Irish scientists are tracing Ireland's environmental history using dendrocronology, or treering dating. "The technique has the ability to show what were the most catastrophic environmental events to affect Ireland over the last 7,000 years," wrote Aebhin Cawley in a recent article in this newspaper.
Here she reports a talk given by Prof Michael Bailie of the school of archaeology and palaeoe cology, Queen's University, Belfast, wherein he tells that such an examination of ancient bog oak samples shows that the worst event to happen in the last 2,000 years occurred in the year AD 540. Not only the trees were affected by the severe climatic conditions which caused their stunted growth in that year, but there was widespread failure of crops and crashes in human population caused by epidemics of plague. Remarkably Annala Rioghachta Eireann/Annals of the Four Masters (compiled 1632-36) also reports this event. "The Age of Christ 541. The fifth year of Diarmaid. There was an extraordinary universal plague through the world, which swept away the noblest third of the human race."
The Irish called this plague Blefed. And one wonders if Saint Moibhi Claraineach, i.e. Barchan of Glas Naidhen, was of "the noblest third", for his death occurred the following year.
Barchan is from the Irish Bearchan, a diminutive of the personal name Bearach, "pointed, sharp". Bearach was the name of a number of saints among whom was Saint Berach, abbot of Cluain Coirphe and patron of Kilbarry ("the church of Bearach"), Co Roscommon. He was patron of the O Hanlys, who continued to use Bearach as a family personal name until the 16th century when they anglicised it to Barry. Another name common among the (O) Hanlys was Giolla na naomh, "servant of the saints", anglicised Gillernew, etc.
Irish Personal Names (O Corrain and Maguire) says the name Ainle means "a hero, a champion, a warrior", but de Bhulbh in Sloinnte na hEireann/Irish Surnames follows Mac Lysaght's The Surnames of Ireland that it means "beauty". Current telephone directories list Hanley 713 times, and Hanly 174. Outside the Dublin 01 area, both spellings are numerous in Munster, but Hanley is most numerous in Connaught.
In Topographical Poems O Dubhagain, who wrote his portion around 1372, gave Ui Ainlidhe as Lords of Ceinel Dobhtha. This was later to become Doohy-Hanly, comprising the parishes of Kilglass, Termonbarry, Cloontuskert and the east half of Lisonuffy, land that lay along the Shannon from Carranadoo Bridge to Drumduff in east Co Roscommon. The Irish Fiants of the Tudor Sovereigns 1521-1603 gives Twoy hanly as an alias for his place-name.
Variously spelt O Hanly, Hanle, Hanlee, Hanleie, Hanley, Hanlie and Hanlly, this surname appears in 41 fiants, dating from 1654 to 1603, mainly regarding "pardons", and largely in Connaught, but especially in Co Roscommon. A fiant of 1585 notes the appointment of Fergananym O Hanly to the office of seneschal of Tohahohanly, Co Roscommon, "to hold during good behaviour". A fiant of the same year was a pardon to - among others - a number of Hanlys; three Gillernews, two Hughs, two Feraghs, Donell, Owney, Melaughlen, Teig, Dermot, Ferganayime, and Rory. The only place-name listed in this fiant was Leygayne I Hanly, Co Roscommon.
Apart from Patrick Hanly who was a titulado in Kildare, the rest of the names were in Co Roscommon, as listed in the 1659 "census" of Ireland. They were among the principal Irish names in the baronies of Ballintober and Roscommon, and Dermot, John, Gillernan and William were titulados in the barony of Roscommon, and Edmond in the barony of Ballintober. The Co Roscommon Book of Survey and Distribution (1636-1703) shows Hanlys with land in the Co Roscommon parishes of Clontuskert, Killglass, Killfegin, Killtevin, Tarmonbarry, Killkevin and Deran and Kilbride, Clon finlough and Bumlin.
Doohyhanly, listed neither as a parish nor a townland name, is Hanlys' duiche (hereditary land), the above alias being Hanlys' tuath (territory). And Leygayne I Hanly? Might it be Liagan Ui Ainle? Liagan is a standing stone, but often names the field wherein lies the standing stone. And might this have been abbreviated to Legan, a townland in the parish of Killglass?