Heritage Week - Touring the Parish - Lough Derg EBike Tours

For National Heritage Week, we did a tour of the ancient parish of Killodiernan and Monsea, exploring the country lanes around Dromineer and Puckane, and visiting the ancient churches of the parish. There were participants who completed the tour by eBike, and others who joined us at some of the churches, making a total of 8 participants on August 16th and 6 on August 23rd. A fun and informative time was had by all! Thanks to the Tipperary Heritage Office and to the Ormond historical Society for your help in making these events a success.

Dromineer

The tour started in Dromineer, with the group invited to explore the church while we were setting up. The church at Dromineer dates back to the 10th Century, and numerous legends surround it. One such legend is that it was built by the monks from Holy Island, who never completed the work due to some unspecified 'violent incident' which saw them setting sail in 7 boats, to return to Holy Island and never to complete the building works. It is also claimed that 'mass was never said' in the church. Whatever the truth of this, it is still in remarkably good condition.

The group were kitted out and ready to depart for the next point of interest.

Ballydrinan

We set off uphill out of Dromineer, travelling back lanes until we reached the first meeting point at Ballydrinan. John Flannery from the Ormond Historical Society met us there, and told us of the night in 1943 when his father, and many others, came across a German war plane which had deliberately crash landed there. The crew had decided they wanted no more part in the war so gave themselves up as Prisoners of War, to lead a relatively comfortable existence at the Curragh for the duration of hostilities. By the time the local contingent arrived on the scene, charges had been set to blow up the plane, and a German airman bravely rescued a local man who was heading into danger, unaware of the explosions about to happen. Many of the local witnesses took away souvenirs from the plane, along with cocaine-and-caffeine sweets, which kept them awake for several days! To this day, there is a depression in the hedgerow where the plane came down. At least one of the crew ended up living permanently in Ireland after the war.

Monsea

Next, we arrived at the 13th Century Monsea Church and again met John. He explained the differences between Irish-built churches and Norman-built ones. One example of this was how there were separate entrances for men and women, but there were also other clues such as the rounded (ie non-Gothic style) windows. He also showed us the viewing hole for lepers in one of the walls. A lot of people came back from the crusades with leprosy, and while they were still expected to attend mass, they were not allowed inside the church, so by using the hole in the wall they could still participate without infecting the congregation. John also talked us through many of the architectural features of the church, and several of the notable people buried in the church yard.

One thing which stuck with us all was a medieval poem which was inscribed on a memorial stone within the church.

Reader beware as you pass me by

As you are now, so once was I

As I am now, so you will be

Therefore, prepare to follow me

Knigh

After a few Kilometers of cycling, we next arrived at the 15th Century Knigh church, to be met by Danny Grace. As with Monsea, this church was built by the O'Kennedy family who were then the major landowners in the area. Inside the church is the grave of one Calib Minnit, the son of a local landowning family (pictured below). On the grave it states that he was 'barbrously murdered' in 1707, and goes on to name his alleged killers. This is highly unusual, and Danny explained that Calib had a chequered past, including being accused of rape. His murder came after he refused to marry his girlfriend, Ann Parker (who is named on the grave), after getting her pregnant. She gave him once last chance to do the decent thing, and when he continued to refuse, he was set upon by her father's farm hands. The theory is that the reason they were named on the grave is that none of them ever faced a court of law, so this was the family's way of getting revenge.

Also at Knigh, Danny showed us the tower across the road and told us of its legends. One of these is that a 'headless coach' travels down the road behind the tower. In the dead of nights, a great clatter as if of a horse and carriages is heard, but nothing is to be seen. As Danny pointed out, it all sounds harmless in broad daylight, but you might be wary of going down there alone in the dark! Another legend of the tower is that it will fall on the prettiest woman who walks past it.

Killodiernan

We next took to the back lanes through Prospect and Cloughprior to Killodiernan Church. This is a 12th Century building which includes a stone with 3 circles on it, said to represent the Holy Trinity. This is a very rarely seen design, and usually only appears on buildings from around the 6th century. Thus it is taken as evidence that there was a much older church there for several centuries before the current building.