Video below from February 2005: more video footage than anyone could ever want or need from a visit to old Harrington home in Clountreem.
As I understand it, this property was once owned by Jeremiah Harrington (Caobach) b. abt 1790, then JOHN (or Jack) HARRINGTON (Urdail), b. 1820 in Gowlane, Kilmacowen married “cliamhain isteach” (see below) to this place which was then passed down to the next generation, down to “Dan and Mary”, the last Harrington owners: Daniel Harrington (Urdail) (12 Jun 1901, d. 01 Apr 1974) and Mary Harrington (Urdail) (b. 11 Dec 1889, d. 21 May 1974), brother and sister of my grandfather Michael. The house is not far from “downtown” Castletownbere in County Cork, Ireland and I believe the exact location is: 51.667455,-9.898944
The drive shown in this video begins on R572 (Seaview Terrace/St Joseph’s Villas?) then turning right, driving along a road and turning left at the sign: “Clann Troim, Clountreem, (Wedge Grave)” then following this road (or “boreen”) up to the house.
cliamhain isteach: “To explain the Irish expression “cliamhain isteach”: it means a man marrying in as a son-in-law to his wife’s parents. He leaves his own place and settles down in her farm. “Cliamhain” means a son-in-law; “isteach” means (coming) in.” – Riobard O’Dwyer, Vol. III Introduction
“Tade Jack’s house in Clountreem” – Ken Mason; The Harrington (Urdail) home in Clountreem (1956); filename: Photos_Harringtons02b.jpg; no info on back
“Tade Jack’s house in the foreground, his own [Pat?] in the middle and that of Tade T. furthest away – Ken Mason; The Harrington (Urdail) home in Clountreem (1956); filename: Photos_Harringtons02a.jpg; no info on back
>> Beara list posting re: wedge grave in Clountreem: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/Beara/2000-02/0949666163
From: Matt Emerson
Subject: Fwd: Beara’s Prehistory – (Connie Murphy)
Date: Fri, 04 Feb 2000 05:09:23 -0700
My good friend Riobard O’Dwyer is taking a short break from contributing to Beara L. He sure needs it after the marathon research he has carried out and the huge volume of information he has posted in recent weeks. I can assure you he is not ‘resting on his oars’ (a Beara expression which means talking life easy). He is adding lots of new information to his genealogy files, which will be of benefit to all of us who are interested in our Beara ancestors.
In the meantime, I would like to try to briefly trace the story of our ancestors in Beara going back to the earliest inhabitants. Looking at Ireland as a whole we know that the earliest people arrived in the north-east part of the country at about 7000 BC some 2 to 3 thousand years after the Ice Age ended in this part of Europe. Eventually, people made their way to the Beara Peninsula but we are not sure when. As these people were using mainly stone implements the period from 7000 -2000 BC is called the Stone Age. Up to about 4000 BC they were nomadic hunters and gatherers. Then the knowledge of farming arrived and people began to settle and farm in one area. We know that some of these farmers were in Beara. They left behind some prehistoric monuments and artefacts.
Many of the present day inhabitants of Beara have spent a day in the bog cutting or footing turf or drawing it home for the winter fires. While a day in the bog had its enjoyable moments, it was back breaking work and most of us were glad when the last dry sod was taken home. Nowadays, there are large areas of cut-away bog on hillsides throughout the peninsula; for example in Ardgroom Outward and in Clountreem Valley near Castletownbere. Here we can see the collapsed walls of ancient fields and the circular outlines of ancient house sites. They were hidden and preserved beneath the bog for four thousand years or more. These were the houses and fields of our earliest ancestors.
In Clountreem, we can also see a wedge tomb beside the ancient fields. The cremated remains of the dead were laid to rest in tombs like this. Sometimes, they were accompanied by a pottery bowl containing food for the spirit on its journey to the after-life. There are over two dozen wedge-tombs in Beara and several hundred in other parts of Ireland. These tombs consists of large capstones laid on two rows of upright stone slabs. These tombs are narrow at the back and wide at the front. They always face in a south-westerly direction. This is where the sun sets in mid-winter. Some people believe that the setting sun at this time of the year shone into the tombs and released the spirit for its journey to the after-life.
Did you know that at about 2000 BC the inhabitants of Beara were mining copper, long before the famous Allihies Mines of the 19th century. Three such primitive mines are known in Beara, on the hill to the east of Eyeries village, on the hills of Adrigole to the east of the Healy Pass and on Esk Mountain to the north of Glengarriff. This was the beginning of the Bronze Age in Ireland and it lasted for over fifteen hundred years.
More to follow.
Connie Murphy
Nice video. Not sure where you were till the end at Castletown. Never been out that road. My clan are from Eyeries and Ardgroom area.
Thanks! The video begins near downtown Castletownbere and I believe this is Main Street or R572 and the first turn goes into St. Joseph’s Villas (from what I can see on Google Maps) before making the left into the boreen that leads to Clountreem. I was only there for one sunny day in February 2005 and still hope to visit again one day! Other ancestors are from Trá an Phéarla which I didn’t get to see. Thanks for the comment!
Direct descendants of Dan and Mary and also Michael Harrington of the Coabachs.
Would very much like to reach cousins and share information.
Can you email me at chrisharrington@outlook.com and I can send you more information and find out how we are connected. Thanks!