School: Castletown, Mountrath (roll number 2731)
- Location:
- Castletown, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Bean Uí Mhearnáin
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0826, Page 010
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- XML “Aughabo”
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- Aughabo - the plain of the cow - about six miles from Castletown is a very ancient and historic spot. It was the residence of the Bishop of Ossory for years. There was a very big town in it in years gone by. There was also a very big Monastery there. The ruins of a Catholic Church are still to be seen.
There is a bush in it called St.Canice's bush. It is about a hundred yards out in the field. A visible cross appears in the land, what ever direction you look the cross appears the one way. In the late Mr. White's time they tilled the field with the intention of doing away with the cross. No matter what way it was tilled the cross appeared in the land.
The old people say that it was in this field that the Kilkenny and Aughabo people fought over the body of St. Canice. While they were fighting over the coffin a remarkable thing happened. the coffin went up in the air, and two came down. They took one each and it was prophesised that which ever county had the body(continues on next page)
