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Home , Acts of Union 1800, Annagassan, Armagh, Armagh County Museum, Armagh Observatory, Bessbrook

1800AD borderlands a journey through changing times

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the historical sites of ’s eastern

4000BC This project is part financed by the European Union through the Ireland/ Interreg IIIA Programme 1800AD managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the East Border Region Interreg IIIA Partnership. welcome to a journey through the ever changing landscape of ireland’s eastern border region.

Recent changes in the region now 1600AD allow easy access to many wonderful sites spanning 6ooo years of history. Here you’ll find wonderful scenery, warm and welcoming people as well

as a wealth of archaeological history. 1200AD

Our region covers & , and in Northern Ireland and and in the . 500AD 1

As well as historical sites, you’ll also find plenty to do in our thriving towns, cities and villages.

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stone roche

Dromore

Finnis Richhill Gilford ARMAGH BANBRIDGE MULLAN LISNAGADE/LISNAVARAGH CENTRE CO. ARMAGH CROSS NEWRY CO. DANES CAST Middletown DANES CAST

TASSAGH DANES CAST NEWRY Raithfriland CANAL CANAL Castleshane MONAGHAN

NEWRY Three Mile House CANAL NEWRY Clones NEWRY & MOURNE WATCH MONAGHAN NARROW WATER

ANNAGHMARE Killeavy LISNADARRAGH THE DORSEY KILBRONEY

EDERGOLE Castleblaney WATCH TOWER GAP OF THE NORTH WATCH CARLINGFORD TOWER LOUGH PROLEEK GREENCASTLE Shantonagh CASTLE ROCHE Carlingford Jenkinstown MANNAN Iniskeen

LISANISK CUCHALAINN’S STONE Blackrock Louth

Tallanstown

Castlebellingham LOUTH

Ardee Togher SMARMORE

Collon

BEAULIEU

MELLIFONT

2 contents 3

introduction : t o n y r o b i n s o n p04

a n e a r l y d a w n - 4000b c p12

t h e b r o n z e a g e - 1500b c p22

t h e i r o n a g e - 500b c p32

e a r l y c h r i s t i a n i r e l a n d - 500a d p42

h i g h m e d i a e va l p e r i o d - 1200a d p56

t h e s t r u g g l e f o r i r e l a n d - 1600a d p72

m o d e r n i r e l a n d - 1800a d p86

m a p s a n d i n d e x p104 1800AD

1600AD introduction b y t o n y r o b i n s o n

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I’ve always been fascinated by the search for new places to visit and explore, so Borderlands was a real find, a treasure trove of ancient stories and mysterious sites.

4 500AD Borderlands! Its very name conjures up images of blood- 5 stained swords, clan skirmishes, heroes in hiding and all the other paraphernalia of Irish myth, doesn’t it?

So now let me recommend it to you. If you’re interested in history and archaeology, or just looking for new experiences in a stunning setting, this warm and welcoming region is a must.

Stand beside the stone pillar that supported the dying 500bc Cúchulainn; enter the ancient fortress of Emain , home to the knights; visit the grave of ‘the world’s tallest man’ at Kilbroney; Have I whetted your appetite?

Start by taking a look at this booklet. It guides you through time, from man’s first appearance on this island to the present day, and it gives you a taster of the fascinating history, archaeology, architecture, folklore and mythology of Ireland’s eastern border region covering Armagh, Banbridge, Louth, Monaghan and Newry & Mourne. 1500BC But be warned. Once you’ve seen what Borderlands has to offer, you’ll want to start planning your trip right away. So make sure you’ve cancelled the papers and arranged a cat- sitter, and treat yourself to a fancy suitcase, or if you’re feeling particularly adventurous, a brand new rucksack. Rest assured you’re going on a journey you’ll never forget!

Tony Robinson 4000BC

silent valley, introduction

o u r r e g i o n h a s a n i m m e n s e w e a l t h o f f u n , w a r m t h , c h a r a c t e r a n d h i s t o r y p l e a s e t a k e y o u r t i m e a n d e n j o y t h e j o u r n e y

That the borders of our mind are ever shifting, and that many minds can flow into one another, as it were, and create or reveal a single mind, a single energy.

from W. B. Yeats, Ideas of Good and Evil (1907)

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Borders What is a border? A border is a line that separates the land on either side. However, this is a crude and simplistic description. A border might not be visible. It may or may not be defended. It may be natural. It may be manmade. It may be imagined. It is not customs checkpoint the palace chapel necessarily a barrier. Most importantly, it is never constant! Borders change. And so it is with Ulster…

Natural Borders: the lie of the land Tá cúige Ulaidh síos is cúig mhíle croc ina lár is condae na Mídhe ina suídhe chomh chomthrom le clár ‘Ulster sits in the middle of five thousand hills but the county of Meath lies level as a board’ Ulster Proverb

The name Ulster, or Ulaidh, is a relatively recent addition in the long history of this island. However, before Ulster was Ulster, before it was Ulaidh, before it had any name, it was separated from the rest of the island. A natural barrier between the region we today call Ulster and the remaining provinces is formed by hill, mountain, lake, river and bog. From east to west this is created by the deep fjordic inlet of

Vikings at Carlingford Lough, the great heights of the Mournes and and the belt which stretches from Carlingford Lough in the East to Bay on the Atlantic coast. The drumlin belt is interspersed with a multitude of pretty lakes, including Upper and Lower , and patches of marshland and bogland. These hillocks have since prehistoric times been a barrier to communication and a cultural divide. These natural boundaries were often the basis for manmade boundaries, from to counties; the , for example, divides counties (Londonderry) and Antrim, whilst the forms the border between many counties in and .

Ancient Borders: From Ulaidh to Ulster For many centuries Ulster has certainly been an area of

ST. patrick’s interactive museum northern or north-eastern Ireland, and it has been the dwelling- place of a distinct community of one kind or another; but the variations in the accepted frontiers of that area have been enormous. Hugh Sherman, Ulster (1949)

8 Ulster (Ulaidh) is the most northerly of the five historic provinces. Ulster, as with the 9 provinces of Munster (Mumhain) and Leinster (Laighin), apparently results from the addition of a Norse Suffix to the Gaelic Province name. It contains the counties of Donegal, Derry (or Londonderry), Antrim, Down, Armagh, Monaghan, , and Tyrone. Although the name Ulster is now often used in place of Northern Ireland, three of its counties (Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan) are in the Republic of Ireland. herItage week smarmore castle The earliest reference to the ancient Ulaidh (also known as Ullagh, and Ulidia) comes from the mythical tale of the Táin Bó Cuailgne (Cattle Raid of Cooley) which provides an account of Ulster during the Iron Age. From this tale it is known that Ireland was divided into five kingdoms, the largest of which was Ulaidh, which contained all of the north of the island and extended as far south as the and as far west as the River Shannon. The provincial capital was at Emain Macha (believed to be , outside Armagh). Attacks from its provincial neighbour Míde (Meath, later incorporated into Leinster) in the 4th century Ad broke it up into smaller kingdoms: Tír Chonaill covering much of Donegal; Tír Eoghain covering most of modern Tyrone and Derry; Oriel which included Monaghan, Louth and Armagh; and Ulaidh which, although claiming the name of the province as a whole, in fact only incorporated the modern counties of Down and Antrim. After the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in the 12th century, Ulster’s eastern seaboard into the hands of the invaders. Hugh founded the Earldom of Ulster based around the modern counties of Antrim and Down. By the end of the 15th century, however, the Earldom had collapsed and Ulster became the only province completely out of Anglo-Norman control.

camlough Over the centuries the territorial limits of the kingdom of Ulaidh were fluid, and it was never clear just where Ulaidh ended and another province began. It was not until the Flight of the (1607) that Ulster’s borders and those of the nine counties were clearly defined by English officials. The ancient province of Meath vanished and Louth, despite its cultural affinities to Ulster, was placed in the expanded Leinster. The Red Hand, which has come to symbolise the province, is believed to originate from a mythical tale in which two rival chieftains were racing across a stretch of water. The first one to reach dry land would claim it as his own. On realising that his adversary would touch the shore first, one chieftain cut off his hand and threw it onto the shore thus claiming victory. The red hand represents the bloody severed limb.

Modern Borders: Partition It is decreed by the Government of Northern Ireland that on Sundays public-houses must remain closed. Across the border, the Free State Government permits alcoholic liquors to be sold between the hours of 1pm and 8pm. Along the border, Northern residents can, if they so desire, ‘step across’ and drink to their heart’s content. Newsletter, June 1929

10 11 The present border is between six of the nine counties of Ulster which comprise Northern Ireland and the 26 counties of the Republic. This partition (from the Latin partitio, meaning division) of Ireland took place in 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act (1920) which created Northern Ireland. The rest of Ireland, including three of the Ulster counties, became Saorstát Éireann under the terms of the Anglo boyne valley family fun Irish Treaty (1921). It divided the province of Ulster, creating a political border between Cavan, Donegal and Monaghan and the remainder of the province, with which they had strong cultural and historical ties. The Anglo-Irish Treaty contained a provision that would establish a Boundary Commission, which could adjust the border that was devised in 1920. It was assumed by both pro and anti-treaty parties in the south that the commission would grant areas with a nationalist majority – such as Co. Fermanagh, Co. Tyrone, south Co. Londonderry, south Co. Armagh and south Co. Down and the City of Derry – to the . This never came about.

How different would Northern Ireland and Ulster have been had the boundaries been changed? 1800AD an early dawn t h e f i r s t f a r m e r s a r r i v e in i r e l a n d e a r l y settlements , t o m b s a n d r i t u a l s i t e s

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proleek dolmen an early dawn

t h e f i r s t f a r m e r s a r r i v e in i r e l a n d e a r l y settlements , t o m b s a n d r i t u a l s i t e s

Our story begins more than 20,000 years ago. Ireland was in the grip of an Ice Age. The island was almost completely covered in solid ice sheets, like Greenland is today. Ireland was inhospitable and virtually uninhabitable; there were few plants, fewer animals and, as far as we know, no humans.

The Ice Age For reasons not yet fully understood our planet goes through warm and cold stages. The cold stages are known as Ice Ages. The last cold phase occurred around 30,000 14 15 years ago. The planet gradually got colder and Arctic ice spread southwards from the North Pole. By 20,000 years ago much of Ireland was covered by a thick ice sheet stretching south-west from . Only the tallest mountains could be seen above the ice, including the highest peaks of the Mourne Mountains. Then, around 12,000 years ago, temperatures began to rise and the great ice sheets that covered Ireland and much of north-western Europe began to melt and retreat north. Then, as the ice melted, the sea rose higher eventually severing Ireland from Britain and Britain from the European continent.

The First Colonists The first people arrived in Ireland around 7,000 BC. This was the start of the Middle Stone Age (or Mesolithic from the Greek meso meaning ‘middle’ and lithos meaning ‘stone’). It is likely that these pioneers crossed the narrow strait from modern-day Scotland in animal skin boats, landing on the north-east coast of Ireland. The island they found was wild and heavily wooded. Because of this they chose river banks (such as the Lower Bann), coastal areas and lakesides to camp. They were hunter-gatherers, which means they were entirely dependent on the food they could obtain from hunting, fishing and gathering wild nuts, berries and edible plants. Because these people relied on natural resources they almost certainly kept their numbers down to a level which could be sustained. During this period the population of Ireland was probably never more than a few thousand. They made very simple tools (arrowheads and scrapers), built temporary seasonal huts and left little trace on the landscape. These people might today be comparable to Amazonian natives living in the rainforests of Brazil or to Aboriginal Australians.

legananny dolmen The First Farmers A new wave of settlers began to arrive from about 4,000 b c . This marked the beginning of the New Stone Age (or from the Greek neo meaning ‘new’ and lithos meaning ‘stone’). These new settlers brought with them skills that were to change Ireland forever. So what were these amazing skills? They knew how to raise animals and grow crops – they were our first farmers. It is thought they brought cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, wheat and barley into Ireland for the first time. They also brought with them new technology – axes, spades, simple ploughs and querns to grind grain. What difference did all this make? Well while the hunter had to spend much of his waking day in the pursuit of his next meal, the farmer could relax after tending to his crops and animals happy in the knowledge that tomorrow’s dinner was taken care of.

