edmond.odonoghue@gmail.com – Page 3 – Castlemagner Historical Society

2000 Year Old Urn Discovery

Castlemagner has been inhabited by humans for at least the last 4000 years. An urn containing a full male skeleton dating back to 2000BC was dug up in a field between Banagh cross and Kippaugh cross in January 1975. It occured during the course of a land drainage project on the farm of Donal V. Lane. The burial was accidentally discovered during routine drainage work on Mr Lane’s farm, Coolnahane, Castlemagner.

The initial find was by Mr John Foley – Drainage Contractor Kanturk. The site of the grave lies adjacent to a double banked ringed fort now much over grown. This is one of the many ringed forts in the district. It seems clear that there is no connection between the grave and the fort, the position of both being a matter of chance. A few fragments of iron slag from the immediate vicinity of the fort puts it in the early Christian period (350-1200). During the war of 1916-21, digging was done within the fort to construct a safe place to store arms and fuel. In the process, the base of two kilns or furnaces were found. In general, the fort is in a good state of preservation and may well repay excavation.

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Lohort Castle, Cecilstown

The skyline of Castlemagner parish is dramatically punctuated by the towering Lohort castle. It has been entwined in conflict and history since it was first constructed in the 1500’s. There is a treasure of history to be uncovered here by the enthusiatic reader

Local tradition holds that a large castle similar to Liscarrol was raised in Lohort by Prince John in 1185. Due to lack of surviving documentary evidence, some historians are reluctant to accept the tradition and certainly no trace of an early castle remains on the site now. Prince John was descended from the Plantagenet dynasty.

The earliest structure on the site was an early Gaelic settlement known to local tradition as Seanloghort. Two of their large irregular-shaped raths adjacent to the present castle lawn, survived until recent times. There are traces of an early church site and burial ground with an associated holy well Tobar Tighe Lachtnan. Little is known of the early days of the Norman presence in Lohort; the Fitzgeralds of Mallow were lords of the lands until they were under Black Rent to the McDonagh McCarthys of Duhallow by the mid-15th century . Continue reading “Lohort Castle, Cecilstown”

A Story of Cures at Castlemagner Holy Well

Castlemagner holy well, also called St Brigit’s Well, like most Holy Wells in Ireland traces its origins back to pre-Christian druidic religion and ritual, when wells were known as sacred wells. They were used by the celtic druids for pagan rituals and ceremony. Celtic pagans believed water to be a source of life. It is therefore reasonable to assume that pagan worship at this well could stretch back four thousand years. Continue reading “A Story of Cures at Castlemagner Holy Well”

The Honey Scent

Denis O’Donoghue recounts the intriguing narrative of John Joe Hourigan’s descendant, John Jerh, who was saved from execution after the 1798 rebellion. You can forget about the Lynx effect when you have the Honey Scent !!!!

The fireside in the old Castle Bar was a cosy spot, the flickering light from the fireplace melding bar-room and customers in a warm hazy glow. For close on two hundred years it has served the intricate weave of community kinships and bloodlines, new alliances and old scores accumulated over five and six generations. Story-telling and the ancient art of ‘tracing’ are respected and it was here that my friend John Joe gave account of his paternal great-grandfather and the ‘Honey Scent‘.

The curious tale stayed in my mind for the rare light it turned on accidents that set so much of man’s mortal course. It was St Patrick’s Day 1961 and I was in my native parish for a spot of rest after a stint in the Congo with the 32nd Irish Battalion. The little village in the lush pastures of eastern Duhallow was cheery in the frosty sunlight as we spilled out from second Mass. Hustling through the familiar throng, I came up with John Joe. Greetings were not necessary, our joint mission was to ‘wet the shamrock’ in the Castle Bar.

John Joe was a lively stocky local farmer. He lived happily in a house full of womenfolk and faced the outside world with the open smiling face and heart of a child. Yet he was a tough customer a Fianna Eireann veteran of the Tan War. He was an all-round sportsman of ‘county’ standard until well into early middle age.

An intimate of my father and grandfather, John Joe and myself were especially bonded by a mutual passion for all aspects of sport and local history – bridges that readily spanned our yawning generation gap. In the crisp Spring air, John Joe was un-typically redolent of a spicy body perfume and headed-off my inevitable comment with the explanation that ’the girls’ had given him an expensive body spray for a birthday present and he was wearing it to humour them………….. Continue reading “The Honey Scent”

Bishop Berkeley – Lohort Castle Visitor

Bishop Berkeley spent considerable time at Lohort Castle and wrote many letters there. He was most definitely a genius and many of his theories are still discussed today. Berkeley University in California is named after him.

GEORGE BERKELEY was born in Thomastown Co. Kilkenny in 1685. He remains relevant to this day. Melvyn Bragg discusses Berkeley on his BBC Radio 4 program ‘In Our Time‘

His father was English born, a recorder for Belfast. George Berkeley was educated at the Protestant college in Kilkenny. In 1700 he went to Trinity College Dublin where he was retained as professor, lecturing n Philosophy, Greek, Hebrew, Divinity and Medicine. He was, by any standard, a genius and was casually known as the “Absentminded Professor”, often walking around in a dream, colliding with people and furniture. He was the first person to believe in two levels of reality – reality in the mind and reality in fact. In 1708 he met Sir John Perceval who introduced him to high society in England. From this time there are numerous references to Berkeley in the Egmont Papers. He always regarded himself as English and considered the native Irish foreigners.

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Castlemagner Man Eludes Oliver Cromwell

Cromwell – he was a mad, bad and dangerous to know…….but there was a Castlemagner man that took his chances with him and got away with it…….

According to the Historical & Topagraphical Notes by Grove White Volume 2, Richard Magner was the only person in Ireland, England or Scotland to outwit the Lord Protector. Continue reading “Castlemagner Man Eludes Oliver Cromwell”

Venerable Edel Quinn

Castlemagner born Edel Quinn, declared venerable by Pope John Paul II in 1994. There are many accounts of this wonderful woman. This is how we remember her in Castlemagner.

Edel Quinn was born in Grenane in the parish of Castlemagner Kanturk Co Cork in a house known locally as the Magpie House. She was born on 14 September 1907. Her father, Charles Quinn, a native of Tuam Co Galway, was manager of the National Bank in Kanturk.

Edel’s mother’s maiden name was Louise Burke Brown of Kilmihal, Co Clare. Her mother wanted her to be called Adele after one of her own sisters and the priest mistakenly took her name to be Edel at her baptism in Castlemagner. Continue reading “Venerable Edel Quinn”

Magner’s Tower

Another poem from the Denis O’Donoghue series. Recited by Angela Lyons and filmed in the environs of Magner’s Castle in Castlemagner.

To take the air one evening fair by Cathragh’s banks I strayed.
In spring cold stream the crystal gleam and golden sunlight played.
The plaintive call of waterfowl proclaimed my presence there
And Magner’s Tower in it’s ivy bower looked out with a timeless air. Continue reading “Magner’s Tower”

Teaching for 200 Years !

The recorded history of teaching and education in Castlemagner is over 200 years old…………..Watch and listen to Mrs Welsh, a former principal of Ballyhass National School, give a vivid account of how children have been taught in the parish of Castlemagner during that time. This video is taken from a NCCR recording in 1986………..

200 Years of Schooling

Education in Castlemagner dates back to 1812, it is recorded that a school in Cecilstown was opened on June 24, 1812. The walls were of made of stone and mortar, it had a thatch roof and was erected by Sir William Beecher who also paid the rent. The school had two desks and no seats, each desk accommodated twenty pupils. Continue reading “200 Years of Schooling”