School: Scoil na mBráthar, Cathair na Mart

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1. Murrisk Abbey (continued)

   

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   Clare Island. He got there in a Curragh and when he approached the place all the apartments were lit up and signs of festivity were to be seen all round. When the priest knocked Gráinne herself appeared to greet him. He asked her what was the cause of all the hilarity. She explained that the Queen’s Ambassador was being entertained within. Whereupon Fr. Gibbons told her that it looked very bad to see the Queen’s envoy respected thus, while the Queen’s soldiers were after sacking and burning their house in Murrisk, on hearing this the Sea-queen became furious and swore she would avenge the dead on the morrow. True to her word, at dawn next mornings she gave orders to her Gallies anchored on the strand to get under weigh proceed to Murrisk with herself in Command. On approaching the place all guns were trained on the Abbey, but there was no one there; the mob had gone. She then came ashore and decided to follow them, but on nearing Castlebar she was there informed that the soldiers had turned off on the Galway road where they arrived that evening and burned and looted St. Michael’s Church.

   It was with a broken heart poor Fr. Gibbons returned to view the ruins of his Master’s House, which he loved and laboured in. His little community was scattered and all they held dear stolen or destroyed. After some little time he got in contact with his brother friars again and the came together bid adieu to Murrisk forever. They then repaired to Ballyhaunis where they founded another house of their order, which despite the persecution that followed in after years lived through all and thank God still flourishes today. The two chalices that belonged to the mother-house are still kept in bondage in two local Protestant Churches

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   C. J. Ó hAoláin

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Mr Fay Murrisk

   Gender

   Male