This agricultural revolution had begun in the Middle East around 8,000 b c where people began to harvest wild grasses (similar to our modern cereals) and animals, such as the ox and pig. This way of life gradually spread westwards across Europe bringing with it major changes. Fields were needed for crops and animals which meant forests had to be cleared to make room. And because crops had to be tended and harvested communities were more likely to settle in one place, unlike hunter-gatherers who were always on the move to new food sources. So instead of living in flimsy temporary camps, people now built more permanent wooden houses with a in the centre. Some people believe that the population legananny grew because there was more food to go around and more people were needed to do farm work. Others think that hunter-gatherers were forced into adopting agriculture in response to growing populations. One of the most common artefacts from this period is the polished stone axe, which was 16 used for felling trees and chopping wood. Flint, which was used by Mesolithic man, is 17 not a good stone for making an axe because it is too brittle. However, at Mountain and at Brockley on , both in Co. Antrim, there was an abundance of porcellanite; this hard, dense rock was ideal for making axes and adzes, so much so that a quarry was set up around 3000 b c for the mass production of stone axes. Axeheads from Tievebulliagh have been found throughout Ireland and Britain indicating that a vast trading network existed at that time. And what’s more, these people were our first potters. Simple pots were handmade, using rings of clay and, after initial drying, were fired in bonfires or pits. Over time these pots became more elaborate and regional styles appeared.

Mega Tombs When it came to burying their dead these communities erected huge tombs or megaliths (from the Greek words megas meaning ‘mega’ and lithos meaning ‘stone’). As the name stone axe, polished porcellanite suggests, they were built with very large stones, some weighing tens of tonnes, and it is clear that significant skill was needed to erect them. So as well as being our pioneering farmers and potters, they were also our very first civil engineers! There are four main types of these tombs, each named after a particular feature: Court Tomb, Portal Tomb, Passage Tomb and, first appearing at the end of the Neolithic and continuing into the subsequent Bronze Age, the Wedge Tomb. The dead were cremated and their bones placed all together in chambers above the ground. Most of these tombs were then covered in a great mound of earth and stones called a ‘’, though these rarely survive the passage of time. There are more than 800 of the first three types of tomb distributed throughout Ireland, though most are found in the northern half of the island, occurring north of a line from to Drogheda. There are more than 500 wedge tombs in Ireland, mostly occurring in the western seaboard counties.

neolithic court tombs neolithic portal tombs neolithic passage tombs 01 02 Legananny Portal Dolmen Edergole Court Tomb Banbridge Monaghan

access Legananny Portal Tomb, or Dolmen, is located on Edergole or “Eadar Gabhal” – a place between ACCESS 18 the southern fringe of the mountain two forks (of a stream) is located south-west 19 Along a lane running in front of a The monument is on the roadside. farmhouse range and offers stunning views of the Mourne of Rockcorry on an elevated ridge, from which It can be accessed through the Mountains. many atop surrounding can fieldgate. facilities be viewed. Edergole Court Tomb, known locally The tomb is over 1.5m high and the capstone is FACILITIES Small lay-by near to the dolmen as the Giant’s Grave is partly incorporated into a over 3m in length. Around the winter solstice the Small parking spot opposite the how to get there roadside fence. Almost eight metres long, two morning illuminates the entire underside of burial ground entrance, which is 2 jambs are surmounted by a lintel to provide access minute walk from court tomb. Legananny Dolmen is situated off the capstone and tip of the backstone. It is still a the b7, 7 miles south of , to the gallery. In the past this was an important mystery as to exactly how stones of this size were HOW TO GET THERE signposted from Dromara and centre for the Neolithic community acting as both . put in place but it is assumed that they were pulled Edergole Court Tomb is situated a communal burial tomb and ritual site. The rituals r by men and perhaps oxen, using ropes, timber off the 188 three kilometres west notes performed are long since forgotten but the stones of Rockcorry on the Rockcorry to sleds and rollers. Cootehill road. Take a right turn The lane is off minor roads.T he remain to stand as a testament to Ireland’s earliest offr 188, 3km from Rockcorry onto minor roads are narrow and twisty. There are more than 170 portal tombs in Ireland. farmers. minor road. Continue for 2km, No problem with car or small bus. then take a sharp left. Edergole These occur largely in the north but are also found Court Tomb 0.5km on this road, Contact Details One of the largest stones bounding the road has in counties Clare, and . It is close to farm house and buildings. EHSNI Historic Monuments: been inscribed with a cross, an attempt perhaps believed that these developed from court tombs, NOTES t: 028 9054 3037 f: 028 9054 3111 to Christianise the monument at some time in the probably in the mid-Ulster area, and later spread Waterman House, 5-33 Hill St., more recent past. Edergole Court Tomb and the Belfast, , b t 1 2l a. southwards. They are also to be found across the Edergole Ancient Burial Ground e: [email protected] in and Cornwall, where a total of An ancient burial ground is located at the sharp are recorded monuments, listed Banbridge Tourist Information on the Record of Monuments Centre: around 50 examples are known. bend in the road just before the court tomb site. and Places. t: 028 4062 3322 It is well worth a visit, containing many unusual e: [email protected] See also Proleek Portal Tomb, Co. Louth (p.21) discoid headstones with folk art in the unique South Ulster style dating from 1724. Look out for the skull and cross-bones motifs on the back face of the stones. It is likely that the burial ground was at one time the site of a monastery or church going back to early Christian times. 03 04 Annaghmare Court Cairn Proleek Portal Tomb Newry & Mourne Louth

ACCESS Situated on a rocky outcrop west of Slieve Gullion, The magnificent Proleek Portal Tomb, situated access 20 Annaghmare court tomb is one of the finest in the grounds of Ballymascanlon Hotel on the 21 Direct access from a concrete surviving examples of its kind in Ireland. The legendary Cooley Peninsula, is one of the finest By foot, about 300-400m pathway from hotel car park but there of Annaghmare gets its name from the examples of its kind in Ireland. are firm surface paths all the facilities Gaelic Áth na Marbh meaning ‘the ford of the way. Note that paths cross the Portal tombs have two tall stones at the front dead’. The tomb is known locally as ‘the Black golf course, though they are Car park, bus park, wheelchair (portal stones) and a smaller stone at the back access Castle’ and is said to have been the site of many safety screened as appropriate supporting a large capstone. A portal tomb ghostly apparitions. When it was excavated in the facilities how to get there resembles a giant’s table and is sometimes called 1960s archaeologists found human bones, pottery, a ‘dolmen’, which comes from the Breton word Car park, bus park, wheelchair Site is accessed directly flints and, interestingly, bear teeth. from pathway. Approx. 8km tolmen meaning ‘stone table’. access, toilet and restaurant facilities in nearby hotel from Belleek and 5km from Court tombs get their name from a semi-circular Crossmaglen Proleek Portal Tomb is about 3m high and has a forecourt defined by several large stones which how to get there huge capstone weighing approximately 35 tons. notes leads into a series of burial chambers. Unusually, at Legend says that a wish will be granted to anyone The site is located approx. Annaghmare there is a small standing stone in the 300-400m from access point Access is public but the site who can throw a pebble on its capstone so that can only be approached by centre of the court. The court suggests that they from car park approx. 6km it stays there. The two front portal stones are 2m from Dundalk foot. were used as both tombs and ritual sites. These high. Known as the ‘Giant’s Load’, it is believed tombs were normally covered by (great Notes that it was carried to Ireland by a Scottish giant mounds of earth and stone). named Parrah Boug McShagean (who is said to be It is a bit of a walk through the pleasant grounds of Court tombs are the first type of megalithic buried nearby). the former demesne of monument to have been built in Ireland and date Ballymacscanlon House which There is also a Bronze Age wedge tomb nearby from around 4000-3000 b c . There are almost is now a golf course, the house (see p.29). 400 surviving court tombs in Ireland which are being a hotel. found almost exclusively in the northern third of Ireland – in Ulster and north Connacht. 1800AD

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proleek wedge tomb alchemy arrives bronze age sword

t h e b r o n z e a g e g i v e s r i s e t o p ow e r f u l , w e a l t h y e l i t e s a n d d a n g e r o u s w a r r i o r s

Around 2400 BC Ireland went through yet another profound change. A group of people known as ‘Beaker Folk’ arrived from Europe, bringing with them knowledge of mining and metalworking. Their arrival heralded a new era – the Bronze Age.

24 Artefacts 25 The discovery of metal-working was a seminal event in human development. This was the first time that a material could be beaten or moulded into a desired shape. Additionally, metal was much stronger than stone and could be put to much more effective uses. Copper was the first metal discovered and shaped by man. It is thought that copper was mined in the Middle East as far back as 10,000 years ago. The reason for this is that copper can occur naturally in the ground close to the surface and it is easily shaped. Early humans could simply find a chunk of it and shape it into a tool with a stone.

tools The first metal tools made in Ireland were of copper. Copper was relatively plentiful in Ireland. In fact the early part of the Bronze Age is sometimes known as the Copper Age. Copper is useful but it is a soft metal, however, by adding small amounts of tin to copper a more durable alloy was created – Bronze. Tin was imported from Cornwall and the Bronze Age began. Weapons such as swords, spears and shields were made from bronze. The great number and array of weapons suggest that these were violent times. Tools such as axes, knives, sickles and saws and hammers were also made out of bronze. This change did not take place overnight and it is likely that stone and metal tools were used side by side for hundreds of years. The Bronze Age also witnessed the first use of gold in Ireland and there are many examples of high quality jewellery such as crescent-shaped necklaces called lunulae (luna is the Latin for ‘moon’). By the end of the Bronze Age Ireland was producing goldwork which was unparalleled by her European neighbours.

Lisnadarragh Wedge Tomb In terms of man-hours, bronze was more costly to ‘produce’ than stone and required more specialist craftsmen. In addition, trees (hazel and oak) had to be felled, logged and converted into charcoal to burn at the mine face and tin had to be imported from across the Irish Sea. Unlike bronze, however, gold had no practical usage; it was purely ornamental. It would seem that bronze and gold objects were prestige items and their production may have coincided with the rise of the first ‘aristocracies’.

