Aghinagh

{{Short description|Civil parish in County Cork, Ireland}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2025}} {{Use Irish English|date=December 2025}} '''Aghinagh''' ({{irish place name|Achadh Fhíonach}}) is a civil parish in the historical barony of Muskerry East in County Cork, Ireland.<ref name="logainm">{{cite web| url=https://www.logainm.ie/497.aspx | publisher= Placenames Database of Ireland | website = logainm.ie | title = Achadh Fhíonach / Aghinagh | accessdate = 5 December 2025 }}</ref> Located to the east of the town of Macroom, the civil parish is approximately {{convert|38|km2|mi2}} in area,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.townlands.ie/cork/aghinagh2/ | website = townlands.ie | title = Civil Parish of Aghinagh, Co. Cork | accessdate = 4 December 2025 }}</ref> and contains the villages of Ballinagree, Bealnamorive, Carrigadrohid and Rusheen.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.logainm.ie/ga/497/sub/ID | website = logainm.ie | title = Fo-aonaid de chuid: Achadh Fhíonach / Aghinagh | accessdate = 5 December 2025 | language = ga }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url = https://rusheenns.ie/rusheen/locality/ | website = rusheenns.ie | title = Rusheen National School - Locality - Parish | accessdate = 5 December 2025 | quote = There are four villages in the parish of Aghinagh [..] Rusheen, Bealnamarbh, Ballinagree and Carrigdrohid }}</ref>

==Name== [[File:Grass field and the River Lee - geograph.org.uk - 6767691.jpg|thumb|Farmland and the River Lee in Aghinagh]] While the Placenames Database of Ireland does not record a specific derivation for the modern Irish name of the parish, ''Achadh Fhíonach'', a late 19th-century entry in the ''Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society'' suggests that the name derives from ''Achadh Eidhneach'' meaning "ivy-covered field".<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://corkhist.ie/wp-content/uploads/jfiles/1892/b1892-174.pdf | title = Local Names | journal = Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society | date = 1892 | volume = 1 | issue = 10 | page = 212 }}</ref>

Aghinagh is also the name of an electoral division,<ref name="logainm"/> former Church of Ireland parish<ref>{{citation | chapter-url = https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/A/Ahinagh-East-Muskerry-Cork.php | chapter = Ahinagh | title = A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland | editor-first = Samuel | editor-last = Lewis | publisher = Lewis | date = 1837 }}</ref> and Catholic parish in the area.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://cloynediocese.ie/parishes/aghinagh | website =cloynediocese.ie | title = Parishes - Aghinagh | accessdate = 5 December 2025 }}</ref>

==Built heritage== thumb|The former Church of Ireland church lies in Aghinagh Churchyard (also sometimes known as Killinardish Churchyard) The Church of Ireland church in Aghinagh, now in ruins,<ref>{{cite web|url = https://theirishaesthete.com/2020/08/08/aghinagh-church/ | website = theirishaesthete.com | title = An Early Instance of Recyling | date = 8 August 2020 | accessdate = 5 December 2025 }}</ref> was built in the early 1790s.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/20907111/toberatemple-church-caum-cork | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | website = buildingsofireland.ie | title = Toberatemple Church, Caum, Cork | accessdate = 5 December 2025 }}</ref> Constructed on the site of an earlier church,<ref name="wells">{{cite journal | url = https://corkhist.ie/wp-content/uploads/jfiles/1947/b1947-002.pdf | journal = Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society | title = Holy wells of East Muskerry, Co. Cork | last = Hartnett | first = P. J. | date = 1947 | volume = 52 | issue = | page = 9 }}</ref> the surrounding churchyard contains a number of gravestones which have been dated to at least the mid-18th century.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Henchion | first = R. | title = The gravestone inscriptions of Co. Cork, I | series = 2 | volume = 72 | issue = 216 | date = 1967 | pages = 101-121 | journal = Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society }}</ref> A spring near the churchyard, marked on some maps as Toberatemple (from ''Tober an Teampaill'' meaning "well of the church"), is "considered a holy well".<ref name="wells"/>

