The parish of Ardclinis is situated in the barony of Lower Glenarm and is bounded on the north by the sea (Red Bay) and the parish of Layd, on the south by the parishes of Skerry and Tickmacrevan, on the east by the sea and on the west by the parishes of Skerry and Dunaghy. It consists of thirty-eight townlands. Early sites of a sacred character in this parish are represented today in the churchyard of Nappan, also the burial place, among others, of the Higginson and Turnly families, and the ruined parish church of Ardclinis. This ruin is situated in the townland of Arclinis, close to the coast road about 300 yards east of the bridge of the same name. It measures 58 feet by 21 feet of which the walls only remain to a maximum height of about 8 feet. It was probably a thatched building and has been in a ruinous state since the late sixteenth century. Ardclinis old church is more remarkable for the beauty of its surroundings and its legendary history than for any architectural features now remaining. Preliminary Survey of the ancient monuments in Northern Ireland, p.21 and J. O’Laverty, Diocese of Down and Connor, Vol. IV, p.542. It was the custom of the early Celtic church to dedicate its churches to living saints rather than to dead ones and it may have been that the founder of this ancient church was St. MacNissi. First recorded monastic bishop of Connor, St MacNissi died on 3rd September 514, and was buried in Connor. “MacNissi, I.E, Aengus, Bishop of Connor, rested, whose father was called Fobraech, whose mother Cness was daughter of Comehaide of the Dal Ceteren, from whom he was named MacCneisse” (the Annals of Tigernach).
The Ardclinis bachil or crozier rested upon the ruined window of the old church until about the year 1760; its subsequent history has been the subject of an article in The Glynns (Vol. 8, 1980) and need not further be referred to here.
The topography of this parish is such that the arable and inhabited part might be regarded as consisting of one long strip extending from the village of Carnlough along the sea coast to Garron Point; thence to Red Bay and up one side of Glenariffe Glen. The strip might be subdivided into three more or less equal subdivisions, each approximately four miles in length; the first extends along the coast in a northerly direction from Carnlough to Garron Point or Cloghastookan, “the stone of the stump” which the historian Geoffrey Keating mentions – erroneously as it happens – as the northern point from which Ireland is measured from Mizen head in Cork. Keating who lived before maps were readily available or before they possessed the accuracy associated with them today, apparently confused Cloughastookan with Benmore or Fairhead.
The second strip, like the first, also stretches along the coast, but in an east-west direction along the southern shore of Red Bay from Garron Point to Waterfoot.
The third strip is the southern side of the beautiful Glenariffe, “the Queen of the Glens”.
Townland – Gaelic – Meaning
Aghalum – Achadh lom – bare Field.
Ardclinis – Ard clon easa – sloping height of the waterfall.
Ballyvelligan – Baile Maoileagáin – Mulligan’s townland.
Bay- The same name appears in the parish of Tickmacrevan.
Burnside – townland along the burn.
Callisnagh – Coill Uisneach – Uishneagh’s wood.
Carnlough N. – Carn Locha – cairn of the lough.
Carnlough S. – Carn Locha – as above.
Carrivereagh – Ceathramha riabhach – grey quarterland.
Carrivemurphy – Ceathramha O Murchada – Murphy’s quarterland.See picture of Carrivemurphy in Andrew Nicholl’s Paintings of the Antrim Coast in 1828 (Plate 9).
Clonreagh – Cluan riabhach – grey meadow.
Cloughcor – Cloch corr – rock of the cranes.
Craignagat – Greag na gcat – rock of the cats.
Creggan – Creagan – little rock.
Diskirt – Deisceart – southern part.
Drumnacross- Druim na croise – ridge of the cross..
Drumnacur – Druim na gcorr – ridge of the cranes.
Drumnasole – Druim na solais – ridge of the lights.
Fallowvee – Fál bhuidhe – yellow hedge or boundary.
Falruskin – Fál ruiscin – boundary of the marsh. Or Fál rusclainn – boundary made of bark.
Galboly Lower – Geal buaile – bright summer dairy.
Galboly Upper- Geal buaile – as above.
Glenariffe Mountain lower- Gleann aireamh – arable glen (lit. glen of the plough).
Gortin – Goirtín – little tilled field.
Gortnagory – Gort na gcoirthe – tilled field of the standing stone. Gort na gcoirigh – tilled field of the malefactors.
Greenaghan – Greanachan – little gravely place.
Highlandtown – may have some connection with highlanders.
Lemnalary – Léim na larach – leap of the mare.
Longtown – probably means long townland.
Mill Tenement – this is supposed to be the smallest townland in Ireland consisting of only one quarter of an acre.
Nappan – Cnapan – knob-like hillock.
Newtown- a new townland.
Scary Hill – Scaradh – spreading hill (probably from spreading lint or turf).
Tamlacht – Tamlacht – a large grave, generally a plague burial ground.
Upper Glenariffe – Gleann aireamh – arable glen.
Warren – a place kept for breeding rabbits or hares etc.
(Vol. 11, 1983) Articles from The Glynns Journal can be purchased from the Society bookshop.