Monuments There was another significant change around this time. Previous to this, the dead had been placed all together above the ground in great stone tombs. Now individual burials took place in underground stone boxes (called cists) or in simple pits (called pit burials). No one is sure exactly why some individuals were buried in cists and others in pits. Perhaps the well-made cist graves were for higher status individuals. Sometimes pottery and other offerings were placed in the grave. Cist burial graves are particularly common in mid and east Ulster. Standing Stones and Stone Circles are among the most impressive monuments from the Bronze Age. Standing Stones appear to have a number of different functions – route and boundary markers, burial markers and memorials to important events. Stone Circles are believed to have been ritual sites. Although the stones have stood the test of time the ceremonies performed at these sites have long been forgotten. Why did they go to such great efforts to construct these sites? What rituals were performed? And why? We can only guess. As an agricultural community it is likely that the changing of the seasons and the solstice were marked as important occasions. Stone circles are almost exclusively found in two parts of Ireland – the south-west and mid-Ulster. Stone circles are built of an irregular number of upright stones. The circles 26 occurring in Ulster differ from those in the south-west; there are generally built of a 27 greater number of smaller stones (usually less than 50cm in height). The most common surviving monument from Bronze Age Ireland is the Fulacht Fia. Fulacht comes from an word for ‘pit’ and fia possibly meaning ‘deer’. They survive as small horseshoe-shaped mounds, made up of small pieces of burnt stone, and are located near water sources. It is believed that the stones were heated in a near- by fire and then rolled into a water-filled wooden . It has been suggested that these sites were used for cooking meat, as baths and even as micro breweries.

Life in Bronze Age Ireland So what do we know about life in Bronze Age Ireland? Well houses were similar to those of the Neolithic period – round or rectangular and made of wattle with a thatched roof. However, more substantial hill-top enclosures were also built in this period perhaps indicating a social structure and hierarchy. It is believed that there was a population explosion at this time. Consequently, more and more woodland had to be cleared to make way for farmland for grazing and growing crops. It might be imagined that these population pressures caused local tensions and that people became more concerned with territory. Additionally, an increase in status and wealth throughout this period might have resulted in jealousy, greed and rivalry? Is this the reason for the great number of weapons produced at this time? Does this explain the rise of ‘warrior culture’ in Ireland? Although monuments and artefacts can help us to understand a little about Bronze Age Ireland they cannot indicate what language the people spoke. This native language may have later influenced the language of the and perhaps survives today in the words and sounds of the .

standing stone, the mournes 05 06 Lisnadarragh Wedge Proleek Wedge Tomb Tomb Monaghan Louth

Access One of the best megalithic sites in the region, Proleek Wedge Tomb is situated on the grounds access 28 Lisnadarragh Wedge Tomb, looks like the ribcage of Ballymascanlon House, 80m from Proleek 29 Park along roadside and walk of a huge stone giant. A narrow, roofless gallery Dolmen (see p.12). It consists of a gallery enclosed By foot, about 300-400m 10m into the field from hotel car park but there survives and is made up of more than 20 large by eight large stones and a single roof stone is still are firm surface paths all the how to get there stones which average 1.8m in height. These stones in position in the east end of the gallery. way. Note that paths cross the Nearest town is , decrease in height from southwest to northeast. golf course, though they are 2km south There are more than 500 surviving wedge tombs safety screened as appropriate Wedge tombs are the most numerous megalithic in Ireland. Archaeologists often find Beaker facilities notes tomb type and are so called because they look pottery, as well as barbed and tanged arrowheads, The site is located south of like huge stone wedges – consisting of a roofed in these tombs which indicate that they were built Car park, bus park, wheelchair access, toilet and restaurant Shantonagh village. The road chamber which usually decreased in height and in the centuries around 2500 BC . This means that facilities in nearby hotel forks, keep left and left at width from front to back. They are found in huge they were the last type of megalithic tomb built in second crossroads. numbers in Co. Clare, Co. and Co. Kerry Ireland. After this time, smaller individual burials how to get there (where other megalithic tomb types are rare) with became common and the era of the great tomb The site is located approx. a scattering across Ulster. Although the building of passed. 300-400m from access point wedge tombs evolved in the Late Neolithic, they from car park and approx. 6km According to local legend the Scottish giant - from Dundalk mostly date from the Early Bronze Age. The cairns Parrah Boug McShagean – who built the Portal (great mounds of earth and stones) which covered notes Tomb (Dolmen) nearby is buried here. these tombs were round, oval or D-shaped. It is a bit of a walk through the pleasant grounds of the former demesne of Ballymacscanlon House which is now a golf course, the house being a hotel. 07 08 Navan Centre & Fort Cúchulainn’s Stone Armagh Louth

facilities Navan Fort is the most venerable prehistoric site Clochafarmore standing stone is an impressive ACCESS 30 in Ulster. It consists of a large circular enclosure monument standing at over 3m high and 1.3m 31 Group visits all year, tour located on the summit of a low but commanding wide. It is believed that standing stones may mark Access requires climbing a low guide on request, Iron Age stile, crossing a single-strand dwelling, restaurant, toilets, Drumlin. The enclosure measures 250m in locations where great events took place and this electric cattle fence and car park and coach park, diameter and is surrounded by a large bank and stone is traditionally associated with the greatest walking for 200m across a shopping, events, Living . Unusually, the ditch is built inside the bank, hero of Irish folklore – Cúchulainn. He is the fairly level grazing field. History Events. Restaurant which would suggest that it was a ritual site and not principal character of the epic Irish saga the Táin open during opening hours. facilities made for defensive purposes. Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley). In this Contact tale Cúchulainn defends Ulster from the forces Small parking area, Navan Fort has been identified as Emain Macha, of Queen Maeve of Connacht. According to how to get there 81 Road, Armagh the royal seat of the Kings of Ulster and the b t60 4l d. legend Cúchulainn, who was fatally wounded, tied province’s ancient capital in the Iron Age. Emain The site is immediately to t: 028 3752 1801 himself to this standing stone so that he could stay the south of the road from f: 028 3751 0180 Macha (meaning the ‘Twins of the Princess upright and face the opposing army. Even after his Dundalk to and e: [email protected] Macha’) is associated with Conchobar Mac death, Cúchulainn’s enemies would not approach Louth village (the r171). The www.visitarmagh.com Nessa and the Red Branch Knights and it was parking area is 1400m east of the stone for fear he was still alive. It was not until opening times here Cúchulainn – the great hero of Irish legend the crossroads in Knockbridge Morrigan (the Celtic of War and Death) village and about 5.5km – spent much of this youth before being killed Please contact centre appeared in the form of a raven and landed on south-west of Dundalk defending Ulster against the forces of Queen his shoulder that they were sure he was dead. A Maeve of Connacht. However, Navan Fort had site bronze statue of this scene by Oliver Sheppard humble beginnings; long before its prominence as Cloch an Fhir Mhóir/ stands in the General Post Office on O’Connell a royal site, a small Early Bronze Age farmstead Clochafarmore (stone of Street, . This monument is Bronze Age was located on the hilltop. The site was rebuilt the big man), Rathiddy, and pre-dates the Iron Age legend of Cúchulainn Knockbridge, several times over the following centuries. by many centuries and represents an attempt The excellent Navan Centre brings this important to interpret an existing, ancient landscape. The and ancient site to life. Haughey’s Fort and the name Clochafarmore comes from the Irish Cloch King’s Stables are also close by. an Fhir Mhóir meaning ‘Stone of the Big Man’. The field where it is located is locally called ‘The Field of Slaughter’. 1800AD

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u l s t e r is b o r n o f i r o n , w a r r i o r s a n d fortifications .

First came the hunters, followed then by the farmers. What happened next? Next came the warriors – tall, muscular, blue-eyed, fair-haired, war-like, pagans from mainland Europe. Who were these people? They were known as the Celts.

The words Celtae (Keltoi) and Galatae were used by classical writers to describe some of the peoples who lived outside the fringes of the Roman Empire. It is known that they were a warrior people, however, they were not necessarily united by race or . There was no ‘Celtic Empire’, in the same way as there was a Roman one. The Celts were farmers and warriors and their power was based on the use of a new metal 34 – iron. This was stronger and more durable than bronze. They brought to Ireland a 35 whole new world of culture, art, metallurgy, building practice and warfare. Until very recently, it was believed that the native people of Ireland were overwhelmed by Celts from central Europe and that the present population of Ireland descended from these invaders. Recently, however, DNA studies have highlighted that the Irish and Scots are more closely related to the people of north- western Spain (Galicia and Asturias). It would now seem that the Irish have always been in Ireland – that they descended from the Mesolithic hunter and the Neolithic farmer. It is now believed that small bands of wandering Celts came to Ireland and that their influence and effect far outweighed their numbers.

what we know about Iron Age Ireland Although Iron Age Ireland was not politically unified, it was a highly structured tribal society based on family and kinship. Genealogy was so important that people memorised the whole line of their descent. The island was divided into about 150 small kingdoms, or tuatha, which were held by an extended family, or fine (essentially a group of descendants of a common ancestor). These tuatha conducted cattle raids on neighbouring tribes in an effort to enhance their wealth and extend their territorial boundaries. A minor king ruled the tuath, who was subject to a more powerful king who ruled a group of tuatha, who was in turn subject to one of the provincial kings. There were five provinces (cúigí, literally ‘fifths’): Ulaidh, Connacht, Mumhan, Laighean and Midhe. These roughly correspond to Ulster, Connaught, Munster, Leinster and Meath, now incorporated into Leinster. These provincial kings were constantly at war with each other, vying for greater territory, power and wealth. The position of Ard-Rí na hÉireann () was also a cause for conflict and although the title was often claimed it was seldom attained; frequently described in the annals as rígh Érenn co fressabra, or Kings of Ireland with opposition.

faughart Iron Age society was organised as follows:

1. King: Head of most the powerful tuath 2. nobles: Head of a tuath; warriors with cattle and land 3. aos Dana: Learned people with special skills, such as (judges), Druids (priests), Filí (poets and historians), Bards and Craftmen (blacksmiths, goldsmith, etc.) valued and respected for their various skills. 4. farmers: worked the land for the nobles 5. slaves: captured in raids, born of slaves It was a pastoral economy and wealth was measured in cattle, which provided meat, spearhead (ulster) milk, butter and cheese. In fact, fines imposed by Brehons (judges) were paid in cattle. Indeed wars were fought over cattle, the most famous being the Táin Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) in which a war was waged between the provinces of Ulaidh and Connacht. It has been suggested that the massive earthen banks (known as The Black Pig’s Dyke), which occur in a discontinuous line from Bay to Dundalk Bay, were built to defend against cattle raids.

Iron Age Ireland was hard However, there was a complex system of laws – called the Laws – which were developed from customs passed on orally from generation to generation. These 36 were written down for the first time in the 7th century. The law recognised divorce 37 and equal rights between males and females and also showed concern for the environment. Restitution rather than punishment was prescribed for wrongdoing. navan fort visitor centre iron age ireland c.100AD

Early boundaries An early form of writing, called ogham – called after Ogmious, the Celtic god of writing, appears in the Late Iron Age. It consisted of notches cut along the edge of an upright stone (or piece of wood, none of which survives) and is read from bottom

Dál Riata to top. There are over 300 of these ogham stone inscriptions known, mostly located Cenél in the south-west of Ireland. They are also to be found in small numbers along the Conaill Cenél nEógain western seaboard of Britain. They were used to mark boundaries or graves and NORTHERN Dál nAraide UÍ NÉILL inscriptions are confined to a person’s name, often including a father’s or tribal name.

