Alternan Park
Alternan Park is a townland in the civil parish of Easky, barony of Tireragh, Co. Sligo. Its name in Irish is Allt Fharannáin.
Parcel 741466
- Area
- 139,114 m² (13.91 ha, 34.38 acres)
- Buildings
- No building touches it.
- Zoning
- No zone of a development plan covers it in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply.
- Townland
- Alternan Park
Planning applications on this parcel
No planning application touches this parcel in the national file, which goes back to 2010.
Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.
Designated sites
No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches this parcel.
Recorded monuments around it
This parcel is in the zone of notification of 12 recorded monuments.
- SL011-056 Enclosure
Description
In undulating coastal pasture, located on top of a ridge on the W side of a steep-sided, wooded ravine, in the base of which the Ballymeeny river flows N to the sea. Not shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map; shown on the 1913 edition as a semi-circular hachured area, curving SW–SE, and defined on S by a field boundary. This roughly circular enclosure (diam. c. 24m) has been levelled. A slight rise, representing a levelled enclosing bank, can be traced curving SW–NW, changing at N–S to a barely discernible undulation or cropmark. The interior of the enclosure is not noticeably raised relative to exterior ground level. Grass cover. At SE–S the enclosing element coincides with a natural break of slope into a declivity that allows relatively easy access into the ravine, and to a natural spring/holy well (MA011-057----) located on the ravine slope c. 15m to SE. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 july 2013
- SL011-057 Ritual site - holy well
Description
On a rocky ledge on the W slope of a steep-sided, wooded ravine. Thre is a steep fall of ground to the river in the base of the ravine. The well, named 'St. Ernan's Well' on the OS 6-inch maps, and traditionally associated with St. Farannan, consists of a small triangular opening (H 0.3m; Wth 0.4m) in the bedrock through which a spring flows. A rough path leads from the river up the steep slope and then follows the contours of a natural ledge to the well. The path passes a natural rocky shelf, c. 12m to S of the well, which according to tradition, is known as the ‘Saint’s Bed’, where the hermit saint is said to have slept (O’Rorke 1889, vol. 2, 413). According to local information, the traditional ‘pattern’ or pilgrimage to the well was held on Garland Sunday, the last Sunday in July. A natural rock outcrop adjacent to the river, at the base of the E wall of the ravine, was used as an altar (SL011-058001-). Pilgrims crossed the river and climbed the west slope of the ravine to visit the holy well. When returning across the river, they picked up a stone from a natural river pool, known as ‘Dabhach Fharannain’, which was also used as a holy well (SL011-058002-). They then climbed to the the ridge top on the E side of the ravine and deposited the stone on a cairn (SL011-058----), known as the ‘Saint’s Grave’. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 July 2013
- SL011-058 Cairn - unclassified
Description
Situated on the flat summit of a ridge bordering the E side of a steep-sided ravine through which the Ballymeeny River flows. Marked as ‘Saints Grave’ on the 1837 and 1913 OS 6-inch maps and traditionally known as the burial site of St. Farannan. The cairn consists of an oblong, densely-packed heap (L 12m NNE–SSW; 4.8m WNW-ENE; H 1.05m) of small and medium-sized river cobbles. It has a rounded top and broadly slumped sides and is partly moss and sod-covered. At its NE end a modern statue of a saint stands on a concrete pedistal. A low mortared wall (L 4.5m; H 0.6m) of roughly coursed rubble extends S from the E side of the plinth to revet the NE end of the cairn. The cairn is located at the N end of a flat rectangular area (c. 24m N-S; c. 12m E-W) enclosed by a modern iron fence. A rough path leads down the ravine slope to the river. On the E bank of the river is an altar (SL011-058001-). According to local information, as part of the traditional ‘pattern’, pilgrims visited a holy well (SL011-057----) located c. 60m to NW on the W slope of the ravine. As they returned across the river, they collected a stone from a river pool, also used as a holy well (SL011-058002-) and then placed it on the cairn. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 July 2011
- SL011-058001 Altar
Description
Situated on the E bank of the Ballymeeny River, in the base of a steep-sided, wooded ravine. The altar consists of a small flat rock outcrop (1.4m E-W; 1m N-S; H 1m) at the base of a N-facing vertical stone cliff. It is adjacent to a natural pool in the river, traditionally used as a holy well (SL011-058002-) associated with St Farannan. There is a cairn (SL011-058----), said to be the saint’s grave, on the ridge top bordering the E side of the ravine c. 15m to S, and another holy well (SL011-057----) located on the steep W slope of the ravine c. 50m to NW. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-058002 Ritual site - holy well
Description
Situated on the Ballymeeny River, beneath a small waterfall, in the base of a steep-sided, wooded ravine. It consists of a natural river pool (diam. c. 10m) known as ‘Dabhach Fharannain or the vat or keeve of Farannan’, said to have been used by St Farannan for the baptism of pilgrims and for ‘personal mortification’ (O’Rorke 1889, 413). Adjacent to the pool at SE is a bedrock slab used as an altar (SL011-058001-). Another holy well (SL011-057----) is located on the steep W slope of the ravine c. 40m to NW. On the ridge top bordering the E side of the ravine, c. 20m to SE, there is a cairn (SL011-058----), traditionally said to be the saint’s grave. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 July 2013
