The Bloody Hollow

The site of the Battle of Aughrim, fought on 12th July 1691, extends over nine townlands in undulating farm and bogland to E and S of the village of Aughrim; Attibrassil, Attidermot, Coololla, Cloonameragaun, Foats or Levallynearl, Kilcommadan, Kinnaveelish, Tristuan and Urraghry (Hayes-McCoy 1969, 241). It was contested by Jacobite forces, under the command of Lieut.-General the Marquis de St Ruth, and the Royalists, led by Lieut.-General Ginkel. The Jacobite positions were ranged E-facing slopes of Aughrim Hill, extending for c. 2.5km from Aughrim Castle (GA087-055----) at N to Attibrassil Bridge at S. A number of placenames connected with the battle are marked on OS 6-inch maps, most notably 'Luttrell's Pass', in Coololla td. and 'The Bloody Hollow' in Kilcommadan (OS 3rd. ed. 1946). A number of monuments are also associated in particular with Lieut.-General St Ruth: GA087-004----, GA087-126003-, GA087-125----. The initial positions of the victorious Williamite army, including their artillery, were ranged in a broad arc, c. 3km long, from Melehan Bridge at N, across Urraghy Hill, to Attibrassil and Tristaun at S (ibid. 1942, 14-20). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010