School: St Patrick's, Aughnacliffe (roll number 13283)

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   “Lough Gowna is beautifully situated surrounded by wooded country and studded by many pretty isles.”

   

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   occasion a male passenger with evil intent was drowned when the storm broke, one half conveying its victim to the floor of the lake, and the other half brought the remaining passenger - a young cailin - safely to the island where it still remains. It is a very old custom of the natives to visit the island on St. Columcilles day June 9th - and ask the intercession of the Exiled Saint particularly for their exiled friends. The Monastery was plundered by the Danes in the year 800. It was again restored 60 yrs later and flourished till the 14th century when it was plundered by the English invaders. An interesting story is told of St. Columcille's Bell which was taken away in the later part of the 15th century, but returned through the air, ringing, on its flight and once more hung in the monastery on the island. A second attempt was made to destroy it. It was sent down to Ulster but, lo and behold, after a short absence, it returned once more to its original place. A resident on the island named Mulligan witnessed the return of the Bell. Its arrival been heralded by its sweet mellow tones. Fearing further attempts might prove successful in destroying it forever, it was taken down from the tower rolled up in seven yards of frieze and secretly buried in 1574. The secret of its hiding-place was closely kept for several generations until about 100 years ago when the danger of its been lost to posterity prompted a decendant of the man who buried it, to disclose the secret to a priest of

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Michael Hourican

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   13

   Address

   Aghnacliff, Co. Longford

   Informant

   Patrick J. Donohoe

   Gender

   Male

   Age

   49

   Address

   Aghakine, Co. Longford