CLENAGH CASTLE is a much overgrown tower house built by the McMahon family and, has on the wall at the right side of the door a shiela -na- gig, a fertility symbol of pre-Christian origin. The tower house was occupied up to about two hundred years ago.
The McMahons of Clenagh
History of the McMahons of Clenagh.
Mahone (d.1129) was forth in line from Brian Boru and from him descended the MacMahon families. In 1488 Turlogh, tenth in line from Mahone, divided his lands in Corca Baiscinn amongst his sons. To Donough he gave West Corca Baiscinn and to Tadhg the eastern portion. Tadhg’s territories included Clenagh. The castle at Clenagh was built at the end of the 16th century. Mahon Maol, eighth in line from Tadhg was first of the MacMahon line resident at Clenagh castle. He married Aine MacMahon descended from Donough of West Corca Baiscinn, step sister of Maire Rua MacMahon.
Mahon Maol had a grandson Tadgh who married a Burke (de Burgo) woman from Galway. In 1050 a harp, allegedly Brian Boru’s, was given by Donough, his son, to the Pope in atonement for his killing his brother Teige. Henry VIII was given the harp by the Pope in recognition of his work for the faith. Henry, in turn gave the harp to de Burgo who gave it to his daughter as a dowry when she married Tadgh McMahon. The harp can be seen today in Trinity College. It is the harp on Government stationary and coins.
Tadhg’s son Turlough became Parish Priest of Kilmaleery, Kilfiddane and Kildysart- a combination of townlands on either side of the River Fergus. He was ordained bishop of Killaloe from 1724 to 1728 and in all ne spent over twenty years administering in the diocese. His brother Donough married Bridget Barnwall in 1694.
Donough fled to Austria in 1713 afraid of retaliation for his pro-Jacobite stance. He brought his eldest son Turlough with him. He became an Austrian colonel and died in 1753. His son Turlough became governor of Pistoia in Austria. He married an Anne MacMahon from Monaghan and their son Stanislaus returned to Ireland. Henry, Turlough’s younger brother, had managed Clenagh in Turlough’s absence and his son and namesake Henry handed it over to Stanislaus upon his return. He was given the famous harp in gratitude.
Stanislaus’ brother Frances was very jealous of him. He once tried to push him from the top of the castle at Clenagh. He also kidnapped Stanislaus’ betrothed Lucinda Esmonde and she had to be later rescued from a bog.
Stanislaus’ son Donough was a priest in Holy Orders known as the Abbe Donough he died in Paris in 1784 and is supposedly buried in Pere Lachaise. In 1777 he handed over his estates to be managed by his sister Jane and her husband William Coppinger. This couple hoped to retain the now ruined castle and a good part of the estate but failed to do so. Jane was extravagant in her housekeeping and in her educational plans for her sons. The castle passed out of the family’s hands around 1784. John O’Connell, brother of Daniel, married Jane and William’s daughter Elizabeth. In 1875 their grandson John O’Connell represented the MacMahons of Clenagh. James Kelly bought the castle about 1875 and lived in a house adjacent to it. His son Jack and wife May sold it to Bernie Frawley in 1949.
The above account comes from a talk given by members of Newmarket on Fergus history group in 2011.