School: Northyard (roll number 10218)
- Location:
- Northyard, Co. Roscommon
- Teacher: Bean Uí Mhurchadha
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0253, Page 340
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- XML “St Barry's Boat”
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- St. Barry's Boat is situated in Whitehall Church grounds, outside the Church of Whitehall, in the Parish of Tarmonbarry, Co. Roscommon. There is a nice statue of St. Barry erected on the boat, and he is facing Kilbarry.
In ancient times St. Barry used to cross the River Shannon in his boat. It is said at this time that if a person died in the neighbourhood this boat came to the nearest point where the dead body was, then the coffin was placed on the boat, and then the boat conveyed it to Kilbarry Cemetery where the remains were interred.
This boat was defiled by a woman. In olden times a woman went to wash clothes in it. Then the boat sank to the bottom of the Shannon, where it remained for hundreds of years.
Then the Parish Priest of Whitehall namely the late Father William White went with some men to lift the boat, and they brought it to Whitehall. This boat is now a large stone, because it remained in the Shannon so long, the wood changed into stone.
