School: Ballymartin, Croom (roll number 4466)
- Location:
- Ballymartin, Co. Limerick
- Teacher: Teresa Lynch
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0525, Page 075
Image and data © National Folklore Collection, UCD.
See copyright details.
DownloadOpen data
Available under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
- XML School: Ballymartin, Croom
- XML Page 075
- XML “Manister Abbey”
Note: We will soon deprecate our XML Application Programming Interface and a new, comprehensive JSON API will be made available. Keep an eye on our website for further details.
On this page
- (continued from previous page)defeated. They retreated to the fastnesses of Aherlow. Among the slain o the plain of Manister was found the body of Dr. Allen, the sacred banner clasped in his cold and lifeless hands. Many refugees sought safety within the precincts of the abbey, thinking its sacred shelter might afford them some protection. But vain was the hope. The cannon of the English thundered against the massive buildings, the surrounding walls were razed to the ground, and the soldiery poured through the breaches into the sacred building. ALL FOUND WITHIN WERE PUT TO THE SWORD, the Abbot was slain on the steps of the altar, and forty monks were cut down without mercy.Only one aged brother escaped this ruthless slaughter as he had been sent on an errand, and returned later to see nothing but blood and destruction, and the hewn corpses of the Holy Brotherhood, who had taken no part in the battle. The refectory and cloisters were destroyed, and the destruction wrought was so great, that never again did the monastery recover its former greatness.In the Annals of the Cistercians is contained a beautiful legend in connection with this event.On the Eve of the Assumption, the aged who had escaped the slaughter entered the chancel, and throwing himself before the broken statue of the Virgin, wept bitterly that there were none to keep the festival of her to whom the Church was dedicated.(continues on next page)
