[Hand of P. O'Keeffe:]
Sir,
Yesterday I visited the old Church of Isser-Kelly, which is situated about 7 miles W.S.W. from Loughreagh, and got the local pronunciation of the names of the townlands in the parish of Isserkelly. This name is pronounced in Irish by the inhabitants Ísear Cealla{igh}, which is a corruption of Diseart Cheallaigh, mentioned in the pedigree of the Burkes of which hereafter; as Eastersnow Co. Roscommon is of Díseart Nuadhain and Iostar Ciarain {Anglicé Castle-Keeran} Co. Meath, of Díseart Ciarain. In old English documents Díseart is sometimes made Tristle, as in Tristledermot, more anciently Díseart Diarmada, now called Castledermot, Co. Kildare.
The Parish of Kells in the County of Antrim was anciently called Diseart Ceallaigh, which means the Desert of Ceallach. Is there any thing mentioned in our Hagiological documents which would identify the Ceallach of Kells with the founder of Isserkelly in this County? Try the Leabhar breac and the Feilire of Aengus.
The old Church of Isserkelly stands in ruins in a grave yard in the townland of Isserkelly North. It is about 70 ft. long and 27 ft. in breadth, the thickness of the walls being about 23/4 feet. The North side-wall is nearly level with the ground, except the part which adjoins the West gable, where it appears to retain its original height. A small portion of the E. gable adjoining the S. side-wall remains. The south side-wall is almost perfect, being a little injured towards the East. The west
gable though not perfect, yet rises above the original level of the side-walls. The door way is on the South side-wall near the W. gable being about 9 ft. high and 5 ft. wide, and in the curvilineally pointed style. On the same side-wall towards the E. there is a pointed window 8 or 9 ft. long and about 4 ft. wide. These measurements are not given as perfectly accurate being principally by guess work; they however, give a sufficient idea of the character of the building
On a tomb-stone about 6 ft. by 2 ft. lying within the walls of the Church a cross is cut in this manner.
On another stone within the walls, of similar size, is cut another cross of greater length, thus,
On another similar stone lying very near the N. side wall, and having cut on it a similar cross about 2½ ft. long is the following inscription,
Within these walls there is also a stone having on it a cross cut in this form,
No Patron-day or Saint is remembered in the Parish.
In the pedigree of the Burkes as given by Duald Mc Firbis, the Clann Huberd of Disert Cheallaigh are mentioned; - I could not discover that there are any of the (name) Hubbert in this neighbourhood though they are numerous about the town of Galway.
There is an old castle in ruins in the South part of Castle Park Townland. It is mentioned in the Name-book.
P. O'Keeffe