School: Ballinlough (roll number 9238)
- Location:
- Ballinlough Big, Co. Meath
- Teacher: P. Mac Domhnaill
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0704, Page 041
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- XML “The Seanaltóir”
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- On the lands of Mr. John Walsh there is an old rock in one of the fields which is called the sean altoir by the people around, which means the old altar or the mass-rock. It is in the parish of Ballinlough. Long ago in the Penal Day's when the priests would not be allowed to say mass, the priests used to say on the hillsides and on old rocks, so that they could see the English coming. Tradition has it that a brave priest named Fr. Walsh said mass on this old rock.
The English were very anxious to catch him. There is a story told of how the English thought they had him shot.
One day the English were on one of hills near the sean altoir and they saw something white in the bushes near the altar. They thought is was Fr. Walsh who was saying mass and saw them and hid in the bushes. They went over nearer so that they could fire at him, so they fired a shot, they saw the white thing fall and they went over to the place where it fell. Then they went over they were surprised to see that it was a white cow they had shot and not Fr. Walsh. It is said also that it was one of the soldiers cows that it was shot.
- Collector
- May Beggan
- Gender
- Female
- Age
- 15
- Address
- Stonefield, Co. Meath
