One has only to look at
the Ordance Survey 6" maps to realize that in Inchicronan and the
adjacent parishes to the east (Clooney, Tulla, Feakle, Kilnoe) there
were formerly huge oak forests.
The place-names with "Derry"
in Westropp’s map in 1909 – most of which are in common use today –
prove this; nams like Derryhumma, Derryskeagh, Derrybeg, Derryfadda,
Derryvet, Derrymore, Derryvoagh, Derryboy, Derrygarriff and many more.
As far back as 1277 some
of the McNamara took shelter here from King Brian ruadh and these great
oak woods of Slieve Aughty survived well into Tudor times to povide
refuge for defeated Irish clansmen and others anxious to avoid unwelcome
attention.
According to Westropp
there were still roughly 700 acres of timber, between mature and young
trees, remainging in 1655 and in spite of ravages of the intervening
years in 1981 Foras Forbartha report could state that in Derrymore and
Derryhumma woods remnants of the natural oakwood were regenerating freely
together with holly, birch and hazel.
