School: Castle Durrow (roll number 12183)
- Location:
- Castledurrow Demesne, Co. Laois
- Teacher: Mrs St Legier
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0830, Page 114
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- In the Course Wood half a mile North east of Durrow there is a quadrangular area of half an acre enclosed by an earthen rampart, which was cleared of earth and rubbish in 1901. It is the site of an ancient monastery or nunnery. The main building ran North & South 62 feet internal length. Underground room has stone stairway of 8 steps which branches off near top of either side into another small narrow stairway of 3 steps.
West from the underground room & adjoining it are the outlines of foundations of another house 29 feet long East to West & 19½ ft. wide North to South. Probably this was a chapel - only one small piece of masonry remains showing entrance door in South side wall 6 ft. on the outside from the angle of the West Gable.
This monastery was probably not in use later than the ninth or tenth century & the name is not longer remembered.
The townland is known as the Course Wood as far back as 1770 - along it another townland was known as the Race Course, but now known as The Course.
Canon Corrigan found in the "Red Book of(continues on next page)
