School: St Egney's (C.), Buncrana
- Location:
- Buncrana, Co. Donegal
- Teacher: Ellen Daly
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 1112, Page 383
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On this page
- (continued from previous page)Priests hunted
four, because by that time he was dead.
The reason he told the soldiers about the priest was , because he wanted to get the money, for in those days people got five pounds if they got a priest's head cut off.
The man that told the soldiers about Father Hegarty his name is a secret, and he was married to this priest's sister - some say he was a Doherty, some say he was a Kelly.
Father Hegarty's body was buried in the surface soil on the crest of the cliff where he was martyred and to this day the spot is called Hegarty's Rock.
People walk round the shore from Buncrana to this sacred spot and pray at the mound that marks the Friar's grave. His case for Beatification is at present before the Holy See. A poem recounting this story is written on Page of this book.
Rev. W. Doherty, P.P., Buncrana gathered that:- 'In 1171, Father Hegarty - a Dominican from the suppressed Priory of Derry? was martyred. His murdered, Vaughan, brought his head to Dublin Castle, and got £5, for which he gave a Receipt. This receipt was found in the Rolls Office of the Four Courts and was photographed before the destruction in 1922.
A namesake of his - Rev James Hegarty, P. P. lived in Gortyarrigan, Desertegney, died on 30-6-1779 and is buried in Fahan old graveyard under St Mura's Cross.
