ANCIENT ROADWAYS OF DONEGAL ~.ecuirl:ty of piers01ns tr:a:vel~Cng therei1nf'. Each .suirv·e·yor wa:s "to divest h 1ims1eillf €111it1:rea.y of :any attachment to p:roXimity to tlh1e· old road and choo101se tihe beisit li!n.12 for the (new) r:o1aid". HCJJ.SJ wieir.e· lorw·ered and hollows fill.eid. About tlbli.s time also m112:srtone:s we:r.e €1rc1citsd, and · trav1eller's were obKg,ed tu t,a\kJ~ the left lh:anld side of tJh1e· road ;UJndeir a pe1nalty of 10/-. ABUSES IN.mE ROAD MAKING SYSTEM·. In •tho~:~: earliy y.e1ars many a.buses crept into t1hle1 rviad-maikiing system. Th~· ilnte:r.e1srt.s .01f the l:aindloird nearly alira.y.s: pire-dom.inalted. New roads ra1dl'.1ated frnm B:g Houses like rays from a centre wit:h a surrounding E1pac.e· w11tJ1.out ainry co1mmunication. M)ane'Y pre,s-ented iftp;zo the crnnstruct!ion or riepa:r of 11Jiu1b1ic roads was s1om·~1times exp~mded on ma:k1:nig privat1e ave1rnuies. Ev·En ·tih[;s, g:a,ve €mploym·ent, 1bU:~ ·there wer,z instances wihie:re p1u1bl::c money wa:s paid <JU t a.nd lllOit Olll:e p2.r:ch of roiad made aniyw.heire. In O'Ilie• county (not Dom1ega.l) abu~ies were s:o glar:ing tha:t th:~ folJiorwing line!s; wie1l"e wr1.t·t,2n :- "From the· m1zasurer who lays down the oh:a.'in, To ih1m wllo gl.'lasps the .s:a1cr:lligeou.s g,alln; bu!ild:uiig houses and stol'1es on th2 islan!d of InnC.sihmalcaidurn, "•and in making ro1a:ds through tJhie mounta:ns to the eihampai!Il parts Qlf th~ country". "Nothlmg cain exc:e·ed", he co111:- tinue·s; "tihiH goQidness of tbz roads of thi:s .county. In .the mQu!Ilta'..n regd.0111s tihe materGalsi iare <C·V·€Tywhere act hand a,nd the roads ~em,arkaibly smootfu a.ind €XCeUent. Tio rtJhUs ;there is but 01rne exceptfon,. that is the coast-·wlse r-0aid from Rutland towards D2,rry". ROADS OF KILCAR AND GLENCOIJUMB~ILLE. We ca1n be· qu1te c·erta:in that the E:cclesiastic.al foundations of the Gltencolmldlle peninsu~a in €arly C'hrt..i:st~:ain.1 times had a road -.way conn\3c:tl1-on wi::tlh the prinie~pal m-on·ast.1.c eita!bli'shinents Qf TlrcaniafilJ, :and the naitura1 oo;urse. for t.:hlis r:outie would by vi::t the' ltotl e mon:asti.c csills ~J'f. ~ilJy.begs (Na CeaHa be:aga.). A1l:0ng thi·s way itrav1ecr1Ed S1Uch :notabl.z 451a'.:nts ais ColmkiUe, M1eadhog of Ferns·, Na,ai of Inver, Ciaran of Os:s1ory, amd holy hiermi ts 1ike1 A'Odh Miac . Bt1c and Bls'hop Ass1Leiuis. St. Cia·r.an';s well by the roadside· ·at Shialvey mairks onie of ·thleir r e:stJl!llg pJaces. Historiains1 in tradng the course of tanicient Krnies of communication generially aE:E1ume 11hait most, if not all, ibattles: w.el'le foiugiht adjacent to a T'hro' .eiv·ery s:tag:e·, on: oath, :prnc:::s1s sipe•2ids, Anid all !t1he SJW1E1arers nave th€1r the m:atl:n ro1ad. 'I1hie bruttle of Derrylahane in 1590 be•tween Ried Hugh's mother, an Ineen · Du:bh, and h2r step-son, Dolllal O'Doilllnell wa;,s !hardly an .exc:2:ptlion. 'II.he· road to G lien 3:n thOiS!e· days was ll!tt1e mor•e thian. an opo~n tr:ack, levellied and worn wi.i.th centurles <Yf use. Stdll it :.siumcied to br:ng rnv'raa me2ds; He1nce a,re c0111ifoundield, a.bs!traet, rlg.h.t and wrong, SCTiUIP~'e·s :a.r!~ j€'S:ts ain;ct morals are ia. song". two .a·rm1:es, with ithair_ equipment McPART!LAND STATIST'IC:AL together. Bell's ma:p of 1749 (r;e-ferred SURiVEY, 100~. to ;~t roJlybegs1) slhQWS a ladder-shapDr. lMiciPrartlaaiid Mils' us that the •zid brlidg.e ·sipanndng the· river from sucoelS!s of .tJn1e Wtln:ter lfi·Elh~.ng in th.e Detit.~r to DTl:mniafilll:agle, about the Rm:Eis:l3•s .ilru 1784 and 1785 induced ~1ame · po1sdtion as the. present br:dg-e, Ool. Conyngham· to expend a sum of but tb::r·e 1s no slgn Qf a paved road ftf•ty tJhous1anid pou.nids ( £ 50,000) in way at either end. 483.
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