Settlement deserted — medieval in Ballysheehan (ballysheehan Par.)

It would appear from historical sources that Ballysheehan was a sub-manor of Ardmayle and an extent of 1305 states that John, son and heir of William Hackett, held land in Ballysheehan (O'Donovan and Duffy 2002, 34). An extent of the same year for Ballysheehan states that there are no buildings there of any profit, but mentions two mills (ibid., 34-5). Located in flat grassland with good views in all directions motte and bailey (TS053-042002-) 200m to SW, fortified church (TS053-042001-) 130m to W and graveyard (TS053-042004-) 110m to W. Visible earthworks extended eastward 110m from the graveyard wall and covered an area measuring 300m N-S (ibid. 39). In 1999, during the redevelopment of the stud farm, these earthworks, which possibly represents the remains of a deserted medieval village, were partially buried in topsoil to make the land safe for livestock (Purcell and Gowan 2000, 283). A digital terrain model of the earthworks, prior to this, revealed several features, a sub-rectangular earthwork (TS053-042005-), a circular enclosure (TS053-042006-), a mill or fish pond (TS053-042007-)and 3 low circular mounds (TS053-042008-; TS053-042009-; TS053-042010-) which may be ring-ditches or the remains of feeding troughs (O'Donovan and Duffy 2002, 39). In 1953 the point of an iron spike, fragment of an iron horse-shoe and five sherds of medieval potery were found in the hummocky field near the motte and bailey (NMI Reg. No. 1953:9-15) Earthworks to the N and E of the church (TS053-042003-) and graveyard (TS053-042004) show up on aerial photographs (CUCAP 1967, ATA 64; CUCAP 1971, BGO 11) may be the remains of a deserted settlement associated with Ballysheehan church (TS053-042001-). The townland name of Ballysheehan is derived from the Irish baile Ui Shiodhchain meaning O'Sheehans Town (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 105). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011