Ballyaghagan

Ballyaghagan - the rath close to the Hightown Road carpark for Cavehill Country Park is alluded to in the Irish Itinerary of Fr Edmund McCana who travelled in the area in 1643 or rather in the notes appended to the Rev W. Reeves's translation of that document from the latin.
Rev Reeves notes : "Balliston, or Ballyvaston, near the Hightown Road, on the confines of the townlands of Ballyaghagan and Ballyvaston, at a place called Whurr's Pound. The traces of the chapel are observable in the nearly obliterated circle of a rath".
The Rev Reeves was writing in the early 1850's and is quoted in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology vol 2 Series 1 p 58.
I have heard people talking of there being an unidentified building in the rath area of much later date than the rath complex. Perhaps this is the chapel remains?

The Lord Deputy and Ben Madighan (Cave Hill) in 1556

The following is from the State Paper Calendars (Carew MSS., 1515-1574):{1 }
"On Wednesday 7 July 1556 My Lord Deputy [the Earl of Sussex] removed from Lisen Rie [?] and camped at Magre Blarras {2} by a river called Vene Laggan and a church on the hill called Church of Blarras, and this day we came through a geat pass called Kelleultahe [Killultagh] being the space of two miles in length, through which pass My Lord Deputy, Sir Henry Sydney, Sir William Fitzwilliam with the rest of the army marched on foot in all armour. On Thursday the 8th My Lord Deputy removed from Maghre Blarras and camped that night underneath Benne Vadagane [Ben Madighan, now Cave Hill] by Lissetolloh Arde beyond Bellefarst. And this day we came through a pass called Bellaghlisle Clehan [? Ballydrain] a little from the church of Dromme by a river called Laggan."
I have little doubt but the camp "underneath Ben Vadagane by Lissetolloh Arde" was the large square fort in Wallace's fields, close to the castle wall on the Antrim Road, Belfast, and opposite the new church of St. Peter. The description exactly suits. The adjoining townland was Listollard,{3} comprising Parkmount, now Donegall and Ashley Parks. This earthwork has the appearance of sixteenth-century construction, and so has a similar one in Fortwilliam Park.{4} What a grand sight this must have been on what is now a grazing field - the Lord Deputy, his officers, and pursuivant (Athlone was the chronicler), and men-at-arms, "all in armour"! This is one of the most remarkable incidents in our local history, and yet how few are aware of it.
F.J.B.
1 Copied in O'Laverty's Down and Connor, vol. ii, page 251
2 Blaris Moor, near Lisburn, a favourite camp, much in use up till 1798
3 Liss-toll-gard, the fort of the head garrison
4 See Belfast Naturalist Field Club Proceedings, series ii, vol. iv, part i, page 71
The above is taken from Ulster Journal of Archaeology Vol 5 p. 185 and is by Francis Joseph Biggar
Immediately following the last sentence quoted by Biggar from the manuscript it goes on: "On the hill of Banne Vadegan is a great cave, wherein is the treasure of the country of Clanneaboy, being the country of Phelim Doehe."
The Lord Deputy and his entourage camp again in the vicinity on their way back to Dublin - "On Monday night he removed to Banne Vaddegan, by a town called Coille, in a plain betwixt two hills, where he remained till the Monday following, taking order with the gentlemen of the country, and expecting further news."
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/a2a/records.aspx?cat=109-mss_1-1_7&cid=1-17#1-17

The Caves in Ben Madighan

The caves which have given Ben Madighan its later name of Cave Hill, though generally considered to be three in number, really consist of five distinct caverns, of which the topmost three are connected in one group. The first cave is situated on the public path, overlooking the great basin, at an elevation of about 700 feet above the sea. The second cave is on a ledge some 74 feet higher in the same cliff; while the entrance to the upper group, containing the third, fourth and fifth caves, is from a ledge about 129 feet above the first cave, and from the summit 174 feet. The caves face from E. to S.E., and are all regularly formed, especially the second, fourth, and fifth. The general shape is rectangular, with the corners rounded off.





The first cave, which is the second largest, measures 18 feet from the doorway to the rere, and 21 feet across, while the roof varies from 6 feet 6 inches to 9 feet in height. (More detailed measurements of all the caves can be got from the scale drawings.) The entrance to this cave, though now very irregular in shape, has probably once been rectangular; but by the action of the weather and other causes, the easily detached basalt has fallen away. Its greatest height is now 9 feet, and its breadth 8 feet 8 inches; but at the bottom, where it measures 3 feet 6 inches across, the original width seems to be preserved for a small way up. Though the walls of this cave are rough and broken, places still remain which show some regularity of form.








To reach the second cave one must gain the ledge by climbing up the rocks, a little distance to either side of the first cave, the usual way being from the south. The second cave is the smallest of the five, measuring only 9 feet 9 inches from the back to front, by 8 feet 9 inches wide, and 6 feet high. The sides of this cave are well formed and little broken, the roof being dome shaped. The doorway is also regular, with top and bottom parallel, and the sides curving slightly outwards. It is 4 feet high, 2 feet 6 inches wide at top, 3 feet 5 inches at middle, and 2 feet at bottom. The large ledge in front of this cave causes the rain to drain into it, where som 6 inches of rain is always lying, thus keeping a continual dampness in the first cave underneath. On the same ledge and close to the second cave is a small rounded chamber, which looks like a partly-made cave. It differs from the others, however, in that the cave widens towards the front, leaving no narrow entrance. The opening is 8 feet 8 inches along the base, and 4 feet 6 inches high; while the cave extends 5 feet into the rock. On the north side, about 3 feet from the floor, is a small hole, which seems as if intended to pierce through a wall of rock about 2 feet thick. It is 8 inches across by 4 high, and penetrates about 1 foot. (The site is indicated on the plan by an *.) A similar opening to this, perhaps intended as a spy-hole, pierces the rock in a cave on the Knockagh, a neighbouring hill.

