The surname Arnold is not a very common one in these parts.

Yes, there are families in the greater Cork city area who bear the name, but as far as I can discern, they’re not related to us although further research is needed.

Some few years back, I got a bit of a shock when I found out about a Captain John Arnold who served in Cromwell’s Army in Ireland in the late 1640s and early 1650s. Was it possible, I thought, that we were descended from this English soldier? Perish the thought!

Anyway, my fears proved foundless when I discovered the family had been in the Rathcormac area at least 30 years before the arrival of Cromwell.

As well as the stories of families and their descent, place names always fascinate me.

In Ireland, we have apparently more than 60,000 recorded individual townland names. They are a brilliant ‘database’ of ancient information and it mystifies me how the divisions were made.

In our area, there are 34 different townlands which vary hugely in size. In essence, that’s the beauty and mystique of Irish townlands. If every parish was simply divided into ’squares’ or equal division, ’twould look grand and even and organised on a map, but oh so boring!

Thankfully, that’s not the way ’twas done in Ireland.

Our 34 townlands vary from 738 acres right down to nine. That tiny nine-acre townland, Commons, had four claimants when surveyed in 1846 - Leahys, Marks, Cronans and Queen Victoria - the English Royal family has long relinquished it’s claim - but the Leahys are still there!

Our townland, Garryantaggart, has just over 100 acres. The first time I came across ‘Garintagurt’ was when Neville Bath did a Survey of Cork County for the Grand Jury (forerunner of the county council) in 1811. Before that, it was often called Bartholomew or Bartholomew Well -after the Holy Well in the corner of the townland.

In a survey........

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