School: St John's Girls, Cill Choinnigh (roll number 11163)
- Location:
- Kilkenny, Co. Kilkenny
- Teacher: Bean Mhic Giolla Bríde
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0856, Page 225
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- St John's Girls, Cill Choinnigh
(roll number 11163)
(page 225)
An incident from Jerpoint Abbey In Jerpoint lies the remains of an Abbey formerly called Jerpoint Abbey, It was built in the twelfth century, It was a great place of holiness and learning up to the penal days. Those were terrible days, no priest, no Mass. The priests and Bishops were hunted like wolves and any priest who were caught saying Mass were shot or hanged. Priests who were saying Mass were taken from the altar before they had finished and hanged from a tree.
Once two young boys Tom and Michael Murphy, aged 16 and 17 years respectively, used to serve Mass in the local church. One night they took shelter in the Abbey for the purpose of gathering (h) mushrooms at day brake. At 12 o'clock mid-night they sawe a strange light where the altar stood. Immediately after, appeared a fully vested priest who stood on the altar, lit the candles, opened the Mass book and commenced Mass.
The boys (were) frightened, Michael whispered to Tom that was a priest who was murdered by Cromwellian soldiers while he was saying Mass.
(continued on page 226)(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Brigid Clooney
- Gender
- Female
- Address
- Maudlin Street, Co. Kilkenny
- Informant
- Mr William Clooney
- Relation
- Parent
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 70
- Address
- Maudlin Street, Co. Kilkenny
