Battery — Crane Island

Situated in mixed woodland on the subrectangular and overgrown Crane Island (dims c. 125m N-S; c. 70m E-W), which is at the E edge of a bay (max. dims c. 500m E-W; c. 400m N-S) at the SE angle of Garadice Lough. Traditionally the island is associated with the United Irishman rebel Myles 'The Slasher' O'Reilly of uncertain authenticity (Blaney 1944, file no. 135), but this is probably the result of confusion with Colonel Myles O’Reilly, or Maol Mórdha Mac Edmond O’Reilly, who was the sheriff of Co. Cavan at the outbreak of the 1641 rebellion, and one of its instigators. Myles was a second cousin of Philip Mc Hugh O’Reilly, who became the commander of the Ulster rebel army towards the end of the struggle against Cromwellian forces. After the Ulster rebels were defeated at Scarriffhollis, Co. Donegal in June 1650, the rebels were confined increasingly to the fastnesses of Fermanagh, Cavan and Leitrim, and it is thought that Myles undertook the fortification of a number of islands, one of which was Crane Island at Lough Gardice (O’Reilly 1924). His fortifications at Crane Island were never tested as Myles surrendered with the rest of the rebel army at Clogh Oughtar in April 1653 (Manning 2013, 31), after which he went to the Continent where he died in 1670. This is an overgrown scrub-covered rectangular area (dims 41m NW-SE; 23m NE-SW) defined by a collapsed and grass-covered mortared wall (Wth 0.8-1m; H 0.5m) with the remains of a circular tower (int. diam. 3.7m; H 1.3m), which has a doorway (Wth 0.9m) with an outer rebate and two surviving gun-loops, situated at the N angle. Some of the dressed stone from one of the loops was stolen in 2013 and has not yet been recovered. A third gun-loop is in the wall of the bawn nearby. A cairn (diam. 5m; H 1m) at the S angle may be the remains of another tower. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Leitrim' compiled by Michael J. Moore (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2003). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 7 July 2017