School: Milverton (roll number 15569)

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1. Ancient Oratory of Saint Mobhí (continued)

   

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   Knocknagin.

   Knocknagin - the hill of the heads and the birthplace of St. Benignus successor of St. Patrick to the See of Armagh.

   About two miles north of Balbriggan is a townland which bears the name of Knocknagin, which means in Irish, "the hill of the heads". The townland takes its name from an ancient mound adjoining the new bridge over the river Delvin, which is the boundary between the counties of Meath and Dublin. In 1840 the mound was discovered by the late George Alexander Hamilton M.P. of Hampton Hall Balbriggan, who took a deep interest in local tradition. Mr Hamilton has given the following particulars concerning this historic land mark at Knocknagin. The mound when opened, he says, "was found to be of small round stones and shingle from the sea-shore. Underneath the surface the mound was encircled by a wall of huge stones. A rude platform of apparently beaten clay upon which was an immense heap of burnt human bones was discovered within the circle and also a chamber constructed of huge flags some of them more than six feet in height. Inside the chamber was a large rude stone basin which bore evident marks of fire and around were the remains of charcoal or burnt wood and a huge mass of semicalcined human bones. Scattered amongst the bones was a number of beads formed of polished stone of conical shape with a hole through each near the apex of the stone. It is stated that a fierce battle was

   

   Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.

   History Edit

   Language

   English

   Location

   Knocknagin, Co. Dublin

   Collector

   Kathleen Halpin

   Gender

   Female

   Address

   Margaretstown, Co. Dublin