Carracastle is a small, rural Roman Catholic parish

Parish

A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 in Counties Mayo

County Mayo

County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...

, Roscommon

County Roscommon

County Roscommon is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the town of Roscommon. Roscommon County Council is the local authority for the county...

 and bordering County Sligo in Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 (the corresponding civil parish

Civil parish

In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...

 is Kilbeagh). It is roughly half way between the Mayo town of Charlestown

Charlestown, County Mayo

Charlestown , once named Newtown-Dillon or Ballycattell, is a town in the Barony of Costello, County Mayo, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of two National Primary routes, the N17 and the N5. Until the N5 bypass opened in November 2007, traffic congestion was a problem in the town...

 and the Roscommon town of Ballaghaderreen

Ballaghaderreen

Ballaghaderreen is a town in County Roscommon. It is located on the N5 National primary road. The town has become a bottleneck on the N5 route in recent years and the opening of the Charlestown bypass down the road has exacerbated the problem...

. The parish is made up of the main parish of Carracastle and the half parish of Rooskey. There is a Catholic church in each parish and a school in Carracastle (a school in Rooskey closed down in June 2009).

History

There are over twenty ring forts in Carracastle. The original church in Carracastle, on the site of the present church, was a small thatched building which also served as a school house. The church in Carracastle today was built in 1877 and it was officially opened and blessed on 21 October 1877. The altar of Caen stone

Caen stone

Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...

and marble was consecrated by Bishop McCormack on the 9th of June 1884. Church records for Carracastle parish begin in about 1850.
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Townlands of Carracastle

Townland	Acres	Name in Irish	Meaning
Ballintadder	123	Baile an Teadar	Townland between
Barroe	774	Barr Rua	Red Top Soil
Botuney	572	Both Sionnaigh	Foxes Den
Brackloon South	207	Breac-chluanach	Speckled meadow
Brackloon North	187	Breac-chluanach	Speckled meadow
Bulkaun	173	Bulcan	Central Land
Calvagh Lower	221	Coill-Bheithe	Birch Wood
Calvagh Upper	162	Coill-Bheithe	Birch wood
Carracastle	---	Ceathru an Chaisil	The quarter (area) of the Stone fort
Carrowntubber	235	Ceathrú an Tobair	Quarter (or area) or the well
Cashelduff	702	Caiseal Dubh	Black stone fort
Caslecolane	207	Caiseal Collain	Stone fort of the hazels or (Keolan's stone fort)
Cloonaweema	225	Cluain a Mhaoidheama	Meadow of the eruption or Spring
Clooncouse	153	Cluain Cuas	Meadow of the caves
Cloonfane	265	Cluain na Feinne	Meadow of the Fianna or wild meadow
Cloonlarin	534	Cluain Lairthean	Meadow of the site (of a house)
Cloonlumney	---	Cluain Lomnaigh	Meadow of the bare place
Cloonmeen West	263	Cluain Mhin	Smooth meadow
Cloonmore	161	Cluain Mór	Great meadow
Coppecurrach	545	Capall-Churrach	Marsh of the horses
Corragoola	244	Cor a Ghualaigh	Round hill of the charcoal Burner
Craggagh	86	Creagach	Rocky ground
Cranmore	150	Crann Mór	Big tree
Currin	456	Cor an Fhia	Round hill of the deer
Derrydorneen	226	Doire Dhoirnin	Durnin's little oak wood
Derrykinlough	560	Doire Cionn Locha	Oakwood at head of the (incl 83 water) lake
Derrynanaff	112	Doire na nDamh	Oak-wood of the oxen
Fauleens	543	Fáilín	Little hedges
Glosh	390	Glais Trasna	Cross-stream
Gortanure (Palmfield)	564	Gort an Iuir	Field of the yew
Gowel	322	Gabhal	A fork
Gowlane	957	Gabhlan	A small fork
Laveybeg	303	Leamhaigh Bheag	Small elm wood
Lavymore	630	Leamhaigh Mór	Large elm wood
Lecarrow	434	Leath-Cheathrú	Half of quarter (of land)
Lismulgee	228	Lios Uí Mhaolgaoithe	Wynne's fort
Park	102	Páirc	A field
Pullboy	170	Poll Bui	Yellow valley (hole)
Rooskey	1686	Rúscaigh	Moory land
Speck	128	Baile na Speice	Place of the spike (rock)
Srah	873	Srath	River valley
Tonnagh	499	Tonnach	A rampart (mound)
Tonroe	241	Toin Rua	Red bottom soil

External links

• Website