400 years ago, historian M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh<\/a> returned to south Donegal to begin the work to create The Annals of the Four Masters<\/a> in the Convent of Donegal at Bundrowes friary in Magheracar near Bundoran. Discovering that the friary is the historic home of \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh’s annals focuses on rediscovering and exploring the primary source historical records.<\/p>\n Bundoran’s modern history is as one of Ireland\u2019s premier seaside resorts and well-known surf towns, but its rich Gaelic scholarly history is relatively unknown. However, with the recent historical rediscoveries being highlighted in the Donegal Democrat<\/a>. Irish history is now being rewritten.<\/p>\n The story of Bundrowes <\/p>\n The four Magh Ene<\/a> townlands that encompass the coastal district of Bundoran are Bundrowes (Magheracar), Drumacrin, Ardfarna and Rathmore. During the Ulster Plantation, these four townlands are recorded as the Trinity College Lands<\/a> in 17th century records. Over 400 years later \u2013 these four townlands still encompass the coastal district of Bundoran.<\/p>\n In a Trinity College grant from 1855, Bundrowes is specifically recorded as the old name for Magheracar, Bundoran: “Magherycar, otherwise Bundruse.” William McCrea\u2019s map<\/a> (1801) labels both Bundrowes and Magheracar. By the OS 6-inch map<\/a> (1830s), Bundrowes, which extends from the Drowes River to the old bridge in the heart of Bundoran, is labelled “Magheracar”.<\/p>\n From the ancient Ulster earthwork of The Black Pig’s Dyke<\/a> and the O\u2019Donnell\u2019s Gaelic Bundrowes Castle<\/a> to M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh\u2019s Annals at Bundrowes friary \u2013 the history of Bundrowes is the history of Bundoran.<\/p>\n Bundoran\u2019s Four Masters DNA<\/p>\n Bundoran possesses a 700-year recorded \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh history. M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh\u2019s cousin and fellow compiler of the Annals, C\u00fa Choigcr\u00edche’s<\/a> mid 17th century \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh Book of Genealogies<\/a> records that the O\u2019Donnell\u2019s granted their Bundoran land, “Drumacrin in Magh Ene” to the \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irighs in c.1348.<\/p>\n The \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh\u2019s heartland of Drumacrin in Bundoran stretches from the western strand on Main Beach<\/a> through Main Street, East End and out the countryside past the N15 Bypass to one of Bundoran\u2019s rural townlands, Rathmore. Modern scientific evidence reveals that a Y-DNA37<\/a> test remarkably matched the Bundoran \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irighs from Drumacrin and Rathmore with M\u00edche\u00e1l\u2019s compiler-cousin\u2019s family, C\u00fa Choigcr\u00edche, one of the Four Masters.<\/p>\n Lughaidh \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh: The Chronicler “of Bundoran”<\/p>\n Donegal\u2019s most powerful \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh, M\u00edche\u00e1l\u2019s renowned chronicler-cousin and teacher, Lughaidh \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh<\/a>, Chief Historian and Poet of ‘Red’ Hugh O\u2019Donnell<\/a>, lived as a “chronicler” in Bundoran in 1603.An Inquisition record from 1603 notes: “Lughaidh O\u2019Cleirigh of Bundoran, chronicler”. The rediscovery of this record illuminates that the Bundoran \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh lands belonged to Lughaidh<\/a>.<\/p>\n We need your consent to load this rte-player contentWe use rte-player to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences<\/a><\/p>\n From RT\u00c9 Archives, a new edition of the Annals of the Four Masters has been published by Edmund Burke of Blackrock, County Dublin, in 1990<\/p>\n While it has long been assumed that Lughaidh\u2019s student, M\u00edche\u00e1l, lived and was educated in Kilbarron, there are no historical records of M\u00edche\u00e1l in Kilbarron. The only local, historical records of M\u00edche\u00e1l, is his compiling in the Bundoran lands at Bundrowes (Magheracar) in Magh Ene (1626-1637). Considering there are no historical records of M\u00edche\u00e1l in Kilbarron, it now appears likely that M\u00edche\u00e1l\u2019s life and learning as “a chronicler by descent and education<\/a>” took place with his \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh chronicler-cousin and teacher, Lughaidh by the surf-music in Bundoran.