IRL-CAVAN-L Archives

From: Peter & Nancy Pfaff <>
Subject: [IRL-CAVAN-L] 1836 - Church of Drumlane
Date: Sat, 09 Oct 1999 16:02:53 -0400

continued from the previous letter

Cavan
Sunday, May 22, 1836

Concerning the Church of Drumlane
De Ecclesia de Dorso Lato et nativitate Si. Maidoci

According to the tradition that now lingers in the Parish of Drumlane, St.
Mogue was the original founder of the round steeple and the Abbey, still it
would appear from the Life of that distinguished Bishop given by Colgan
that there had been an ecclesiastical establishment there before he (Mogue)
was born.

"There was a certain nobleman in the Country of the Connacians whose name
was Setna, and who was married to Eithnia of the seed of Aulaus (Amalgaid).
These having no heir entreated God to grant them a son, and for that end
they performed many acts of charity, paying frequent visits to the Saints
who resided in the Monastery of Druim Leathan. These Saints also interceded
with God to bless this couple with a son. Some time after, Setna slept with
his wife Ethne, and on that night he had a dream - he saw a star falling
down into the mouth of his wife, and his wife in a vision saw the moon
falling into her husband's mouth. When they awoke they related each in turn
what they had seen. And on that night St. Aedanus, who is commonly called
Moedoc, was conceived, and who for this reason is called by many the Son of
the Star." Acta SS. page 208, col. 1.

I had expected to find a moon and a star sculpted on Mogue's Belfry instead
of a Cock and a Hen.

What a pity that O'Brien had not this passage that he might prove it
remains of a pagan belief in the prolific influence of the moon.

Colgan in a note in which he gives the situataion of Duim Leathan has, I
think, committed a strange mistake. He writes-

"Druim Lethain was formerly for many years a celebrated Monastery, now it
is only a Parish Church in the Diocese of Kilmore and County of Cavan on
the confines of both Breffnys and a noble burial place of the chief men of
both countries. Here was a Monastary until the year 1025, at which the Four
Masters record the death of Dubensius O'Forchelluigh (O'Farrelly) Abbot of
Druimlahan."

Druim-Leathan, however, is not on the confines of both Breffnies, for the
Parish of Kildallan and a considerable portion of the Parish of Drumlane
lie between teh Monastery and Breifny O'Rourke, that is, if we are right in
making Breifny O'Reilly coextensive with the present County of Cavan.(from
footnote - Colgan is right. It appears from O'Dugan's Topographical Poem
that the Baronies of Tullyhaw and Tullyhonco belonged to O'Rourke.)

Let this however, remain for future consideration.

De-Castello do Tully-Mongan
A quo erectum nunc dubium-Gallow's Hill, nunc nuncupatus ejus situs.

In the Pedigree of County O'Reilly, scraped together by the Chevalier
Thomas O'Gorman, I find the following reference to Tully-Mongan-

"The Castle of Tully-Mongan was erected by Torlogh, the son of Shane the
Hospitable. The place was called Tulach-Mongain from Mongan, a Danish
Chief, who raised a great hill or moat (fort) there."

This passage seems to have been taken from a MS. account of the O'Reilly
family compiled from various sources by a Shanachie of the name Brady or
Mac Brady(from footnote - this is an error. It was originally compiled by
Beothius Roe Mac Egan, and -- Hacket, two of the Irish Friars of Lovaine.
J.O'D, Sept. 6 1836) about the commencement of the last century, but it
appears from the strain in which it is written that he penned down the
greater part of it from oral tradition as he seldom or never gives dates-
now I feel inclined to doubt that Tulach Mongain received that name from a
Dane, because I find that Mongan (which, si vocis etymon spectes, signifies
a hairy man) was very common among the ancient Irish as the proper name of
a man, and is yet preserved as a surname anglicised Mongan and incorrectly
Mangan, while I find no such name among the Danes who settled in any part
of Ireland.

It also admits of doubt that the Castle of Tulach Mongain was erected by
Torlogh, the son of Shane O'Reilly- it is true that he is the first
mentioned by the Four Masters as having died in the Castle of Tulach
Mongain, but they have another passage from which we must infer that it was
a seat of the Prince of Breifny before the time of Torlogh, the son of Shane.

"A.D. 1400. Shane, the son of Philip O'Reilly, Lord of Breifny, died of a
sudden fit in his bed at Tulach Mongain."

"A.D. 1487. O'Reilly (Torlogh the son of Shane who was the son of Owen)
died suddenly in his Castle of Tulach Mongain, and his son Shane was styled
O'Reilly as his successor."

Here it is to be observed that although Tulach Mongain is not called a
castle in the passage at the year 1400, it is nevertheless more than
probable that it was a castle, as being the residence of the head of the
family. It is certain that other branches of the family had castles at this
period, and it is not likely that the Prince of Briefny would entrust his
safety to a common house while he knew the art of building a castle in
which he could sleep fortified against the nocturnal attackes of Maguire,
Mac Mahon and the rivals of his own family. We must therefore infer that
Mac Brady or O'Gorman or whoever it was that has ascribed the erection of
the Castle of Tully-Mongan to Torlogh, the son of Shane, must have been
misinformed on the subject, or have drawn too hasty an inference from the
annals of 1487.


[more from this letter later...]

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• [IRL-CAVAN-L] 1836 - Church of Drumlane by Peter & Nancy Pfaff <>