Devenish-Damhinis | The Isle of Oxen

Under St Molaise, this isle once held one of the greatest monastic scholars, the peer of Columba. The monks of Devenish were of a reform order known as Culdees (Céilí Dé), Companions of God. Lough Erne bursts with legend, with its own banshee and ghosts. Most prominent of the tales is that of the prophet, […]

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Boa Island, Co Fermanagh

Two of the most enigmatic pieces of Irish sculpture can be found in a small cemetery on Boa Island in Co Fermanagh. The larger sculpture is a two-sided ‘Janus’ figure, with depictions of a bearded figure on both sides. Both of the depictions show an oval-faced man with large almond-shaped bulging eyes, and a straight […]

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#OTD in Irish History | 18 June:

1264 – The Parliament of Ireland meets at Castledermot in Co Kildare, the first definitively known meeting of this Irish legislature. 1329 – The Bishop of Ossory is charged with fomenting feuds among the magnates; he flees to England and then, when summoned before the king, he flees to Rome. The king (Edward III, aged […]

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#OTD in Irish History | 2 June:

1567 – The Ulster chieftain, Shane O’Neill, takes refuge with the MacDonnells, and is murdered by them at Cushendun, Co Antrim. He is succeeded by Turlough Luineach O’Neill. 1705 – The town of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh is virtually destroyed by an accidental fire. One hundred and fourteen families and their servants suffer severe losses, and […]

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#OTD in 1868 – Michael Barrett from Kesh, Co Fermanagh is executed for his part in the explosion at Clerkenwell Gaol.

The last man to be publicly hanged in England, Irishman Michael Barrett was executed for his part in the 1867 bombing of Clerkenwell Prison, an attack carried out by The Fenians as they tried to help a prisoner escape. The bombing — which killed 12 bystanders, seriously injured dozens more and destroyed a row of […]

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White Island, Lower Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh

Situated in Castle Archdale Bay off the east shore of Lower Lough Erne; the ruins of an ancient church are found near the shore, built on the site of an earlier monastic settlement. It still has an intact arched Romanesque doorway. The ruined church on the island has a reconstructed plain Romanesque doorway. Secured to […]

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January God

In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, thence also of gates, doors, doorways, endings and time. He is usually a two-faced god since he looks to the future and the past. The Romans dedicated the month of January to Janus. His most apparent remnant in modern culture is […]

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#OTD in 1957 – Death of Seán Sabhat and Feargal O’Hanlon; killed during a raid led by Sean Garland against an RUC Barracks in Brookeborough, Co Fermanagh.

Seán is mostly widely known as Seán South from Garryowen. There have even been several songs written to his honour under this misconception. In reality South was from O’Connell Avenue in Limerick, but due to the poetic license of Seán Costello also a Limerickman, he’ll forever be linked with Garryowen. Seán Sabhat, also known as […]

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Medieval Ireland | Inishmurray Monastic Site

“Saved by its ocean walls from ordinary marauders in former times, and from the wanton tourist of today… Inishmurray has retained a larger number of examples of primitive Irish Art than perhaps any other early Christian settlement in Ireland.” ––William Wakeman, A Survey of the Antiquarian Remains on the Island of Inishmurray, 1893 The first […]

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Devenish-Damhinis | The Isle of Oxen

Under St Molaise, this isle once held one of the greatest monastic scholars, the peer of Columba. The monks of Devenish were of a reform order known as Culdees (Céilí Dé), Companions of God. Lough Erne bursts with legend, with its own banshee and ghosts. Most prominent of the tales is that of the prophet, […]

Read More