ULAID AIRGIALLA the day-to-day life of the people There were no towns; families lived in rural farmsteads – ringforts and crannóga

Uí Echach (island forts), wooden houses surrounded by a circular bank or wooden fence. They Uí Fiachrach Coba enjoyed story telling, poetry and music and played early forms of and chess. Muaide Uí Briúin Bréifne Warriors were greatly admired and fought with swords, spears and shields. A

Uí Briúin favourite form of fighting was hand-to-hand or single combat between tribal Aí SOUTHERN champions. Feasting was a favourite pastime of the rich. Fighting often erupted at UÍ NÉILL these lavish banquets and the best cut of meat was reserved for the greatest warrior. CONNACHT Brega The Celts were pagans and worshipped several gods and . They believed Uí Briúin Seola that mountains, woods, rivers, lakes and wells were sacred places. There were four great Celtic festivals: , Bealtaine, Lughnasa and . It is no coincidence Uí Maine that these festival days coincide with St. Brigid’s Day (February 1st), May Day (May Uí Fiachrach Uí Fialge Aidne 1st), Lammas Day (August 1st) and (November 1st). MUNSTER Loigis Uí Dúnlainge 09 10 Dane’s Cast Armagh/ The Dorsey Newry & Mourne/Banbridge Newry & Mourne

access Built around the time of Christ, the Dane’s Cast The Dorsey is an extensive earthwork which runs opening hours 38 is one of a series of Iron Age earthworks running through the South Armagh area and is part of a 39 No public access per se. from South Down to North Sligo. Known as the series of Iron Age earthworks, which run roughly A section of the ditch can be accessed directly from how to get there Dane’s Cast in counties Armagh and Down, the across south Ulster. It extends for 4km and the road Dorsey in Co. Armagh, the Black Pig’s Dyke in comprises banks, ditches and a wooden Take the b10 Scarva Road facilities from Banbridge to Scarva. Co. Monaghan and the Worm Ditch in Co. Cavan, (fence). Oak from this fence has been dated Turn left onto Fir Tree Lane. these monuments are discontinuous lines of bank to between 140-90 BC. It is possible that these Wheelchair accessible when Fir Tree Lane cuts through and ditch. It is likely that a wooden fence formed barriers were used to control movement of people viewing from the road the Dane’s Cast. part of the bank. They connect together with and cattle (the source of wealth at this time). how to get there notes natural obstacles – lakes, bogs, mountains – (e.g. Interestingly, the timber used to construct the The particular section looked Lough Muckno – the lake where the pig swims) The ditch is heavily overgrown Dorsey comes from the same period as the timber at was 2km North East of in places & is not clearly visible. to form a defence of sorts. They probably acted used in Emain Macha (Navan Fort, see p.30). It as territorial boundaries or as an obstacle to cattle Contact Details has been suggested that there may have been a notes thieves and stand as testament to the unstable link between the two sites. Ulaidh, at this time, e h s n i Historic Monuments: nature of Iron Age Ireland. The site is located on the main t: 028 9054 3037 may have been at its strongest and it is believed road from Newtownhamilton f: 028 9054 3111 The Dane’s Cast consists of a substantial bank of that the Dorsey functioned as a fortified frontier to Dundalk. Turn off for Waterman House, 5-33 Hill earth and stone. It commences in the townland of post to the kingdom, the capital of which was Cullyhanna over a stone St., Belfast, County Antrim, bridge. The ditch is on the far b t 1 2l a. Scarva (from the Irish scairbh, meaning a ‘rugged Emain Macha. Dorsey derives from the Irish side of the bridge e: [email protected] shallow ford’) and extends 2km until it gradually Na Doirse meaning ‘the gateways’ which might Banbridge Tourist disappears in the townland of Aghayalloge. suggest that rather than barring access to Ulaidh, Information Centre: it controlled access into the kingdom. t: 028 4062 3322 In the townland of Killyfaddy, Co. Armagh, the e: [email protected] Dane’s Cast is known locally as ‘The Hog’s Back’ and is said to be haunted by a ghostly pig. Folklore warns of ill-luck for those who interfere with these banks. 11 12 Faughart Lisnagade/Lisnavaragh Louth Banbridge

access The whole top of this hill was a hill fort in Iron Age Lisnagade Rath is one of the most extensive and Access 40 times. Later, Faughart is believed to have been best-preserved of its kind. Typically these 41 The site is 200m uphill on Site is reached by a right of way the birthplace of St. Brighid (453 a d) – the patron forts were used as dwelling places, and would the right. The site is an old across a field graveyard and, as such, is saint of Ireland’s blacksmiths, cattle and dairy have contained one or more houses. Lisnagade how to get there uneven, with buried grave workers. The site comprises a small mediaeval dates from around 350 a d , is a trivallate , markers and long grass in the church in ruins, St. Brigid’s bed, St. Brigid’s Pillar meaning it has three banks with two intervening Take the B10 Scarva Road from months. Banbridge to Scarva. Turn left (possibly the foundations of a round tower) and St. ditches, called fosses. The banks measure up onto Lisnagade Road. Lisnagade facilities Brigid’s Well (a place of pilgrimage for locals). to 6m in height and the outer ring is 110m in Fort is situated on the right along diameter. The size might indicate that a chieftain the road. To reach Lisnavaragh Car park, Interpretation Panel Because of its strategic position, Faughart has Fort head back in the direction of of wealth and power resided here. A number of the B10, turn left before reaching been the site of many important battles in Irish how to get there silver coins, a brass cauldron and spearheads have the B10 onto the Lisnavaragh history. In 732, the King of Ulaidh, Aedh Roin, was Road. Lisnavaragh Fort is Faughart Hill lies just to the been found at the site. situated on the left along the north of Dundalk, From the defeated by the Northern Uí Néill and his head Lisnavaragh Road. Dundalk North junction, was cut off on the ‘Stone of Decapitation’ (Cloch Townlands commonly get their name from ancient head north on a minor road. an Commaigh) which is located near the door of dwellings within them, such as the Irish dún Contact Details Once under the bridge, turn the old church. meaning ‘hill fort’, ráth and lios meaning ‘earthen e h s n i Historic Monuments: immediately right. After fort’ and caiseal meaning ‘stone fort’. Lisnagade t: 028 9054 3037 600m, take to road to the left. In 1318, (brother of , King of f: 028 9054 3111 derives from the Irish Lios na gCead meaning ‘fort Waterman House, 5-33 Hill St., Scotland) made a bid for the kingship of Ireland site of the hundred. This fort has a commanding view Belfast, County Antrim, b t 1 2l a. and suffered a major defeat at Faughart. He was e: [email protected] Hill of Faughart, Dundalk, of the surrounding landscapes, from which a great also decapitated and his headless body, it is said, is Banbridge Tourist Information County Louth. number of forts can be seen. It supposedly got its Centre: buried in the graveyard. His head was sent to the t: 028 4062 3322 name by being the chief, or centre, of a hundred English King Edward II in . e: [email protected] other forts. Nearby are traces of the Dane’s Cast Wonderful views to the Gap of the North (County (see p38). Armagh), over Dundalk and its bay, the Cooley There are 45,000 ringforts throughout Ireland. mountains and Slieve Gullion and the whole In Ulster they are densest in counties Antrim, north-eastern quarter of the Republic. Armagh and Down. 1800AD

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By 400 a d Ireland was an island of farmer warriors who worshipped several Celtic gods. In between tending to their farms, they spent their time raiding other farmsteads, stealing cattle and enjoyed drinking, singing and storytelling. But they were a-changin’.

finnis souterrain

44 Christian ideas 45 In 312 a d , the Emperor of , Constantine, converted to and it soon spread throughout the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire included much of Europe, North Africa and the Near East. It included and Wales, but not Scotland or Ireland. However, trading links existed with Ireland and Roman merchants were likely to have first brought Christianity to Ireland. There were also Irish settlements on the west coast of Britain and it is likely that they sent home Christian ideas. In 431 a d , Pope Celestine sent Bishop Palladius to visit the small Christian community in Ireland. The following year a man by the name of Patrick arrived in Ireland; his mission – to convert the island to Christianity.

Patrick Patrick was born in Roman Britain. He had been captured by Irish raiders as a boy and spent six years in the north of Ireland (Co. Antrim) as a slave tending pigs. He eventually escaped to Britain but dreamt that the called out to him asking to be converted to Christianity. He returned and travelled throughout the northern half of the island preaching, converting large numbers of people and establishing churches. Not everyone was converted but Christianity had a profound and long-lasting effect, bringing with it not just religion but also the knowledge and technology of the Roman World. Patrick set up under the rule of bishops and Armagh became the ecclesiastical centre of Ireland. Stone churches gradually replaced earlier wooden ones (none of which survive). However, monasteries soon became more important than the and the more influential than the bishop. In the late 5th and early 6th centuries a number of important monasteries had been established, including Monasterboice, Co. Louth.

brian borÚ westcross at monasterboice Ireland’s Golden Age Monasteries were surrounded by a circular boundary wall (a ), which acted as a frontier between the holy world within and the secular world outside. They contained a church, a graveyard, high crosses and monks’ cells; from the late 10th century round also became a feature. Within the walls of these monasteries, monks wrote down, and so preserved, the oral tales of Celtic Ireland, including the Táin Bó Cuailgne (The Cattle Raid of Cooley) which today survives as a record of life in Iron Age Ireland. Early monasteries were noted for the quality of their metalwork (Ardagh Chalice) and Irish monks were famous all over Europe for the quality of their illuminated manuscripts (Book of Kells). This became known as Ireland’s Golden Age. The monasteries were essentially proto-towns. They were self-sufficient and had churches, hospitals, schools and guesthouses. They were the major centres of religion, learning, trade, craftsmanship and political influence. As such they became the target of frequent raids by Irish attackers.

life outside the monasteries What about life outside the monasteries? Essentially life carried on as it had in the Iron Age. People continued to live on self-sufficient rural farmsteads – ringforts and crannóga. Souterrains (underground ) became a common feature at this time. They are associated with ringforts and are believed to have a dual purpose – to store food and as a place of refuge when a ringfort came under attack, perhaps during a 46 47 cattle raid.

crossmoyle round tower vikings at annagassan and The monks leave Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, and hence the ‘civilised’ Christian world, Irish monks left for Europe as missionaries to convert pagan peoples to Christianity. Viking Ireland They founded many important monasteries on the continent. St. Columbanus Dublin Vikings 917-1014 founded centres at Luxeuil, (590 a d) and Bobbio, Italy (612 a d) whilst St.

Viking Settlement Rathlin Fergal and St. Killian preached in .

