School: Naomh Coinneach, Borris-in-Ossory (roll number 13953)

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1. Mass in Penal Times

   

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   Mass in Penal Days.
   During the period of the penal laws there was a man called O'Carroll living in the castle of Borris. He owned the castle and a big part of the land about. He was a very good Catholic also. The penal laws were enforced very severely against Catholic religion at that time, he practised his religion as well as he could. He had a priest stopping in the house with him. This priest was hiding in the house. Every morning a priest said a mass for O'Carroll in a room in the castle. This went on for a long time. One morning the priest went into the room to say mass as usual. When he was in for a while, one of Carroll's servants looked through the key-hole and saw the priest saying mass. She sent word to the English Protestants to send some soldiers to Borris to arrest the priest and O'Carroll. But Carroll got word in time and he fled with his family and the priest to France before the soldiers came. it is said that the priest or O'Carroll never returned, to Ireland. It is said also, that the room, in which the priest said mass in, was shut up from that day until the castle fell into ruins. Before the Church in Borris-in-Ossory, mass was frequently said in Feather-Lane, north-west of the village where there was a mass

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Herbert O' Carroll

   Gender

   Male

   Informant

   Bernard Carroll

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   69

   Occupation

   Baker

   Address

   Borris-in-Ossory, Co. Laois