Ballindoon Priory, standing as it does on the edge of a sloping field running down towards Lough Arrow, creates a very impressive aspect upon approach. This Dominican Priory, known as St Mary’s was built in 1507 by a Thomas O’ Farrell under the patronage of the Mc Donagh family who had a castle nearby. The interior of the site is beautiful, with a rare triple vaulted archway on two levels in the centre of the church, these archways form part of the bell tower. The church consists of a nave and chancel with a transept added later. The outer south wall of the structure contains and unusual external staircase. The church and its lands were confiscated during Henry VIII’s Suppression of the Monasteries.
The church contains the graveyard of eminent locals, one grave marks the final resting place of Terence McDonagh, who was the only Catholic barrister in Ireland during the religious repression of the penal times. McDonagh defended the catholic families of the O’Connors and the O’Rourkes and helped them hold on to their hereditary possessions and lands. Mc Donagh died in 1717. The grave of the renowned Gaelic scribe Lame David Duigenan, who was the author of one of the surviving independent versions of the Battle of Moytura, he died in 1696 and his grave stands close to Mc Donaghs. On the day of my visit I neglected to search for a holy water font 70 metres to the north of the site named St Dominic’s Stone, whose water was purported as a cure for warts.
Recently I have been volunteering to transcribe copybooks from the Dúchas Schools Irish Folklore Collection on their online database, I transcribed the following two stories relating to Ballindoon Abbey. The first is by a child named Teasy Gallagher from Boyle who was told this story by her grandfather Pat Mac Hugh,
“One day when the monks were saying their prayers an English soldier named Frederick Hamilton tried to force his horse up to the steps to attack and kill everybody inside. They had a rusty gun that was not used for years. Although there was no charge put in it, the Abbot gave it to a monk and told him to fire. A shot went off. Hamilton was killed, his horse tumbled down, and tracks of his shoes are still to be seen in the steps of the stairway.”
The second is from a child named Thomas McDermott from Doon, who was told the next story from his grandmother Mrs Mary McDermott,
“When Ballindoon Abbey was going to be blown up by Cromwell’s men, one man from the district said he would do his best to defend it and took his gun. When he was going up to the Abbey his old mother gave him an advice. This was the advice, she gave him, “When the soldier comes aim at his feet”. When the soldier came he had a steel helmet on his head. When he came to the place from which he was going to fire from he lifted up the helmet to see the spot at which he would fire. The man on the Abbey aimed at his feet and shot him dead and the abbey was defended for that time.
GPS: 54.08283, -8.3233
Wow terrific photos and love the stories! Thanks for including me on your mailing list! B
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Thanks Bridgid 🙂
Reblogged this on Irish history, folklore and all that.
My grandad, granny, great grandad and great granny are buried in the Abbey. Thank you for the history. My great aunt was married to a McDonagh, so it’s lovely to know that the McDonagh’s have such a long history in the area and financed the build of the Abbey. The two stories were new to me too, so I really appreciate the research it took to reclaim those stories to add to it’s history. I still have lots of family in the area so Ballindoon, Castlebaldwin, Ballinafad, Lough Arrow, Rock House, Kilmactranny and St.Mary’s Priory all in the area, have a deep connection to my roots.
Thank you so much and glad it brought you closer to your family. Indeed McDonaghs have an illustrious history in the area and im happy for you that you still have a connection to the area. Do hope you get to visit the Abbey at some stage.
I grew up in Sligo and visited my grandad all the time. I’ve explored that Abbey man many times as a kid..
I moved to London aged 10 ut have been back to visit many times since. The heart always yearns for my true home.
Well hopefully someday you may be able to return for good. Its a lovely part of the country and more affordable than most places.
Aged 10 back in 1988 lol
My parents moved back a few years ago. My kids are almost 18 now, so the move back may be on the on the cards in the future. My dad grew up in Ballindoon House at one point which is the big house near the Abbey.
Well in the meantime you can plan all the places you’ll visit when you return!
Genuinely grateful for your research. People like you help create a link to the past, so keep up the great work. Thanks again.
Thank you so much, its a passion of mine and has brought alot to my life both physically, mentally, culturally and spiritually. Pays back threefold for sure.
Sorry I posted the main comment twice, so you can delete the other and this if you have the access to the administration of the comments as I can’t seem to delete the other.
No stress it’s all good:)
My grandad, granny, great grandad and great granny are buried in the Abbey. Thank you for the history. My great aunt was married to a McDonagh, so it’s lovely to know that the McDonagh’s have such a long history in the area and financed the build of the Abbey. The two stories were new to me too, so I really appreciate the research it took to reclaim those stories to add to it’s history. I still have lots of family in the area so Ballindoon, Castlebaldwin, Ballinafad, Lough Arrow, Rock House, Kilmactranny and St.Mary’s Priory all in the area, have a deep connection to my roots.