Church of Coad.
It is not exactly known when this church was built. It is a solid well-built structure, with late Gothic doorways, and windows. It is almost certain that it was built by one of that branch of the O'Briens who lived at Inchiquin Castle, viz., the Earls of Inchiquin, afterwards Earls, and subsequently Marquises of Thomond, now extinct.
In the year 1735 Thomas MacGorman, who lived in or near the Castle of Inchiquin, built a small mortuary chapel against the eastern gable of the church. It was richly ornamented with cut stones, a few of which and some of the foundations only now remaining, and measured on the outside 17½ feet from east to west by 17 feet from north to south. At present it is almost impossible to make out these foundations. This Thomas MacGorman was a lineal descendant of Daire Bairache, King of Hy Bairche in the 2nd century, who had a son and a daughter. From the son Mahon are descended the O'Gormans of Kilrush, lately represented by Nicholas Smith O'Gorman, High Sheriff of Clare, 1878. From the daughter Mary are descended the Macnamaras of Corofin, who now used the site of the little chapel as a burying-place. Thomas MacGorman (whose descendants changed their name to O'Gorman) came from Caher Moraghue in West Clare, and settled down in Inchiquin some time before he built the mortuary chapel. He was married first to Alicia O'Dempsey, the daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel Terence O'Dempsey, brother of Maximilian, 3rd and last Lord of Clanmalier. By this wife he had an only son and daughter, as above stated. His 2nd wife was Judith, daughter of Captain William Wolverton of Co. Westmeath, and his 3rd wife was Mary Mac Geoghegan, of Donore, in the same County. As far as is known, he had no family by either his 2nd or last wife.

The two oldest graves in Coad are the Power and O'Brien graves. The latter was erected to the two daughters of Conor O'Brien of Leimaneagh, and his wife Maurian Roe. (See inscription, below.) The Power tombstone was erected to the memory of Ellinor Creagh, who died 22nd April 1673, daughter of John Creagh Fitzwilliam, Alderman of Limerick, and wife of Dominick Power of Corofin. He was the first of this family who settled at Corofin. Both these graves are immediately under the east window, inside the church, and side by side.
Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, Ireland Journals 1888-1916
Killinaboy Parish
1896, Vol. III (2).
From Doctor George U. Macnamara, Corofin, Co. Clare.