- SL011-081001 Ringfort - rath
Description
Situated on slight E-facing slope in gently undulating pasture. Raised roughly circular area (31m N-S; 30m E-W) enclosed by a low earthen bank (Wth 4.6m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 1m), with an external fosse (Wth 4.25m; D 0.45m) which is evident only as a very shallow depression at NNW-NNE. At SW-NW there is a break in the bank and immediately outside this a NNW-SSE field wall overlies the line of the fosse. There is gentle slope down from W to E in the E half of the interior. Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-081002 Hut site
Description
At a rath (SL011-081001-). On inspection in 2003 no trace of a hut site could be found. There is no local tradition to indicate the presence of a hut site within this rath. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-119 Bridge
Description
Situated in level wet pasture spanning the S-N flowing Ballymeeny River. Stone bridge (L 7.4m; max. H at centre 1.90m) constructed of roughly quarried limestone blocks bonded with a gravelly limestone mortar. The bridge is supported by three slightly pointed arches evenly spaced across the length of the bridge with the central arch being slightly wider and higher (H 1.5m; Wth 1.45m) while each side arch is smaller (H 1.3m; Wth 1.25m). The arch voussoirs and the key stones are undressed and undifferentiated from the rest of the fabric. The columns (L 1.25m i.e. parallel to water flow; Wth1.15m) on the S side have triangular breakwaters, now partly ruined, of similar fabric to the rest of the bridge. The top of the bridge measures only 1m in width so it is unlikely that walling ever existed. Attached images: SL011-119----_01 viewed from NE SL011-119----_02 viewed from S, showing ruined breakwaters Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-121 Enclosure
Description
In NE corner of a pasture field, located on a slight E-facing slope on top of a ridge, on the W edge of a wooded ravine, and overlooking the sea c. 200m to N. Along the E edge of the enclosure the ground falls precipitously into the ravine, but immediately to N the slope becomes more gradual allowing relatively easy access to the Ballymeeny River at the base of the ravine. Rectangular area (20m NNW-SSE; 14m WSW-ENE) enclosed on the S, W and N sides by an earthen bank (Wth 3.8m; int. H 0.25m). The bank has been levelled and appears as a barely discernible sod-covered rise (Wth c. 2-2.5m). Outside the bank, on the S side, there is a fosse, evident as a shallow depression (Wth c. 2m). A slight rise on the exterior edge of the fosse appears to be the remnants of an external bank. No enclosing element is evident on the E side where the enclosure is defined only by the steep ravine slope. The interior of the enclosure slopes down gently from W to E. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 july 2013
- SL011-122 Hut site
Description
In an expanse of gently undulating coastal pasture, bordered c. 40m to E of the hut site by the deep-sided ravine of the Ballymeeny River. Rectangular area (5.3m NE–SW; 3.3m NW–SE) defined on the perimeter by a barely discernible rise or bank of earth and stone, with the NE side particularly difficult to trace. The interior is not noticeably raised relative to exterior ground level. A gap of 0.4-0.5m intervenes on the SE, SW, and NW sides between the bank/wall of the hut site and an outer bank/wall, which encloses the hut on these sides and appears to be part of a wider system of field boundaries (SL011-142----), remnants of which can still be traced extending to SE and ESE from the hut site. All of these remains have been levelled in the past and survive in a very low profile, barely discernible state. There is another hut site (SL011-122----) c. 50m to NE, a rath (SL011-081001-) c. 100m to SW, and a holy well (SL011-057----) c. 120m to NNE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2013
And 2 more.
Architectural heritage
No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands on this parcel.
Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).
Ground and risks
- Radon
- At the centre of this parcel, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred.
- Terrain model
- No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of this parcel.
- Flooding
- The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Download this parcel as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its neighbours and buildings, for a drawing program. GeoJSON, in WGS 84, suits a map, and KML opens in Google Earth.
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. A parcel is the land of a title, not an address. The owner's name is in the Land Registry of Tailte Éireann: a copy of the folio can be ordered on landdirect.ie, for a fee.
- Area
- 13.9 ha
- 34 acres
- Land parcels
- 1
- registered freehold, median 139,114 m² (13.91 ha, 34.38 acres)
- Zoning
- —
- not in a zoned settlement
- Planning
- 0
- applications since 2010
Land parcels
Registered freehold land, Tailte Éireann
1 registered freehold parcel lies mostly in Alternan Park, from 139,114 m² (13.91 ha, 34.38 acres) to 139,114 m² (13.91 ha, 34.38 acres). The dashed line is the townland's boundary. 6 neighbouring parcels touch it.
