Posted by JDP on November 28, 2000 at 16:33:33:
In Reply to: Black Fort posted by murrisk on November 26, 2000 at 22:43:47:
Very interesting Murrisk. Some of the named features are lost on me. I`ve heard of *The Cut* but not Boyd`s islands or McDonalds island or Lough Lea.
It is many years since I have been at the Point but my recollection of the area is that there was a fairy fort in the vicinity and I assumed that was the origin of *Blackfort*.
My recollection of the layout and scale of the ruined limestone structure tells me that it must have been a dwelling of some sort. To my knowledge follies were on a much grander scale like the Connolly Folly at Celbridge, Co. Kildare or the Laughing?/ Crying? Wall at Belvedere House near Mullingar.
Do you remember the Locha(fada)n behind the houses on the Newport Rd. It covered an area roughly between Paddy Howards and Leo McHughs ( it was low lying ground that flooded significantly in the winter and often dried out completely in the summer.In severe winters the lochan drew crowds from around the town to walk on the ice. Winters of `62 and`63 saw great sport on the lochan - fierce ice hockey matches played out by McGoughs, McNallys, Mongeys, Mangans, Hynes, Hamrocks etc using hurleys or sticks and a flattened bachelors bean can. Earlier decades saw ice skating and to this day two pairs of ice skates hang under the stairs of my aunts house originally used be herself and her father in the early 30s.
I was lost there Murrisk. I was actually wondering if there could be a connection between this Lough Lea and the lochan?