The village of Inchigeelagh (Inse Geimhleach or Island of the Hostages), which lies in the beautiful Lee Valley, County Cork, has a long historical link with the O'Learys. The parish in which the village lies is also called Inchigeelagh, but its older name is Iveleary (Uibh Laoghaire or Home of the O'Learys),
The O'Learys are believed to have arrived here in about 1192 AD, having been driven out of their home place in Ross Carbery. The ford over the River Lee in Inchigeelagh (near the present bridge) was defended by a Rath, (an earthen enclosure surrounded by a defensive ditch), called Mannen. This became the main home of the O'Leary Chieftain until round about 1515 A.D. when Carrignacurra Castle, a Tower House, was built a mile outside the village. In about 1565 the O'Leary's built a new Tower House in Carrignaneela, and Donoch O'Leary built a third one in Dromcarra in 1615. However, the O'Leary's were dispossessed of all their property, including all three Tower Houses, during the Williamite War of 1689-90.
For the next hundred years, the people of Inchigeelagh, as throughout Ireland, suffered grievously from Penal Laws, Church Tithes, and the Landlord system. These successfully deprived them of the ownership of land, and the means of self-improvement
During the 19th. Century, this situation began to unwind, partly due to the efforts of such national leaders as O'Connell and Parnell, and to pressure from the growing Revolutionary movements. From the late 19th.century onwards, legislation was passed through the British Parliament allowing farmers to purchase their Freeholds, and so loosening the power of the Landlords. Finally, in 1921, Ireland became a Sovereign Nation.
The Inchigeelagh you see today has been shaped and influenced by all these events.

Inchigeelagh's Old Cemetery and Church.
For five hundred years, the Old Cemetery in Inchigeelagh has served all the parishioners of the Parish of Uibh Laoghaire, regardless of their denomination. The first reference to it is found in Vatican Records of 1492, but it had probably been in existence for many years before this. The Parish was, and still is, in the Diocese of Cork.
After the Reformation in 1534, all Parish Churches in Ireland were confiscated and allocated to the newly Established Church, the Church of Ireland. It took many years for this change to reach small out-of-the-way places such as Inchigeelagh, and the local O'Leary Chieftains, and their followers, clung fiercely to their old Religion.
After 1700, the old lands of the O'Leary's were sold by the "Hollow Sword Blade Company" to a number of new and Protestant Landlords, who in turn brought in Protestant tenants (when they could be persuaded). The Rev.Cornelius Hignett restored the ruined Church and started to provide services to this small Protestant community.
The Church was finally rebuilt in 1814 to hold 100 and at a cost of £230-15s-4 3/4d. It is the ruins of this church that can still be seen in Inchigeelagh's old cemetery. In 1859 the Glebe House was demolished, and a new one built at a cost of £647-1s-0d. Its ruins can be seen across the road from the church ruins as it was burned down during the War of Independence to prevent its use by British forces.
After 1885, the Church of Ireland Parish went into decline and was joined to Kilmichael and Macloneigh; eventually all three were joined to Macroom parish. The last resident Vicar was Rev.Patrick O'Rourke, who resigned in 1885.
In the cemetery, wealthier members of the community were interred in above-ground vaults at the South-East end. These vaults include most of the resident Landlord families, - the Barrys, Boyles, Barters and Graingers. There are also two Catholic vaults in the same area, for members of the O'Leary Breac family. Interestingly, the O'Leary chieftains were not buried here but in Kilbarry Church yard. However, a grave stone can be found to Máire Bhúi O'Laoghaire, author of the poem "The Battle of Keimaneigh".
Over the centuries, many O'Learys have been buried here and a visitor to the cemetery would soon be aware of the long connection of the O'Learys to Inchigeelagh!