<\/p>\n With Bundoran noted in plantation records from 1606<\/a> and 1608 and the Flight of the Earls (1607)<\/a> causing the \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irighs to lose land, M\u00edche\u00e1l also took flight to continental Europe. The Bundoran \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh lands of his chronicler-cousin and teacher, Lughaidh, became the Trinity College Lands.<\/p>\n M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh\u2019s return to Bundoran<\/p>\n Rediscovering the Louvain Papers<\/a> record of The Convent of Donegal at “Bundrowis” from c.1630 creates the Franciscan bridge between The Guardian of Louvain College, Fr. Hugh Ward<\/a> and M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh at Bundrowes friary in Bundoran.<\/p>\n M\u00edche\u00e1l identifies his Franciscan house “at Drowes<\/a>“, his scribal shorthand for its friary townland “Bundrowes”. There are only two townlands located on the Donegal side of the Drowes: the Bundoran townlands of Ardfarna and Bundrowes (Magheracar). The Louvain Papers<\/a> note “Bundrowis” friary with other contemporary Irish friaries that sent money to Louvain. The record clearly establishes that M\u00edche\u00e1l\u2019s Four Masters Convent of Donegal at Bundrowes was in Bundoran.<\/p>\n Honouring M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh<\/p>\n Located 800 metres, southwest of Bundoran\u2019s Gaelic football field<\/a>, the Four Masters Bundrowes site is marked on 19th century maps<\/a>, and archaeological artefacts<\/a> have been discovered. Stone-carver Brendan McGloin’s<\/a> sculptures of \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh (2002)<\/a> and his scribes, An Triur Ceann, The Triskele Heads (2002)<\/a> are artistically at home at Bundoran Library.<\/p>\n 400 years on from M\u00edche\u00e1l\u2019s return from Louvain to Ireland \u2013 the Royal Irish Academy<\/a> has recently specified the geographical and historical fact that the Annals were created “at Bundrowes friary in the coastal district of Bundoran”. The Dictionary of Irish Biography<\/a> is making revisions and the Irish Franciscans (OFM) are updating their Provincial website. Dr. Bernadette Cunningham<\/a> has also spotlighted Bundoran in her recent Mayo lecture<\/a>.<\/p>\n These revisions and updates are vital steps towards recognising and honouring the life and work of M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh on the 400-year commemoration of his return to Ireland.<\/p>\n They significantly help to educate the Irish public and inform educational institutions by highlighting the primary source historical records of M\u00edche\u00e1l at Bundrowes friary in Bundoran.<\/p>\n While the M\u00edche\u00e1l \u00d3 Cl\u00e9irigh Summer School<\/a> has considered that M\u00edche\u00e1l compiled the Annals in Kilbarron Castle, Donegal Town and County Leitrim, (without providing historical evidence) \u2013 they have, unfortunately, omitted the actual, recorded historical evidence and documentary scholarship of M\u00edche\u00e1l creating Ireland\u2019s greatest history book, The Annals of the Four Masters, at Bundrowes friary in Bundoran.<\/p>\n The Michael O’Cleirigh Summer School<\/a> takes place in Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal from May 8th to May 10th<\/p>\n Follow RT\u00c9 Brainstorm on WhatsApp<\/a> and Instagram<\/a> for more stories and updates<\/p>\n \u00c9amon \u00d3 Caoineach\u00e1n<\/a> is a PhD student at Mary Immaculate College<\/a>. <\/p>\n The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RT\u00c9<\/p>\n ![\"Four](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/00245206-614.jpg\"\/)
\nThe four townlands of Bundoran Trinity College Lands (Image: Virtual Records Treasury of Ireland)<\/p>\n![\"Four](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/00245205-614.jpg\"\/)
\nFour Masters sculpture An Triur Ceann – Triskele Heads (Image: Brendan McGloin Bundoran Library 2002)<\/p>\n