Viking Encampment Aileach Lough Foyle Viking Raids/Battles 795-835 Vikings Derry However, from the end of 8th century Irish monasteries came under savage attack Viking Raids/Battles 836-902 ULAID from Scandinavian invaders. These people were known as the Vikings. They were Connor First Viking Raid 795 NORTHERN Lough boat-builders, sailors, farmers and warriors. They were also pagan. The Vikings UÍ NÉILL Modern County Borders Neagh Bangor initially arrived as hit-and-run raiders, plundering the monasteries of their wealth. Moville However, in the following centuries, they settled in Ireland and founded a number of Armagh Inishmurray Lough port towns, many of which survive: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork and . Devenish The Vikings founded Dublin in 841 a d and it flourished as a commercial centre. They AIRGIALLA built walls around the town and from here controlled the Irish seas. Over time the Carlingford Vikings became Christians. They made allies and enemies of local Irish Chieftains. Louth In 1014 a d , the Vikings of Dublin fought alongside the Leinstermen against the CONNACHT Annagassan armies of the Brian Ború, King of Munster, at the . The Vikings were SOUTHERN Baslick Monasterboice Slkane defeated, effectively ending the in Ireland. UÍ NÉILL Holmpatrick Inishbofin Lough Ree Clonard Durrow Clondalkin Dublin 13 14 Finnis Souterrain Crossmoyle Ecclesiastical Site Banbridge Monaghan

access Finnis souterrain dates from the 9th century The historic town of Clones developed around a Access 48 100m along an accessible pathway and comprises a stone built underground monastery founded by St. Tighernach in the 6th 49 containing three passages; the main passage is century. His remains are said to rest in the Shrine All sites are located in the facilities centre of the town of Clones Bus park for one bus 29m in length and two shorter passages run off it. of St. Tighernach, which is carved in the shape and are easily accessible how to get there It is known locally as ‘Binders Cove’. of a house from a single stone. There are several facilities Take the a50 Banbridge to Castlewellan interesting archaeological sites in the town which A souterrain is a manmade underground passage Road. Turn left at crossroads at bear testament to its ecclesiastical past. Good parking and . Continue along the dating mainly from the early mediaeval period Road before turning right restaurants/coffee shops in on to the Slievenaboley Road. Take first (410 – 1000 a d). The word souterrain comes A situated on the diamond (centre of the town left off Slievenaboley Road onto the from the French words sou (under) and terrain town), belongs to the Ulster group of scripture Carrigagh Road. Souterrain is on the how to get there right along the Carrigagh Road. (ground). crosses, and dates from the 9th or 10th century. Clones is on the main n54. opening times The panels on the front and back illustrate scenes These tunnels would have been used as a place of The souterrain is open to the public all from the Scriptures and the New Testament. notes year round. Admission free refuge in times of trouble or for keeping food and notes especially milk products. In more recent times it is Clones round tower is situated in the graveyard These sites are part of a wider Heritage Trail of Clones. Ask The souterrain tends to flood during the known that souterrains were used as hiding places and was built in the 10th century. The tower was winter months and may be closed. The at the Canal Stores for more passageway is lit by solar powered lights for outlaws and also for other illegal activities such originally much higher but the conical cap and top information. contact details as the making of illicit whiskey – poteen. storey collapsed some time between 1591 and 1739. e h s n i Historic Monuments: t: 028 9054 3037 f: 028 9054 3111 There are over 3,500 known sites in Ireland and St. Peter and Paul’s Abbey, known locally as the Waterman House, 5-33 Hill St., Belfast, these are located in four main groupings; in Co. ‘wee Abbey’, is located nearby and dates from the County Antrim, b t 1 2l a. e: [email protected] Antrim, Co. Louth, central Connacht and south- 12th century. The church is Romanesque in style Banbridge Tourist Information Centre: t: 028 4062 3322 west Munster. They are more sparsely distributed and is evidence of the Roman church in Clones. e: [email protected] in Monaghan, parts of south Armagh and south The Protestant led to the suppression Down. of the monasteries in the 16th century and the monastic settlement at Clones was destroyed. 15 16 Round Tower Killeavy Churches Monaghan Newry & Mourne

access Inniskeen (from the Irish Inis Caoin meaning Situated on the eastern slopes of Slieve Gullion, access 50 ‘pleasant island’) is situated in the heart of Killeavy is the site of an early convent founded 51 By footpath and gateway ‘ Country’. St. Daig Mac Carell, who in the 6th century by St. Moninna (also known as Can be driven to, you can park alongside it facilities studied under St. Ciarán at Clonmacnoise, Darerca, or Blinne). Killeavy derives from the Irish Opening times Wheelchair accessible, founded a monastery here in the 6th century. St. Cill Shléibhe meaning ‘church of the mountain’. Colmcille is said to have blessed the monastery Moninna’s father was Machta, who ruled over Open all year how to get there at the inauguration. The site was burned in 789 a territory stretching from Louth to Armagh. facilities Turn left at junction in the a d , plundered in 948 a d and burned again in 1166 According to tradition Moninna was baptised and centre of Inniskeen. The a d . The round tower was built in the 10th century, confirmed byS t. Patrick. A large stone to the north A range of amenities available Round Tower is on the right perhaps as a result of the attacks. It stands at of the graveyard is said to mark her burial place. in Village notes 12.6m and its door is 4m above the ground. The how to get there The Vikings raided the site between 795 a d and site is close to the and it is thought that The site is easily accessible 830 a d and again in 923 a d . A souterrain was The site is on the roadside. the monks of the monastery had a mill there. and the gates are unlocked. discovered in the graveyard, perhaps built as a Meigh village is 2km south of The nearby the site, Camlough village is Centre is also worth a visit Inniskeen Motte is located nearby and comprises refuge from the Vikings. Nonetheless, the convent 6.7km north of the site a large circular flat-topped motte, now covered in continued in operation for 1,000 years until it trees, with traces of a . It once belonged to a was dissolved in 1542. Though appearing to be notes series of fortifications built to halt the advance of one very long church, there are two churches The roads are narrow in the Normans into Ulster in the 13th century. built back to back. The West Church dates from this area but there is ample the 11th century and the East Church from 15th parking for cars and buses century. There is a large cross-inscribed stone leaning against the outer wall of the west church; this is an early grave-marker. 17 18 Kilbroney Graveyard & Monasterboice Crosses Newry & Mourne Louth

Access Kilbroney is picturesquely situated at the southern Monasterboice is one Ireland’s earliest and Opening Times 52 entrance to the Mourne Mountains. It derives from best known religious sites. The monastery was 53 Park on the roadside and walk the Irish Cill Brónach meaning the ‘Brónach’s church’. founded by the little-known St. Buite (who died Open all year through the gate Brónach was a 6th century disciple of St. Patrick. in 521 a d). Monasterboice derives from the Irish access opening times Mainistir Bhuithe meaning ‘Buite’s Monastery’. It The graveyard contains the remains of the 12th Sited across a minor road was an important centre of learning and remained Open all year century church of St Brónach. There are two from the carpark. Level but in existence until 1122 a d . The site comprises gravel-covered paths around facilities granite crosses in the old graveyard. Kilbroney two churches and a round tower. The tower was the well-kept site. Cross, the larger of the two, stands at 2.5m and A range of amenities available burned in 1097 a d , destroying the monastic library is noted for its diamond-shaped (or lozenge) facilities in Rostrevor Village and other treasures; however, it is in excellent symbols. These symbols occur frequently in Early Car park, bus park, wheelchair how to get there condition. The Vikings occupied the site for a Christian Ireland on carved stones, metalwork and access, toilet facilities, Guided period until they were routed by Domhnall, King tours on request. On main road 1 mile from manuscript pages. It has been suggested that this of , in 968 a d . Rostrevor cross represents a link between earlier wooden how to get there notes prototypes and the development of the high cross. The site also contains two of the finest High Just west of and clearly visible Crosses in Ireland – the Cross of Muiredach and from the m1 motorway, just The site is northeast of In 1855, St. Brónach’s Bell was discovered by the Tall Cross (or West Cross) – which date from north of Drogheda. 5km Rostrevor on the b25 and is chance, hidden in a fallen oak tree near the Old signposted. the 9th century. The crosses are finely carved from Tullyallen, 8km from Chapel. It is now St. Mary’s , Drogheda. and depict biblical scenes of both the Old and Rostrevor. New Testaments. The, appropriately named, Tall Kilbroney also contains the grave of Patrick ‘the Cross is the tallest high cross in Ireland, standing Irish Giant’ who was the tallest man on at around 7m. earth at the time of his death (1862) standing at 8 feet 1 inch. 19 20 Saint Patricks Cathedral Tynan Cross () Armagh City Armagh

opening hours established his first stone church, Tynan Cross stands by the roadside, opposite the opening hours 54 on the site where the cathedral stands today, in churchyard wall in the pretty village of Tynan. 55 April-Oct: 10am-5pm, All Year Round 445 a d and decreed that Armagh should have It dates to the 8th or 9th century and is highly Nov-Mar: 10am-4pm Please call in advance pre-eminence over all Irish churches. Armagh, like ornamented. Like many crosses of its kind in facilities Navan Fort (Emain Macha) takes its name from Ulster, it consists of a number of fragments of facilities Local amenities in Tynan the Celtic Goddess Macha – Ard Mhacha means different crosses mounted on top of one another. Village Education facilities, Car Park, ‘Macha’s Height’. According to tradition Cromwell’s soldiers Toilets, Cathedral Shop, vandalised the earlier crosses. how to get there Guided Tours The present cathedral was first built in the 13th Signposted from main contact century and has been rebuilt several times, most Just a few miles away the Palace Stables Heritage Monaghan - Armagh Road recently between 1834 and 1840. Around the Centre is situated in the grounds of Palace and Caledon-Armagh Road The Very Rev. Patrick Rooke, cathedral was built one of the most famous of the Demesne next to the stunning Primate’s Palace, Cathedral Close, Armagh, b t61 7e e . great Irish Monastic Schools to which students the home of the Archbishops of the Church of t: 028 3752 3142 came from all over Europe. Ireland from 1770 until the 1970s. The centre is f: 028 3752 4177 a restored Georgian stable block and presents Brian Bórú, the last Ard Rí or High King of Ireland e: admin@ life in the year 1786. Living History costumed armaghpubliclibrary.co.uk (arguably the only one who actually controlled the interpreters recreate both the grandeur and the www.stpatricks-cathedral.org entire country) is buried here. He was murdered squalor of life in the Georgian Period. Guided after the Battle of Clontarf on Good Friday, 1014 a d . notes tours take in some of the estate’s most historic Essential that groups book in The cathedral contains a number of Iron Age buildings such as: the Georgian Kitchen & Walled advance stone carvings, including the Tandragee Idol. It Garden; the Primate’s Chapel; the Ice House; the has become associated with the legend one of Servant’s Tunnel and the Archbishop’s Palace. Ireland’s greatest legendary kings, Nuadha, who There are also several signed walks to choose from lost his throne after losing his arm in battle. He had within 90-acres of the original Demesne. a replacement arm made of silver and the statuette is said to be a representation of Nuadha holding his new arm. 1800AD

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t h e l a t e m e d i a e va l p e r i o d h e r a l d s k n i g h t s , n o r m a n s & cistercians

The Vikings were finally defeated in 1014 a d at the Battle of Clontarf, near Dublin. This essentially ended Viking power in Ireland. For the next 150 years, Irish kings fought for the title of High King. Rory O’Connor, King of Connacht, became High King of Ireland in 1166 a d .

dromore motte High King Vs Norman King The High King, Rory O’Connor, banished one Diarmaid MacMurrough, King of Leinster, from his own kingdom. This one act was to change the course of Irish history. MacMurrough looked for help from Henry II, the Norman king of England. Henry 58 granted military assistance and MacMurrough recruited Strongbow (Richard de Clare), 59 one of the great Norman leaders in Wales and a number of Norman and Flemish knights. A small force landed in Wexford in 1169, followed a year later by Strongbow. The Irish were no match for the military might of Anglo-Norman invaders. They wore chain mail and iron helmets, had long shields and used longbows to great effect. Soon carlingford castle roche much of Leinster was in their hands. This marks the beginning of the High Mediaeval Period in Ireland.

Who were these Anglo-Normans? The Normans were the descendents of Danish Vikings who began to occupy an area in the north of France, now known as Normandy, in the latter half of the 9th century. By the 11th century they had adopted Christianity and the French language and created a new cultural identity different from that of their Viking ancestors and French neighbours. In 1066 a d , Duke William II of Normandy, the most famous Norman leader, conquered England. The invading Normans and their descendants replaced the Anglo-Saxons as the ruling class of England. After an initial period of tension and conflict, the two populations largely merged, combining languages and traditions and the Normans began to identify themselves as Anglo-Norman. In 1171 Henry II arrived with a large force and many of the Irish kings and indeed the Anglo-Norman knights were forced to submit to him. Rory O’Connor died in Cong, Co. Mayo in 1198, the last High King of Ireland.