Download the townland as DXF, in Irish Transverse Mercator metres, with its boundary, parcels and buildings, or as GeoJSON or KML.
Zoning
Development plans, national zoning
No zone of a development plan covers Alternan Park in the national zoning. Outside zoned towns and villages, the county development plan's rural policies apply to each application.
Source: Tailte Éireann and the Department of Housing (MyPlan), national zoning, CC BY 4.0.
Planning applications
Sites that touch the townland, newest first
No planning application touches the townland of Alternan Park in the national file, which goes back to 2010.
Source: National Planning Applications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Applicants are not shown.
Nature and heritage
Designated sites and recorded monuments
Designated sites
No designated site (Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natural Heritage Area or proposed one) touches the townland of Alternan Park.
Recorded monuments
- SL011-056 Enclosure
Description
In undulating coastal pasture, located on top of a ridge on the W side of a steep-sided, wooded ravine, in the base of which the Ballymeeny river flows N to the sea. Not shown on the 1837 OS 6-inch map; shown on the 1913 edition as a semi-circular hachured area, curving SW–SE, and defined on S by a field boundary. This roughly circular enclosure (diam. c. 24m) has been levelled. A slight rise, representing a levelled enclosing bank, can be traced curving SW–NW, changing at N–S to a barely discernible undulation or cropmark. The interior of the enclosure is not noticeably raised relative to exterior ground level. Grass cover. At SE–S the enclosing element coincides with a natural break of slope into a declivity that allows relatively easy access into the ravine, and to a natural spring/holy well (MA011-057----) located on the ravine slope c. 15m to SE. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 july 2013
- SL011-057 Ritual site - holy well
Description
On a rocky ledge on the W slope of a steep-sided, wooded ravine. Thre is a steep fall of ground to the river in the base of the ravine. The well, named 'St. Ernan's Well' on the OS 6-inch maps, and traditionally associated with St. Farannan, consists of a small triangular opening (H 0.3m; Wth 0.4m) in the bedrock through which a spring flows. A rough path leads from the river up the steep slope and then follows the contours of a natural ledge to the well. The path passes a natural rocky shelf, c. 12m to S of the well, which according to tradition, is known as the ‘Saint’s Bed’, where the hermit saint is said to have slept (O’Rorke 1889, vol. 2, 413). According to local information, the traditional ‘pattern’ or pilgrimage to the well was held on Garland Sunday, the last Sunday in July. A natural rock outcrop adjacent to the river, at the base of the E wall of the ravine, was used as an altar (SL011-058001-). Pilgrims crossed the river and climbed the west slope of the ravine to visit the holy well. When returning across the river, they picked up a stone from a natural river pool, known as ‘Dabhach Fharannain’, which was also used as a holy well (SL011-058002-). They then climbed to the the ridge top on the E side of the ravine and deposited the stone on a cairn (SL011-058----), known as the ‘Saint’s Grave’. Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 July 2013
- SL011-081001 Ringfort - rath
Description
Situated on slight E-facing slope in gently undulating pasture. Raised roughly circular area (31m N-S; 30m E-W) enclosed by a low earthen bank (Wth 4.6m; int. H 0.3m; ext. H 1m), with an external fosse (Wth 4.25m; D 0.45m) which is evident only as a very shallow depression at NNW-NNE. At SW-NW there is a break in the bank and immediately outside this a NNW-SSE field wall overlies the line of the fosse. There is gentle slope down from W to E in the E half of the interior. Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-081002 Hut site
Description
At a rath (SL011-081001-). On inspection in 2003 no trace of a hut site could be found. There is no local tradition to indicate the presence of a hut site within this rath. Compiled by: Patrick F. O'Donovan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-121 Enclosure
Description
In NE corner of a pasture field, located on a slight E-facing slope on top of a ridge, on the W edge of a wooded ravine, and overlooking the sea c. 200m to N. Along the E edge of the enclosure the ground falls precipitously into the ravine, but immediately to N the slope becomes more gradual allowing relatively easy access to the Ballymeeny River at the base of the ravine. Rectangular area (20m NNW-SSE; 14m WSW-ENE) enclosed on the S, W and N sides by an earthen bank (Wth 3.8m; int. H 0.25m). The bank has been levelled and appears as a barely discernible sod-covered rise (Wth c. 2-2.5m). Outside the bank, on the S side, there is a fosse, evident as a shallow depression (Wth c. 2m). A slight rise on the exterior edge of the fosse appears to be the remnants of an external bank. No enclosing element is evident on the E side where the enclosure is defined only by the steep ravine slope. The interior of the enclosure slopes down gently from W to E. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 2 july 2013
