queer things happened anyhow, though it was before my time."
(1) Told by a man of 80 years of age) "the people were in the kitchen with the door shut when they heard the fairies come singing down the road. My aunt said. "There's the fairies!". and with that they fired a sheed" ring in under the door! It was always used after that in making drinks for sick cows and it cured them". Pointing out the ruins of a cottage he said the sheed was always kept in a bole (open cupboard or recess) built in the wall beside the fireplace. On enquiring what a sheed was, the old man explained that it was a triangular blue stone (flint arrowhead? also known as a fairy-bolt). The above story followed a query as to whether any old stone weapons or tools were found near the fort.
(2) "There were a lot of poor people with large families and not much to eat and often they used to find a pot of oat porridge on the fire, or money in their pockets they couldn't account for. Sometimes on returning home from the fields they would find the door barred against them and sounds of merry-making inside. When eventually they got in, there was no one there, but there would be a pot of porridge over the fire. If any that got money told about it, then they never got any more!". The old man's daughter said she knew a man who was said to have got such porridge.
(3) The old man's father was one of a party engaged in hiding smuggled tobacco which was secreted in a flagged place in the middle of the fort. The secret was betrayed and the soldiers came and, pacing it out, soon found the tobacco. The smugglers had to flee and for months one was hidden further to the E. of the fort and fed daily by the father. The fugitive used to come out of his hole for exercise and dance on the hill-top in full view. They nicknamed him Jigging Dan, but the soldiers never found him. Eventually he got away in a boat and was never heard of again. 'He was afraid to write, you see the punishment was transport for life". The place in which he hid is called The Prison (Souterrain).

(Taken from The Heritage of Inishowen By Mabel R. Colhoun)

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