Oughaval, County Laois

Oughaval (An Nuachabháil[1]), sometimes called Oakvale,[2] is a townland in the civil parish of Stradbally, County Laois, in Ireland.

After several years as a novice at Iona, Colman returned to Ireland and chose Oughaval as the site of a new monastic settlement.

[5] In the early 18th century a 12th-century stone roofed church survived, and the Cosbys of Stradbally Hall added a mortuary-chancel to it.

About half of the trees are beech planted in 1938-1941, and other species include ash, oak and Scots pine.

The other names which appear in the valuation for the township were Byrne, Cosby, Dowling, Empey, Finch, Greene, Hodgens, Keeffe, Large, Manser, Murray, Power, Shortall, Smyth, Tarleton, Walsh, and Whelan.

Toga may refer to the mythological figure mentioned in the Middle Irish text c.1400 from The Yellow Book of Lecan entitled The Settling of the Manor of Tara, in which verse 34 states- daughter of Toga of the grey stormy sea, at that time ’twas a woman, she from whom Sliabh Raisen is named.