School: Milltown (roll number 942)
- Location:
- Milltown, Co. Westmeath
- Teacher: Sean O'Casey
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0742, Page 028
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- XML “The Corpse of Temple Cross”
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- The Corpnu of Temple Cross (VII)Within a quarter mile of Tristernagh in the territiory of Kilbixy - a one time city of 3000 people- stood the ruins of the church of Temple Cross. There deacons were ordained.
To Temple Cross church belonged the celebrated religious "releque" held in veneration throughout the district in ancient as well as modern times. It was called the "Corpnu". The Corpnu was a small piece of wood shaped like a bible studded in parts with pieces of crystal and set (?) fastened into the wood with nails. Oaths were sworn on it and if one swore a false one before the Corpnu, a great body deformity or sudden death followed.
The relic was preserved by the district long after the suppression of the monastery in Tristernagh and many miracles are said to have performed through its use. I forgot to state that on one side the Corpnu was a crucifix of brass. It is an ancient relic probably, the 8th or 9th century and is now in the National Museum, Dublin.
(N.B. The foregoing "Notes" on Rathconrath district were supplied by their writer to the late James Woods when he was writing his histoy of W. Meath. They were incorporated by him in his Annals. Other extensive "notes" were supplied to the late Jas Tuite Nicholas Downes and J.L. (?) Shaw Mullingar and to Viginus (?) De Kane M.A., M.R.I.A. Culmonagha (?))