Aghinagh House, also known as Ashton House, is a former rectory in Caum townland within Aghinagh. The Georgian building was constructed {{circa|1810}}.<ref name="niah">{{cite web|url = https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/20907112/ashton-house-caum-cork | website= buildingsofireland.ie | publisher = National Inventory of Architectural Heritage | title = Ashton House, Caum, Cork | accessdate = 2 December 2025 }}</ref> 19th century maps of the area label the house as "Ashton" or "Aghinagh Rectory".<ref>{{cite web|title=Archaeological Survey Database|url=http://www.archaeology.ie/|publisher=National Monuments Service|accessdate=6 January 2015}}{{nonspecific|date=December 2025}}</ref> It was formerly the home of Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, who lived there until his death in 1963.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Herlihy|first1=Jim|title=What Did Your Father do in the War?|url=http://www.familyhistory.ie/docs/gazette/2006/Gazette_Feb_2006.pdf|journal=Ireland's Genealogical Gazette|accessdate=6 January 2015 | issn = 1649-7937 | volume = 1 | issue = 2 | page = 2 | date = February 2006 | publisher = Genealogical Society of Ireland }}</ref> The house was later the residence of the horse-trainer Fergie Sutherland (1931–2012),<ref name="examiner2003">{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/farming/arid-10059307.html | work = Irish Examiner | title = Aghinagh House perfect setting for race fans | date = 12 June 2003 | accessdate = 2 December 2025 }}</ref> until it was sold in 2023.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.irishexaminer.com/property/arid-10124235.html | work = Irish Examiner | title = Local businessman splashes out close to €4m for Belline House | date = 20 November 2003 | accessdate = 2 December 2025 | quote = [The] Estate agent [..] also confirmed the sale to Irish buyers of Aghinagh House in Coachford, Co Cork, sold for horse trainer Fergie Sutherland for around €1.3 million }}</ref>

==Notable people== * Adrian Carton de Wiart (1880–1963), highly-decorated military officer who lived at Aghinagh House and is buried in of Aghinagh churchyard.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=0c9eb9575b544081b0d296436d8f60f8&query=18a4b61b268-layer-9%2CSMRS%2CCO071-102001- | title = NMS mapping data - CO071-102001- | via = heritagedata.maps.arcgis.com | quote = CO071-102001- : Graveyard : Caum [..] roughly D-shaped graveyard [..] enclosed by stone wall. N of centre is ruin of C of I parish church of Aghinagh (CO071-102002-) [..] Outside E wall of graveyard is elaborate burial plot of Sir Adrian Cartan de Wiart, who died in 1963 }}</ref> * Boetius MacEgan ({{circa|1600}}–1650), Bishop of Ross and member of Irish Confederacy who was killed at Carrigadrohid by Cromwellian forces and reputedly buried in Aghinagh.<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://corkhist.ie/wp-content/uploads/jfiles/1930/b1930-003.pdf | title = Boethius M'Egan, Bishop of Ross | last = Nyhan | first = Daniel | journal = Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society | date = 1930 | volume = 35 | issue = 141 | page = 25 | quote = Canon Higgins [..] writes: "Bishop Boetius M'Egan was buried in Aghinagh. There is a tradition, however, that the body was removed subsequently by his friends [..]" }}</ref> * Fergie Sutherland (1931–2012), horse-trainer who also lived at Aghinagh House.<ref name="examiner2003"/>

==See also== * Aghinagh GAA

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commonscat|Aghinagh}} * [https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/files/original/8aea0838203b8adeb26d55983b8274aa.pdf Irish Tourist Association Topographical and General Survey - Aghinagh Parish (1943)] * [https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4811668/4810811/5170644 Irish Folklore Commission - Schools Collection - Aghinagh Church (1930s)]

Category:Civil parishes of County Cork