School: Kilduff
- Location:
- Kilduff Upper, Co. Cavan
- Teacher: S. Ó Floinn
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0962, Page 027
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- XML “The Reilig”
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- The Reilig is an old graveyard in North West Cavan, less than a quarter of a mile from the village of Tobar. This, and another graveyard in Co Mayo, are believed to be as old as the time of St Patrick, and the oldest known burial grounds in Ireland.
The Reilig has resting beneath its sods the local victims of Irish struggles. During the '98 Rebellion a party of mounted yeomen known as the "Black Horse", came from Northern Ireland, and took up a position on Corrard Hill. On Carricknabunnan Hill, opposite them, was a party of pikemen. The pikemen having no means of defence except their pikes, were an easy prey to the machine guns of the Yoes. The pikemen were killed; numbers of the corpses were laid to rest in the Reilig, and the remainder were interred on the rock adjoining the Carraigeen lane, an old road which runs through the townland of Carricknabrennan.
When Dowra Creamery was built, some of the stones were brought to the building. On the following night, weird noises and loud crashes, were heard outside the houses of the men who were engaged in the bringing of the stones. Next day the stones were taken back to the place from whence they were brought.(continues on next page)
- Collector
- Kate Dolan
- Gender
- Female
- Informant
- Pat Owen Mc Loughlin
- Gender
- Male
- Age
- 76
- Address
- Unshinagh, Co. Cavan