The upper caves have the greatest interest; but, as the path is narrow and dangerous, they are seldom visited; and until within the last few years, it was considered almost impossible to reach them. We have, however, visited them repeatedly and carefully measured them, as shown in the illustrations to this paper. The path to them starts some way up to McArt's Fort, and is practically horizontal; but they can also be reached either from above or below; but the risk is great, and several lives have been lost in attempting it. The fourth and fifth can only be entered through the third, unless ropes are employed.
The third cave is open, and is probably an enlargement of some natural hollow or fissure in the rock. The mouth is square, measuring 12 feet 9 inches both ways. The floor is covered with earth from a large grass-grown bank in front, and slopes sharply towards the back of the cave and to the left. The cave extends 19 feet 3 inches into the rock, and is about 12 feet wide and 8 feet high. On the right hand side is cut a small chamber with well-squared sides. It is 5 feet 6 inches high, but part of the floor is 2 feet 9 inches below the general level. It stretches 8 feet back from the larger cave, and is 6 feet 6 inches wide. On the other side of cave 3 is a short tunnel communicating with the fourth cave. This tunnel, as well as the chamber opposite, has been opened out from a large crevice, which extends vertically N. and S. through the rock. The top of the tunnel runs horizontally for 7 feet 6 inches, and then drops 4 feet to the roof of the fourth cave. The floor slopes downwards for 5 feet, when it opens into cave 4. The height is 3 feet 9 inches, and the width 3 feet. This passage is rectangular, and the comparative smoothness of the walls and clear definition of the angles make it evident that they were formed by man.









The fourth is the largest of all the caves. It is 30 feet 3 inches long, 17 feet wide, and its height is 7 feet 8 inches at the highest. This cave is ovoid in shape, the corners all being rounded. At the outer extremity is the opening usually called "the Window" or "the Pigeon-hole," situated in the cliff below, and somewhat to the south of the mouth of the third cave. It is well formed with rounded top, and is very noticeable from the surrounding district; the height is 3 feet 8 inches, and the width 2 feet 10 inches. In the centre of the base of this opening a small channel has been cut 6 inches deep into the rock, for the purposes of draining off accumulated moisture. On the floor of the fourth cave, below the mouth of the tunnel, is a large heap of rubble, which has accumulated by earth and stones falling from the cave above.


The entrance to the fifth cave is situated to the north of the opening to the third cave; but, as it goes some distance back, it is not easily distinguishable from below. The cave is reached by climbing round an awkward hump of rock, where two steps have been cut to facilitate the ascent, but they bear a fresher appearance than the other work, and were probably cut by those who frequented these caves a century or so ago. The cutting of this entrance exhibits the same skilful finish as the tunnel below. This cave is very well formed, being almost hemispherical. It measures 15 feet from the back to front, 16 feet between the sides, and 8 feet high. The door, which is well squared off, is 2 feet 10 inches wide by 3 feet 2 inches high. It contains, near one side, a drain 3 inches deep, similar to the one in "the Window."









Little is known of the history of these caves, but in Sir Samuel Ferguson's fifteenth-century story of this district, Corby MacGilmore, the upper group (3, 4, and 5) is represented as being used for a treasure house and prison, and the first cave as a smithy, whilst the great basin in front is the camping ground, filled with booths and shielings. We would specially point out the form of the entrances, as shown in the illustrations, to further prove that these caves have been made by man. We do so, as it has been continually asserted that they are natural formations.





These are not the only caves of this class in our locality. There are four in the cliffs of the Knockagh, nad the small chamber in the Blackhead caves, known as "the Schoolmaster's Bed," is also one, thus affording examples of natural and artificial excavations made side by side. The general appearance of these caves clearly indicates artificial work. They may have been commenced by natural causes, but they have certainly been completed by the hand of man. The rock is the common one of the district, basalt, an igneous rock or lava, common in County Antrim, superimposed on limestone. The neck of an extinct volcano can still be trace at Dunanney, on the adjoining hill of Carnmoney. No distinct age can be credited with their formation, as no direct evidence of their occupation has been discovered. The floors of each are cut in the solid rock, and there is no accumulation of ages to contain any implements or other articles to indicate the age of man who formed and occupied them. We consider they may have been used from the earliest ages as places of retreat and residences in time of danger, or as storehouses for treasure, being improved and enlarged upon from age to age by different races and clans down to the time of the Plantation in the reign of James I. They may also have been used so late as the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth centuries by the local tories and rapparees who fequented these parts, such as Niece O'Haughan, who resided in the immediate district for many years. We know that Henry Joy McCracken, in 1798, remained in hiding for some time in the woods near at hand. We may state, however, that we have been unable to find any direct reference to these caves in the histories or records of the district.