Cloonnafinneela, County Kerry

In the northern part it is crossed by the N69 Tralee-Listowel road, and it extends from Kilflynn town in the west to the Waterfall in the east, bordered by the Shannow and one of its tributaries.

Listed as 'Toberflyn' (Irish: Tobar Flainn) on 1841 and 1892 Ordnance Survey maps, it is by a tributary of the Shannow river and east-south-east of Kilflynn centre.

[2] Local folklore tells of a Fineela family which lived long ago in forts evident in the landscape.

'[2] [3] The forts mentioned are amongst sites listed as National Monuments, namely ringforts ((UTM grid references) 29U 490877 622381, 29U 490655 622325), enclosures (29U 490958 622925, 29U 490745 622153), earthworks (29U 491050 622962, 29U 491049 622963) and a possible fulacht fiadh (29U 490631 622331).

[4] In 2011, plans for realignment of the N69 Tralee-Listowel road, which passes through Cloonnafinneela, gave archaeologists the opportunity to dig two test trenches (approx.

The second site yielded rare evidence for a (burned) thatched-roofed structure which included rushes, hazel, oak and willow amongst other plants.

Road entrance to Tobar Flainn.
Tobar Flainn, the holy well of St.Flainn. The stonework was constructed by Muintir na Tíre in 1953. Spring water now channelled through the pipe below the statue formerly issued from a pile of stones by the Rae, the tributary that joins the Shannow.