Feudalism Following the collapse of the Roman Empire, law and order broke down in Europe. Feeling vulnerable, people began to look to the nearest powerful nobleman (or lord) for protection. In return for a plot of land and protection a man, called a vassal, vowed to fight for his lord. This system of organisation became known as the feudal system

ireland c.1580 and rapidly spread throughout Europe. The Anglo-Normans brought this system to Ireland. It was very different to the system in Ireland based on loyalty to an extended family. There were also differences in terms of economy. The economy of early Christian Ireland was based on cattle and precious artefacts. The Anglo-Norman economy was based on the cultivation of arable land, land that could be conquered and occupied.

Anglo-Norman Castles What impact did the Anglo-Normans have? During the initial phase of the invasion, the Anglo-Normans built a type of temporary castle called a Motte and Bailey; the name comes from Norman French words for ‘mound’ and ‘enclosed land’. A motte is a flat-topped earthen mound, often surrounded by a ditch. Sometimes, a natural hill was shaped into a useable mound or an existing hill-fort was converted. A timber tower was then constructed on top of the mound. Some mottes had an attached lower enclosure, the bailey. These fortifications are mostly found in the eastern half of Ireland and were built at strategic locations to strengthen the position of the invaders. Several mottes were constructed in a line across north Leinster as protection from the unconquered Ulster. Once they had strengthened their military position they began to erect great stone castles at strategic settlement centres, such as the stronghold of , once the centre of Anglo-Norman power in Ulster. These castles became more sophisticated over time. The towerhouses constructed from the 15th century became popular in both Gaelic and Anglo Norman areas. The areas settled by the Anglo-Normans stretched around the coastline of counties Antrim and Down to Louth and most of the east and the south of the country. They made little headway into Ulster or the West. , the residence of the king’s representative (The Lord Deputy), became the headquarters of the crown in Ireland.

60 Changing Ireland 61 Although the Anglo-Normans never succeeded in capturing all of Ireland from the native chieftains, they brought many changes to Ireland. They built stone castles, gained control of most of the fertile land, founded monasteries and established markets. However, their greatest contribution was the establishment of towns and villages and the road networks which linked these. Some of these settlements were built on the coast or at river crossings in order to control trade, such as at , Carrickfergus, Dundalk and Drogheda. Others were situated at the site of old monasteries, such as at Kells. Most Anglo-Norman towns were founded in the south and east of Ireland. What happened to the Anglo-Normans? The late 13th and 14th centuries in England were marked by economic downturn and frequent wars. This shifted the balance in favour of the Irish and provided the context for a Gaelic resurgence. In 1315, Edward Bruce (brother of Robert, King of Scotland) led a into Ulster; Domhnall Uí Néill, king of Tír Eoghain, had invited him. Edward was crowned King of Ireland

norman enactment in Dundalk but was defeated and killed by crown forces at the Battle of Faughart, near Dundalk, in 1318. However, the Bruce invasion disrupted Anglo-Norman rule in Ireland. Then in 1349, the Black Death dealt another blow. It is estimated to have wiped out between a third and half of the Anglo-Norman population (perhaps as many as 400,000 people) who were crowded in the filthy fortified towns. It had less effect on the rural population – the native Irish. Over time the Anglo-Norman lords formed alliances with Irish chieftains against common enemies. They inter-married with the native Irish, adopted their language, customs and Brehon Law thus becoming ‘more Irish than the Irish themselves’. Eventually, this assimilation or ‘’ would be legislated against (Statutes of , 1366). By the end of the 15th century, as the result of Irish pressure and the ‘Gaelicisation’ of the leading Anglo-Norman families, the area under the control of the crown had shrunk to an enclave around Dublin known as ‘’. castle greencastle 21 22 Dromore Motte and Clones Motte and Bailey Bailey Banbridge Monaghan

access The town of Dromore derives its name from the Clones, or Cluain Eois, the meadow of Eois, access 62 Irish Droim Mhór meaning ‘Big Ridge’ or ‘Big is one of the oldest continuous settlements 63 Through a gateway from Mound’. The name refers to the Anglo-Norman in . It developed around a The fort is situated at the top Mount St. of a laneway off Cara Street motte and bailey just north of the town, the finest monastery founded by St. Tighearnach in the how to get there of its kind in Ulster. It was built by , 6th century, and the town boasts a rich historic facilities Via Mount Street from the who invaded Ulster in 1177 a d , and was part of a fabric which illustrates the towns’ evolution. Viewing Platform at base. Market Square, Dromore. chain of defences, which included Carrickfergus The site is situated in the Clones Motte and Bailey was constructed in 1212 The Motte and Bailey is Castle, Co. Antrim and , Co. town centre so there are good situated on the right. a d . The site comprises a conical mound with a facilities nearby Down. It consists of a central mound, which rises series of terraces and is surrounded by a ditch Contact Details to 12m in height, and a roughly square bailey. how to get there as the base. These mounds were used because e h s n i Historic Monuments: It is thought that an archery tower was built on top they afforded security from enemies, or wild Clones is on the main n54 t: 028 9054 3037 Cavan/Monaghan road. Park f: 028 9054 3111 of the mound to provide clear views of the town animals, and also because lowlands were subject in the town centre and walk Waterman House, 5-33 Hill and the Upper . The lower courtyard to flooding. It is likely that a wooden tower once down Cara street. The fort is St., Belfast, County Antrim, was protected by a wooden fence, or palisade. stood on top of the mound. At ground level, below up a laneway to the right b t 1 2l a. Dromore remained under Anglo-Norman control the motte, was an enclosed space, called a bailey. e: [email protected] notes until it was captured and destroyed by Edward The bailey is sub-rectangular and is surrounded Banbridge Tourist There is an interesting Bruce in 1315 a d . by an earthen bank. There is evidence that it was Information Centre: town trail in Clones which t: 028 4062 3322 linked to the motte by a causeway. It is believed that the town of Dromore developed incorporates other historical e: [email protected] sites. Ask at the Canal Stores around a monastery founded by St. Coleman in The Normans built the Motte & Bailey fort here for further details 512 a d . Dromore High Cross is one of the few with the intention of establishing a garrison both remains of the monastery. The granite 9th or 10th in Clones and at the far end of the Erne at Belleek century cross was reconstructed and re-erected on in order to curtail the activities of the Ulster clans. the Cathedral grounds in 1887. However, the structure was attacked by the Irish chieftains after only one year and burned down. There are a number of other interesting archaeological sites in the town (see p49). 23 24 Greencastle Castle Roche Newry & Mourne Louth

access Greencastle Castle was built at the mouth of Castle Roche is one of the most striking Anglo- access 64 Carlingford Lough in the mid-13th century Norman castles in Ireland and can be viewed 65 200m walk along a dedicated by Hugh de Lacy, the 1st of Ulster. for miles around. Located on a rocky hilltop, it You can walk to it through pathway then up some steps farm gates etc (please keep The location of the castle adds much to its commands wonderful views of the surrounding closed). Land is rough and how to get there appeal offering stunning views of the lough, countryside. Lady Rohesia de Verdun built the rocky and very steep to the 4 miles southwest of Kilkeel the surrounding landscape and the towering castle in 1236 a d . Legend has it that Lady Rohesia west. mountains beyond. Together with King John’s promised her hand in marriage to the architect if notes facilities Castle on the opposite shore, it controlled the he completed the castle to her satisfaction. When The site is 1 mile from narrow entrance to the lough. he went to claim her hand, she had him thrown Interpretation panel holiday village from one of the windows, which to this day is how to get there which has ample facilities The castle consisted of a rectangular two-story known as the ‘murder window’. open in the summer months. tower and a strong curtain wall with corner towers. Site is signposted locally, 7km northwest of Dundalk, The castle was stormed by the Irish in 1260 a d The site of the castle marked the boundary Dungooley Road out of and 1375 a d and sacked by Edward Bruce in 1316 between the Gaelic province of Ulster and the . a d . It was altered and improved in the 15th and Anglo-Norman ‘Pale’ and overlooked an ancient notes 16th centuries. In 1552 a d , the castle was granted route into what is now south Armagh. to Nicholas Bagenall (whose daughter, Mabel, Please take care parking in The castle itself comprised a great hall, which may would later marry Hugh O’Neill, ). the narrow laneway and do have been up to three storeys high. Access was not block gateways. Please Greencastle was bombarded and destroyed by gained through a with two towers. keep all gates closed site is on Parliamentary forces in 1652 a d . private farmland. A ditch encloses this side of the castle and there may have been a drawbridge in front of the gatehouse. A meeting of all the English forces in Ireland took place here in 1561 a d . 25 26 Carlingford The Franciscan Friary Louth Armagh

access Carlingford, or King John’s, Castle is located on The Franciscan Friary was founded by Archbishop opening hours 66 the southern shores of Carlingford Lough. The Patrick Ó Scannail in 1263-64. The ruins of the 67 King John’s Castle can be lough was named by the Vikings and means ‘bay friary are located at the gates of the former palace All Year Round accessed up fairly steep steps from the quayside or, climbing of the hag’. Built by Hugh de Lacy, this dramatic of the Protestant Archbishops of Armagh. facilities an old stone stile from Newry fortress offers stunning views across the lough Following the of the friary in 1542, the Palace Demesne; Restaurant, Street. towards the Mourne Mountains. Legend has it that doors and windows were blocked up and soldiers Toilets, Shop, Gardens, King John stayed here for three days in 1210 a d . Walks, Heritage Centre facilities took over from the friars. Shane O’Neill burned Car park, bus park, The original castle consisted of an enclosed the buildings in 1561, Hugh O’Neill repeated the how to get there restaurants and toilets courtyard with two rectangular towers at the act in 1593 and the friary was in ruins by 1600. In Palace Demesne, Armagh all located in the town, 1765, stone from the friary walls was removed for City (Beside Armagh City Interpretation Panel entrance and two-storey buildings within. The eastern half of the castle was added in 1261 a d and building material. Hotel) site included a number of rooms and probably a great notes A number of notable persons are buried in the hall. There were a number of alterations made to King Johns Castle, friary church, including Gormlaith O’Donnell, wife Entrance to 90 acre site with The Tholsel Ruins, Mint Friary the castle over the centuries. of Domhnail O’Neill, buried here in 1353. several other attractions notes Carlingford Castle appears to have remained in Visitors can see the surviving walls of the long Tourist Information Centre in English hands during the post-mediaeval period. nave-and-chancel church, 15th century tower and Carlingford town. Fascinating Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, tried to take the a rare extant example of a mediaeval altar. It is the heritage centre in the old castle in a surprise attack in 1596. Holy parish church. longest monastery in Ireland. Coastal and mountain walks The castle changed hands several times over and breathtaking scenery. the following centuries and was fired upon by retreating Jacobite forces in 1689. It also functioned as a hospital during the period leading up to the . 27 28 Mellifont Castletown Motte Louth Louth

