School: Durrow (B.) (roll number 3517)

Location:
Durrow, Co. Laois
Teacher:
P. Sabhaois

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The Bishop's Tree

Archival Reference

The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0830, Page 098

Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD. See copyright details »

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About a mile in the westerly direction from the village of Durrow there is a spot named the Bishop's Tree. At the present time there is no tree to make the place the tree itself having been cut down about ninety years ago.
There is a ring of stones (moss covered) about three of four cartloads around the tree stump.
The tradition in connection with this tree is that a Bishop was ill treated by British Soldiery and left tied to the tree at the beginning of the Penal times. He is supposed to have been buried by the peasantry at this place. The tradition does not give us the name of the bishop; he has always been referred to as "the Bishop".
The grounds in which the "tree" is situated was on the Ashbrooke estate and according to the story current in the district a wood ranger when cutting down some marked trees about ninety years ago ordered this particular three to be

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Collector
Pádraic Sabhaois
Gender
male
Occupation
múinteoir
Address
Durrow, Co. Laois
Language
English