School: Cnoc Bríde (1)

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1. The Monastery of Skeagh

   

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   Tradition tells us that there was a monastery in Skeagh in ancient times and that it was on the site of the house of the late Bartle Hanlon. No mention of it appears in the old record but in the Grants of Eliziabeth. Amongst other religious property in the district is mentioned Kileagh and it cannot be identified It is suggested that this is at one with the monastery of Skeagh. Tradition also tells us that the monks of Skeagh attended the ancient church of Saint Brigid in Knockbride and what when the monastery was demolished that three of the monks swam across Skeagh Lake and three old whitethorns trees mark the spot where their pursuers killed them. And that the last monk who read Mass in Knockbride old church was called Michael O Cleirigh. Until about sixty years ago an old ruin about 20 feet high containing a flight of stone steps stood at the south end of Hanlons house but it is since demolished. The manor of Skeagh appears in the Grants of Eliziabeth James gave a grant of 1,000 acres in Drumamuck to one of the Hamiltons some years ago. The trouble was taken to plot out all the grants in the surrounding district on the modern map and it was found that the manor of Skeagh was left a complete blank and was therefore bound to be at one withe the above mentioned grant. A Philip O Reilly lived in Skeagh and also Soolaghans[?] in the days of

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Location

   Skeagh, Co. Cavan

   Collector

   Patrick J. Mc Breen

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Knockbride, Co. Cavan

   Informant

   James Mc Breen

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   54