School: An Bhlárna (C.)
- Location:
- Blarney, Co. Cork
- Teacher: Winifred Scantlebury
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0349, Page 069
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- XML School: An Bhlárna (C.)
- XML Page 069
- XML “The Flax Mill”
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- Long ago when the bleaching was carried on in Blarney there was a flax mill in Baile na Ratha. It was situated on an inch on the bank of the river Martain this inch was owned by the Horgans who were Fr Matt Horgans parents. Fr Horgan was ordained 1809 and afterwards was made Parish Priest of Blarney. He was the founder of the ancient round towers in Waterloo and Whitechurch.
Fr Horgan built these towers as belfries and also as a safe-guard against body snatchers. The bodies of the dead people used to be buried in the bottom of the towers for a few weeks because the body-snatchers used take the bodies away to the colleges to practise on them. These body-snatchers were all students. Fr Horgan died in Clogheenmeltin in 1849.
- Collector
- Brenda Mc Auliffe
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- John Mc Auliffe
- Gender
- Male
- Address
- Ballygibbon, Co. Cork
