School: Bracknagh (2)

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1. Local Ruins

   

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   Local ruins.
   There are the ruins of two old churches and a monastery in this district, one in the townland of Ballynowlart, and one with the monastery in Clonshannon. The church in Ballynowlart was supposed to be burned by English soldiers. One day the people were at mass and they heard a noise outside. The priest continued mass and during the time the soldiers set fire to the thatched roof and burned the church and congregation. Only one man escaped and he hid in a wood nearby. The bones were taken up and buried in the churchyard in Brackna, a short time ago.
   The church in Clonshannon is called St. Brochan's church because the saint dwelt there. It was supposed to be built by certain people. It is said that one night as they were building it a man passed that way. He did not say "God bless the work" and when he went home his house was burning. One day as a woman was going by St Brochan asked her what she had in her bag. She replied, stones. St Brochan said, i it is stones you will have bread, and if it is bread you will have stones. The monastery was near the church and students from all parts of Europe came to learn there. St Brochan and his monks entered the beautiful old Irish Litany of the Blessed Virgin while they were in this monastery. There is a graveyard close to the monastery and it was there St. Brochan and his monks were buried, but it is not used now.

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Topics

   1. objects
      1. man-made structures
         1. historical and commemorative structures (~6,794)

   Language

   English

   Collector

   Margaret Hyland

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clonbrock Lower, Co. Offaly

   Informant

   Mrs Hyland

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Clonbrock Lower, Co. Offaly