School: Foulkestown

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1. Mass Bushes and Mass Stones (continued)

   

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   (1) On the cross at Grovine about 2 miles from Kilkenny is a bush known as the Mass bush for under the bush mass was said in the days of St. Patrick. Later on when the roads were being made the workers were not allowed to touch this bush and that is how the bush now stands in the centre of the cross roads.

   
   (Information got from Mr. Slattery Wallslough)

   (2) On the Kells road there is a bush known as the Rag Bush from the fact that rags are always hung on the bush as the doing of this is supposed to bring luck. This is a Mass bush and under the bush is a flat stone where St. Patrick is supposed to have knelt leaving on it the print of his knees and the prints of some of his fingers.

   
   (Information got from T. McGrath Bamfort) (1937.)

   There is a Mass stone in Fiacre near Sheastown, on which St. Fiacre used to say Mass in the early Christian days. His cell was nearby where now there is a well known as St. Fiacre's well. Devotions are carried out here on St. Fiacre's day Aug. 30th. Near the well is an enclosed area forming a circle surrounded by a stone wall or caiseal in the centre of which are the foundations of a small church.

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   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Informant

   John Slattery

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Wallslough, Co. Kilkenny

   Informant

   T. Mc Grath

   Gender

   Male

   Address

   Foulkstown, Co. Kilkenny