access Mellifont Abbey is situated in the tranquil valley of The De Verdons built Castletown Motte and access 68 the Mattock River. The abbey was founded in 1142 Bailey in the late 12th century. The motte 69 1.5km off the main Drogheda- Requires climbing over an old a d by St. Malachy, , on comprises a large circular mound which rises Road stone stile in the stone wall at lands granted by Donogh O’Carroll, King of Oriel. to some 20m and is enclosed by a ditch with the entrance facilities an external bank. Adjoining the motte at the It was consecrated in 1157 a d amidst great northwest is a small bailey; a larger bailey, which how to get there Car park, bus park, wheelchair ceremony at a national synod, which was attended access, toilet facilities, picnic area has now been destroyed, existed in the east. On Site is located on ‘Mount by the leading clergy of the time and Murtaugh the east side of the mound there is a causeway Avenue’ on the western edge contact MacLochlainn, the High King of Ireland. It was of Dundalk town. Mount across the ditch, the date of which is unknown. Tullyallen, Drogheda. the first Cistercian monastery to be established in Avenue lies on the south There is also evidence of a souterrain to the south side of the n53 Dundalk to t: 041 983 5341 Ireland; over 40 other Cistercian monasteries were road, 2Km e: [email protected] of the motte. founded following the success of Mellifont. from Dundalk town centre notes The ruin of a late 18th century castellated house A year after the major Irish defeat at the Battle notes known as ‘Byrne’s Folly’ stands on top of the There is a visitor centre at of , Hugh O’ Neill, the Earl of Tyrone, mound. It was built by Patrick Byrne, a well-known Steep path curves up around Mellifont Abbey which houses formally submitted to Lord Mountjoy at Mellifont an exhibition on the work of pirate, in 1780 a d . the motte to the folly on top. masons and craftwork from Abbey in 1603 a d and signed the Treaty of Top is level and is kept mown the Middle Ages. Mellifont. This sounded the deathknell for Gaelic The motte is built on the site of a pre-Christian civilisation in Ireland. fort called Dún Dealgan, meaning ‘The Fort of opening times Dealga’. This site is important in Mellifont derives its name from the Latin Font The visitor centre opens May- as it is said to be the birthplace of the legendary Oct everyday from 10am to Mellis meaning ‘fountain of honey’. Many warrior – Cúchulainn. 6pm. The visitor centre is run mediaeval monasteries founded by continental by the o p w . orders bore Latin names. Mellifont is the only one that survives as a placename in current use. 29 30 Drogheda Walls Mannan Castle Louth Monaghan

access Drogheda’s name derives from the Irish Droichead The site is reputed to have been the capital of access 70 Átha meaning ‘bridge of the ford’ which refers to the ancient Kingdom of Oirghialla (Oriel) and it 71 Laurence’s Gate, stands at the the River Boyne on which it stands. Drogheda was commands a panoramic view of the surrounding Access to the castle is on top end of Laurence’s St., foot via a ‘roadway’ from the granted its charter in 1194 by Hugh de Lacy (after countryside. Oriel was established after the break- Mannan Castle Golf Club car facilities whom the de Lacy bridge in Drogheda is named). up of the kingdom of Uladh which was ruled from park. Care must be exercised Drogheda is a large town with Eamhain Macha or Navan Fort in Armagh. as this path takes you across all modern facilities The Anglo-Normans made Drogheda one of part of the golf course. their primary strongholds, completing the town This anglo-norman motte and bailey earthwork how to get there how to get there walls in 1334 a d . The walled area of the mediaeval castle, Mannan Castle or Caisslen Domnaigh Separate train and bus Drogheda enclosed 113 acres, making it one of the Maighen (as described in the Annals of Loch Take the r179 from stations, both on the south Carrickmacross, and follow largest walled towns of the time. Cé) was constructed in 1193 by the Pipard family, the signs for Mannan Castle side, have regular connections who were seeking to consolidate their position to Dublin and Belfast and to St. Laurence’s Gate, which led to the Friary of St Golf Club and Donaghmoyne. in Donaghmoyne. It comprises a motte and Distance circa 3 miles. other towns and sites Laurence, is widely regarded as one of the finest of connected by a causeway with an its kind in Europe. It consists of two lofty circular notes site accompanying bank/ditch formation and an outer towers, connected together by a wall, in which One of the largest and most bailey without any bank/ditch. The motte rises St. Patrick’s Church and there is an archway. Visitors can appreciate the graveyard close by is worth important mediaeval walled to 12.5 metres. The stone ruins of a castle, dating spectacular dimensions of the mediaeval walls a visit. It is reputed that the towns and ports in Ireland. from 1244 are on top of the motte, inner bailey and south of the gate at Featherbed Lane. gaelic poet Cathal Buí Mac causeway. The original buildings would have been Giolla Gunna (1680-1756) is constructed from wood. buried here. The graveyard has Twice the walls and gates of Drogheda held headstones dating from the strong against invasion, firstly when Edward Bruce The earliest archaeological survey of the site was late eighteenth century and attacked the town in 1317 a d and again in 1642 displays a wide range of carving carried out in 1910 by Henry Morris. a d when Sir Phelim O’Neill attempted to take techniques and folk art. Drogheda.

In 1649 a d , Cromwell breached the walls and sacked the town, massacring 2,000 Royalist sympathisers and deporting captives as slaves to Barbados. Drogheda surrendered to King William after the Battle of the Boyne. 1800AD struggle for Ireland

b a t t l e o f t h e b o y n e , s t r u g g l e f o r c o n t r o l dictatorships , e m i g r a t i o n 1600ad a n d t h e f l i g h t o f t h e e a r l s

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By 1500, much of Ireland was back in the hands of Gaelic rulers (like the Uí Néill in Ulster). There were also vast territories under the control of Anglo-Norman families. However, their allegiance

to the Crown had diminished; many spoke the Irish bagenal’s castle language, wore Irish clothes and hair styles, and married into Gaelic families. The area under the control of the Crown had shrunk to an area around 74 Dublin, known as ‘The Pale’. However, the crowning 75 of a new English King – Henry Tudor or Henry VIII – in 1509 was about to change everything.

moyry castle lisanisk

The Re-conquest of Ireland Henry was determined to bring Ireland completely under the control of the crown. He introduced new English settlers to parts of Munster and Leinster, and waged a violent military campaign against disloyal Gaelic and Anglo-Norman rulers. At this time, the Roman Catholic Church in Europe was in turmoil and the church split as the result of corruption and abuse of authority. This Reformation began in Germany, but quickly spread throughout Europe. Henry VIII used the split to his advantage and declared himself head of the church in England; thus, state, church and people became Protestant. The Irish passed the Act of Supremacy in 1536, declaring Henry VIII the supreme head of the church in Ireland. This was to mark the beginning of sectarian trouble in Ireland. With the exception of the planters, however, the vast majority of the and Anglo-Normans (or Old English) remained Catholic. In 1539, Henry VIII ordered the dissolution of monasteries and friaries in Ireland. He then declared himself King of Ireland in 1541, the first English monarch to do so.

Millmount Fall of When the Irish were defeated at the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 it marked a turning point. In the aftermath, many of the Gaelic rulers from Ulster, including Hugh O’Néill and Rory O’Donnell, went into exile. Without its aristocracy, Gaelic society collapsed. Following the , Gaelic Ulster was handed over to English Anglican and Scottish Presbyterian immigrants, thereby transforming Ulster from the most Gaelic and Catholic province to the most British and Protestant.

Oliver Cromwell Following the rising of 1641 (which began in Ulster), Old English and Gaelic Catholics joined ranks to fight for a common, Catholic cause. This rebellion was a decisively and brutally suppressed by and his New Model Army, who had overthrown the king in London. Cromwell confiscated huge tracts of land beaulieu house and banished the former owners to poorer lands in the west (to Hell or to Connacht). He then distributed these lands to his supporters – army officers and Protestant colonists.

Battle of the Boyne When Catholic King James II ascended to the throne in 1685, things began to look hopeful for the Gaels and Old English. However, his pro-Catholic stance was 76 unpopular in England, Scotland and Ulster. When William of made a claim 77 for the English throne, Ireland, with the exception of Ulster, backed James. The two kings contested the throne in Ireland. Following victories at the Battle of the Boyne (1690) and the (1691), William emerged victorious.

New Protestant English ghan house battle of the boyne sword & mace battle of the boyne The dominant position of the New Protestant English was now secure and the Catholic Irish, whether of Gaelic or ‘Old English’ origin were left politically helpless. Beginning in 1695, the government introduced a series of banishing or restricting the Catholic clergy and forbidding Catholics, for example, to keep weapons, to teach or run schools within Ireland, from practising law or holding office in central or local government. Presbyterians and other Protestant dissenters also suffered religious discrimination, but on a much lesser scale. Presbyterian churches were permitted in the northern counties (and even within Dundalk), further south they were prohibited (in Drogheda).

the linen industry Throughout the 18th century, the linen industry became Ireland’s most important manufacturing industry, particularly in Ulster where it led to the industrialisation of the eastern half of the province. Mills were built, towns developed around the mills and the grew in prosperity. As the century progressed, were built to aid the industry and to facilitate imports and exports in the region. Ulster was on the verge of an Industrial Revolution.

ireland c.1610 31 32 Scarva Demesne Lisanisk Crannóg Banbridge Monaghan

County Monaghan was formed in 1585 from the five ACCESS The Scarvagh estate was granted to John Reilly, access 78 High ofD own, in recognition to his services ancient baronies of Truagh, Dartrey, Monaghan, 79 To Scarva Demesne on 13th to King William of Orange. Miles Reilly built and . Farney was leased back to the McMahon There is a pathway along July only Lisanisk Lake from which the Scarvagh House in 1717. family and in 1590 they moved their headquarters to their main crannóg on Lisanisk Lake. This was protected location of the crannóg can facilities be viewed It now belongs to the Buller family and is home to by a huge double-ditched Ringfort on adjacent high ground Scarva Vistor Centre and which appears to have been strengthened around this time. facilities tea-rooms. Victorian style one of Europe’s leading horse studs. bandstand in grounds with One of the best-preserved sections of the Dane’s In 1641, rebels over-ran the towns of Monaghan, Car park at lakeside concerts every Sunday Castleblayney and Carrickmacross making the English Cast is situated in Scarvagh Demesne. Nearby is how to get there April- garrisons prisoners. Colla MacBrian MacMahon of Lisanisk Lisnagade Fort (see p.38). opening Times was the leader of the rising and it is believed that he planned Take the Dundalk road (r178) the rebellion from here. Six years later, Colonel Monke out of Carrickmacross. Just Open Apr-Sep, Tues-Sun & Nearby, the village of Scarva is situated beside before the roundabout, turn the towpath, where the horses once ended the rebellion by attacking Lisanisk crannóg. Under public holidays 9am-5pm fire from shot and artillery the last of the rebels were forced left for Lisanisk Lake which is walked to tow the barges. The village dates from beside the road contact to yield to superior force. 1746 when John Reilly of Scarvagh House was notes Banbridge Tourist granted permission to hold four fairs a year and to A crannóg is a lake dwelling and is so named because of Information. t: 028 4062 3322 build a small dock and quay on the canal. Scarva the large quantities of wood used in its construction – crann Viewing the site of the e: [email protected] being the Irish for tree. They were sited on small artificial crannóg is dependent on Visitor Centre details the history of canals and water levels canal buildings in Ireland, focussing on the Newry islands for security and made with timber, sods and stone. The island was then surrounded by a wooden palisade which Canal and its role in the linen industry. There is a contained within a small number of huts. They were secure Victorian-style bandstand in the grounds where dwelling places, much the same as ringforts; however, a music concerts are held every Sunday during the crannóg absorbed a great deal more labour and material summer months. and consequently it is thought that they accommodated high-status or royal individuals. On July 13th every year the ‘Sham fight’, a re- enactment of the Battle of the Boyne, takes place There are almost one thousand crannóga in Ireland, most by the Spanish chestnut tree where King William commonly sited in the shallow inter-drumlin lakes found III is alleged to have camped in 1690. in Ireland north of the central plain. The majority of these dwellings were built in the early mediaeval period (410–1000 a d). 33 34 The Gap of the North Newry & Mourne Newry & Mourne