- SL011-122 Hut site
Description
In an expanse of gently undulating coastal pasture, bordered c. 40m to E of the hut site by the deep-sided ravine of the Ballymeeny River. Rectangular area (5.3m NE–SW; 3.3m NW–SE) defined on the perimeter by a barely discernible rise or bank of earth and stone, with the NE side particularly difficult to trace. The interior is not noticeably raised relative to exterior ground level. A gap of 0.4-0.5m intervenes on the SE, SW, and NW sides between the bank/wall of the hut site and an outer bank/wall, which encloses the hut on these sides and appears to be part of a wider system of field boundaries (SL011-142----), remnants of which can still be traced extending to SE and ESE from the hut site. All of these remains have been levelled in the past and survive in a very low profile, barely discernible state. There is another hut site (SL011-122----) c. 50m to NE, a rath (SL011-081001-) c. 100m to SW, and a holy well (SL011-057----) c. 120m to NNE. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 3 July 2013
- SL011-123 Hut site
Description
Situated in gently undulating pasture overlooking Ballymeeny River to E. Raised square area (dim. 4m) defined by a low earth and stone scarp (H 0.45m). The scarp encloses the site on all sides. Probable entrance feature lies midway along the E side in the form of a slight ramp (Wth 1m) across the scarp. Compiled by: Mark Keegan Date of upload: 19 January 2011
- SL011-142 Field system
Description
In an expanse of undulating coastal pasture, bordered at E by the deep-sided ravine of the Ballymeeny River. A relict system of field banks is visible within an area (c. 180m N–S; c. 100m E–W) of undulating terrain bordered at E by the steep-sided ravine of the Ballymeeny River, and at W by a gently dip into a shallow linear depression of damp ground, with a spring/drain that extends to NE to intersect with the ravine. The field banks have been largely levelled and in parts are barely discernible. They appear as low sod-covered linear rises and scarps, with occasional stones protruding from the sod. Some banks appear to define rectilinear areas, but other following natural contours lines. The remains are fragmentary and it is not possible trace a coherent pattern. There is a hut site (SL011-122----), partly enclosed by field banks, roughly in the centre of the field system, and a second hut site (SL011-123----) is located at the NE edge of the area. A rath (SL011-081001-) is located on the SW limits of the field system, an enclosure (SL011-056----) c. 100m to N, and a holy well (SL011-057----) in the ravine to N. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 4 July 2013
Architectural heritage
No building of the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage stands in the townland of Alternan Park.
Designated sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service. Recorded monuments: Sites and Monuments Record, National Monuments Service. Buildings: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, CC BY 4.0. Works at or in relation to a recorded monument need two months' written notice to the National Monuments Service (National Monuments (Amendment) Act 1994, section 12).
Ground and risks
Radon, landslides, flooding
- Radon
- At the centre of the townland of Alternan Park, about 1 in 5 homes in this area is likely to have high radon levels. Testing a home
- Landslides
- The 1:50,000 map rates the landslide susceptibility here as moderately high, moderately low, low, partly inferred.
- Terrain model
- No LiDAR survey of the Office of Public Works covers the centre of the townland of Alternan Park.
- Flooding
- The Office of Public Works publishes its flood maps on floodinfo.ie.
Radon Risk Map of Ireland, Environmental Protection Agency, and Landslide Susceptibility Classification, Geological Survey Ireland, both under CC BY 4.0. LiDAR: contains Irish Public Sector Data (Geological Survey Ireland & the Office of Public Works) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Homes sold
Property Price Register
No address of the register names Alternan Park with five sales or more. The sales of the area are on the page of Co. Sligo.
The townland
- Name
- Alternan Park · Allt Fharannáin
- Area
- 138,550 m² (13.86 ha, 34.24 acres)
- Civil parish
- Easky, and its townlands
- Barony
- Tireragh
- Electoral division
- Easky East, the unit of the census
- Census 2022
- 626 people lived in 253 households in the Easky East electoral division. 72% of households owned their home. 32% of homes were built since 2001. 13% of dwellings stood vacant on census night, and 7% were holiday homes.
- Neighbouring townlands
- Ballymeeny, Ballymeeny (Armstrong), Carrownabinna or Ballymeeny (Hillas), Doonaltan
- Placenames
- Alternan Park on logainm.ie, the Placenames Database of Ireland
Townlands, civil parishes, baronies and electoral divisions, National Statutory Boundaries, Tailte Éireann, CC BY 4.0. Census 2022, Small Area Population Statistics by electoral division, Central Statistics Office, CC BY 4.0. A townland is the smallest land division of Ireland, and the unit of a rural address. Old registers such as the 1901 and 1911 censuses file it under its civil parish and barony.