Donegal Annual / Bliainiris Thír Chonaill, Vol. 2, No. 3 (1953)

ANCIENT ROAnwAYS OF DONEGAL NLck o·f th:e' BaHagih and Me-eina,valley t:ak:e thlek names. W:e1 have Bealach na gCreach (p1a;SJSage· of the ca1ttle E~P·Oii.13) on th.e moun:ta:!Il ir:oad be:t1Wete1n GLent.k~s and thie Ree.Mn. C'asan na mBrathar (the monks' pathway) cr:oiSIE:E!S the ·foot-hLlLls of Blues:ta:ck towards Donega.l. Closie· to Brockagh we :ha.v·2 Clo·ghan and the t:ownU!and 01f Cloncleigh .(:i;nead-0w of the hrurdl'3briidge). O~d tdme- hGghways :are w31l r:cipr:e:s:en.:tetd an the toponiomy of Inishowen. We have Togher causewary), Gl·rn1t:ogiher anld M1a:ghtoghe·r, An1niaiS[1e1e· (the ford of the: h:ighwa.y) a:nid BallyJiarwn (bealachi Lea.than). ElnshrCrne1d in. tlhe' folklore· of Northi-We1~:t Done:gtal: d.s the old roadway wh1ch cro.s:s:ed the· hills: from Gwee•cLore' to C1ogham.1eiely, ·· p:a;ssed by Ke.1eldrom and Cashel and continued on to the· old «~hiur:Ch'fY:a.rd of TuHag hb8gly - then the bu!l'l:aw-plaic:e· for Lc:wer Gweiedoxiz·. ·Part nf ~ts eoiurse a1cr:o8B the mounit1ain ds - marked by s·eiveni S1t1aa11d:ng stones, known· as. "Na Ste1a1eht LE1a.!C:hlt1ad:" ere~t1e:d, it is said to guCd:e tra,vellic:rs iin d:arknoess .and in mi.s;t. Ano~tih,er stor~ed hdghway ~rn. the ~a.me· ar1ea, w~ t:h:a1t whCC!h ran from. Dunlewy, thruuigh T:erinon to Ls:tt,e•rkenny. WARFARE RETARDS PiROGiRESS. For many ceirtur!J..es contfinucd warfare! in Irefa.inld pr:e!V·ented much progress. in. road-maldng, B:esid·3:S t!her:e was the· very iimprnrtan(i co1ns.ideration thla•t fa:c::J~t-Les foir commuin- 'ica!tion would. lbe morie· a!dvaintag;eo.us to the en.emy .than to the lighMyarm·ed Ir:ish troops:. F\u··thermore Irli.sh ·ehL.ieftatn1S almost linvar~a:bly £:i21lle1cted dn:aocesslble s~tuat:ions for strongholds :and residen1ce-s. Consequ:c:in t.ly we can understa;nd why the~I'e was l!.i. tt12· OT no roiadbuiJidllng nn Don"'" €:~al for centu!1les before' the FJtl,g:fot of tihe Earls in 1607 :..... ..· STATUTE LABOUR .SYSTEM 1614. ·• -· In 1614 the .Statute Labour · -sys~ t:m of roaid-maldng (already 1ni--~p~ eratdlQn ~n England) was introduced, in:to this c0.un:try. By th~s enaet.imerl·f every -· house-holder and cotta,ge:... · - ...i AILEACH - ROYAL F.ORTRES. _.OF THE NORTH (E·=e reference p~~~ ~49~)_>: . · 479 ..

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzQxNzU3