School: Presentation Convent, Lucan

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   “Where Spence's house now stands was the Monastery of the Monks; but during the Penal Times the monks had to leave th Monastery for Priest Hunters were searching the place.”

   

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   But the Monks did not go very far away for through the fields there can be seen today a large flat stone believed to have been a "Mass Stone" and standing on this is a big stone slab with the inscription I.H.S. and lower down two Angels hold up the Blessed Sacrament. This slab stands on the flat stone just like a door; behind the slab is a passage which leads out to the station (Lucan North). this is how the Monks escaped the Priest hunters. When Mr. Spence came to live here the house had Monastery doors and windows, and little cells and passages. But Mr. Spence was a Protestant and changed the whole house. Then about 20 years ago when this man was ploughing up a field, which had always been used for grazing before this, he ploughed up skeletons of men. this was the Monk's graveyard and the skeletons were the Monks.

   Of course the priest hunters tried to blow up the Monastery, but most of it was saved; that was why it was so strange looking to Mr. Spence. There is also a well not far from the house where the Monks used get their water.

   Hermitage is another place where the Monks had to hide. The caves can still be seen. They were built down by the River Liffey and lead out to different

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Mai Rogers

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Beaumount Cottages, Co. Dublin

   Informant

   Mrs Rogers

   Relation

   Unknown

   Gender

   Female

   Age

   65

   Address

   Beaumount Cottages, Co. Dublin