ACCESS Built by John Sancky around 1560, Narrow Water Moyry Castle overlooks the Moyry Pass, valley access 80 Castle is an excellent example of a tower-house. known as the ‘Gap of the North’. The gap was a 81 The Keep is open to the Its name – Narrow Water – indicates that it was strategic route into the ancient kingdom of Ulaidh Open all year round. There Public during the summer, for is a steep footpath up to the details contact Newry Tourist strategically sited to protect Newry’s access to and remained under the control of the Irish until the castle and there is no parking, Office 028 30313170 Carlingford Lough and the sea. The Victorian very early . It has been pivotal in both please take care not to mansion located on the other side of the road is history and folklore; it was here that Cúchulainn obstruct the narrow lane. facilities also referred to as Narrow Water Castle. defended Ulaidh from the forces of Connacht. how to get there Car park, bus park, wheelchair access The site comprises a three-storey tower-house and The castle was built in 1601 by Lord Deputy 4km southwest of Jonesborough how to get there bawn (a ). Mountjoy after he seized control of the pass and it became the main routeway into the north. King Each of the three-floors consists of a single room; It is located on the side of the William’s army marched from Belfast through road,8km southeast of Newry there is a stone vault above the first floor. Tower- the gap on their way to the Battle of the Boyne. houses, such as this, were built in Ireland between Perched on a rocky outcrop, it consists of a square the 15th and early 17th centuries, and were popular three-story tower with musket-loops in all four walls. with both English lords and Irish chieftains. The Kilnasaggart Pillar Stone lies on the Slighe In 1580, the castle was held by Hugh , Midhluachra, one of the five great routes that and by 1608 it was in the hands of Sir Arthur ran from Tara, where it went through the Moyry Macgennis. The castle remained in use until the Pass. Standing at more than 2m, it is believed to 18th century. be the earliest historically dated inscribed stone Legend has it that Lassara, a young maiden, being in Ireland (c. 700 a d). The stone has thirteen kept prisoner in the tower-house, heard her lover crosses carved on it, and an inscription which calling and threw herself from the to records the dedication of the place by Ternoc, her death on the rocks below. son of Ceran Bic (the little), under the patronage of Peter the Apostle. 35 36 Bagenal’s Castle Beaulieu House Newry & Mourne Louth

opening hours Bagenal’s Castle is located in the historic city Beaulieu House, is situated on the north bank of opening hours 82 of Newry, which nestles between two areas the river Boyne, between Drogheda and the Irish 83 Mon–Sat :10am–4.30pm of outstanding natural beauty the Mourne Sea. Originally owned by the Plunkett family, Open 1st May to mid- Sunday: 1.00pm–4.30pm September, Monday to Friday Closed 25th, 26th Dec and Mountains and the . The castle the estate was acquired by Henry Tichbourne, 11-17:00. Open weekends 1st January was ‘rediscovered’ in 1996, having been enveloped who was Marshall of the Army in Ireland and (13-17:00 in July and August in the premises of the former McCann’s Bakery, Governor General of Drogheda at the time of the only). facilities Newry. It was built by Nicholas Bagenal, an English of Charles II. facilities Tourism Information Centre, settler from Staffordshire, who was granted the Café, Carparking and Coach Beaulieu House was built between 1660 and 1666, Gardens, pond and own confiscated estates of the Cistercian Abbey Parking, Room Hire, Guided most probably designed by a Dutch architect, church. at Newry by King Edward VI in 1552. He was Tours, Lecture Tours, Fully and is one of the earliest examples in Ireland of Accessible appointed Marshall of the Army in Ireland and contact an unfortified house. The walls are of rough stone both he and his son, Henry, were key figures in Beaulieu, Drogheda. how to get there (possibly from the ruined Plunkett Castle believed Irish politics in the late 16th century. t: + 353 (0)41 938 8557 Located in Newry City on to have stood adjacent to the present house) with www.beaulieu.ie Castle Street During restoration work many original features Dutch bricks surrounding the windows and doors. Site of the Castle were revealed and these have been contact The current owner of Beaulieu House - Gabriel interpreted for the visitor illustrating how Bagenal’s Beaulieu House, Gardens and de Freitas - is a tenth generation descendant of Castle Street, Newry Castle would have functioned in the 16th Century. Car Museum. t: 028 30313170/02830313178 Henry Tichbourne. She had a successful career in notes Bagenal’s Castle is the only known surviving motor racing in the 60s and 70s under the name castle in Ireland for which the original drawings of Gabriel Konig. There is a museum on site which Beautiful views across the (c. 1568) survive. The castle is an early example displays a collection of classic racing cars and river Boyne to of a , a type of residential building memorabilia. Guided tours of the house, four-acre favoured by the gentry in Ireland and Scotland in walled garden and museum are available. the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Bagenal’s Castle has now been fully restored and houses Newry & Mourne Museum, Newry Tourist Information Centre, and a café. 37 38 Battle of the Diamond Armagh Armagh

access Considered to be one of the most important The Site of the famous Battle of the Diamond, access 84 buildings in , Richhill Castle is which took place in 1795. The sectarian conflict 85 Phone in Advance for Castle believed to be the earliest surviving example of an between the Catholic and the Phone in advance for tours Tours (Armagh Tourist of the Cottages (Armagh Information Centre 028/048 unfortified house in Ulster. Protestant Peep of Day Boys took its name from a Tourist Information Centre 37521800). Grounds crossroads near . 028/048 37521800) accessible year round. Francis Sacheverell built the original structure on this hilltop site at Legacorry. The property was In the aftermath of the bloody confrontation the facilities facilities extended by his son-in-law Edward Richardson was formed and lodges spread Nearby in village of Loughgall Village Amenities (MP for Co. Armagh from 1655 to 1696) around throughout Ireland, Britain and British dominions. 1664. The town of Legacorry later became know as how to get there how to get there At the site of the battle are located two thatched Richardson’s Hill and was subsequently shortened Signed Battle of the Diamond cottages dedicated to the memory of Dan Winter, 5 Miles from Armagh City on to Rich Hill. from Loughgall Village in the the Road founder of the order. Portadown direction. Towering Dutch shaped gables on projecting Both cottages are well worth a visit with fascinating notes wings imbues it with a distinctly continental feel. artefacts and memorabilia from the time. Internally an early bog oak staircase is of particular Cottage tours should be booked in advance. interest. The Castle’s ornamental wrought iron gates and railings, which were first erected in 1745, have been temporally relocated to the royal Irish residence, , Co. Down. Richhill Castle is so well-known for its ghosts that the Ulster Paranormal Society meets there regularly to experience the hauntings. The grounds are open to the public. The castle is open by appointment only. 1800AD

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500bc transport, trials and tribulations 1500bc

pa r t i t i o n , industrial r e v o l u t i o n , t h e s t r u g g l e f o r h o m e r u l e b o r d e r l i f e a n d

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at scarva transport, trials and tribulations pa r t i t i o n , industrial r e v o l u t i o n , t h e s t r u g g l e f o r h o m e r u l e b o r d e r l i f e a n d sectarianism

From the 1750s onwards, Ireland showed signs of stability and economic recovery. However, turbulent times were ahead. Ireland lost its parliament following the 1798 Rebellion. Mass emigration followed the close of the . Then, in

the mid-1840s, the Great Hunger struck and Ireland’s population Campbell’s Lock, Newry Canal plummeted from an estimated nine million to six million in the space of five years. The struggle against landlordism and for home carlingford lough 1821 rule dominated the remainder of the 19th century.

Industrial Age, 1760-1850 88 While there were improvements in Irish agriculture, industry and transport from the 1750s, Ireland as a 89 whole did not experience the Industrial Revolution in the same way as Britain did. Ireland was poorer in minerals, such as coal and iron, than its neighbour, and it had a smaller and poorer domestic market (Britain railways 1906 also imposed high tariffs on Irish goods). Only in Ulster (east of ) was large-scale factory- based industrialisation apparent. This was fuelled by the linen industry. In fact, the area between Armagh, and became known as ‘The Linen Triangle’. However, whilst heavy engineering and linen are often thought of as northern specialities, Dundalk was Ireland’s rail engineering centre and Drogheda was also a major linen centre. In the 1780s there was a resurgence of sectarian hostilities in Co. Armagh. Catholics had begun to get involved in the linen industry at a time when Armagh’s Protestant farmer-weavers were threatened by land hunger and competition from the mechanised cotton industry. The Peep O Day Boys (forerunners of the Orange Order) were formed and attacks on Catholic farmsteads became commonplace. The Defenders were formed in opposition, and the movement spread throughout Ulster and North Leinster.

United Irishmen Ireland was greatly influenced by the of 1789, with its ideas of liberty and equality. Theobold founded the United Irishmen in Belfast in 1791. Its aim was to achieve a French-style democratic republic in Ireland, which was independent of Britain. The United Irishmen rebelled in 1798, aiming to unite Catholic, Protestant and Dissenter to break away from England. A small French army landed in Connacht in support of the rising but it was badly organised and easily (and brutally) suppressed. As a result the Act of Union was passed in 1800, creating the of and Ireland, and uniting the two islands politically from 1801.

Towns & Villages Settlement patterns changed in the post-Cromwellian period. As the Protestant Ascendancy prospered they built large unfortified houses, which became know as the Big House, on their estates. The Big House and the Anglican Church replaced the castle (towerhouse) and parish church as the centre of the community. From the 1720s, estate villages developed around the Big House, and included a market square, wide main street, courthouse and Church of Ireland church. Linen colonies were also created. Mill villages, such as Gilford, Mullan and Bessbrook, were built in the shadows of the great linen factories, particularly in Ulster. grounds and Orange Halls often accompanied these villages, reflecting the religious makeup of the community. In the late 19th century, following , Chapel villages emerged. These settlements developed around a Catholic church and were often built near a crossroads. Other services – public house, school, post office, barracks, dispensary and shop – soon followed. bessbrook mill Canals & Railways The poor quality of Irish roads in the 18th century meant that transporting goods was difficult and expensive. Canals were proposed as the solution and a period of canal construction took place from 1731, which included the Newry Canal and . By the 1850s, the major Irish railway routes were in place and the canals became redundant. The Great Hunger Following Catholic Emancipation in 1829, Daniel O’Connell moved his sights to of the Act of Union, a movement which died with the famine. In the mid-1840s, the potato crop, on which a third of the population (primarily Gaelic farm labourers and small farmers) was totally dependent, failed. Starvation, disease and mass emigration followed. The response of the British Government was wholly inadequate, and the situation was made worse by landlords who evicted tenants for non-payment of rents. In the decades following the famine the struggle for and ownership of land intensified. The Land League was formed under and a series of Land Acts passed between 1870 and 1909 brought two centuries of landlordism to an end.

Following the success of the Land League, Catholic Ireland identified Home Rule as its next objective. Majority rule in a devolved Irish parliament horrified not just many Protestant landlords but also the Anglican and Presbyterian small farmers and industrial workers of the North-east, who felt that it would be used to undo the Tudor Conquest and subject them to the religious beliefs of the Irish majority, claiming that Home Rule means . Many Ulstermen vowed to resist Home Rule by all means, even armed rebellion and set up the illegal armed UVF. Ireland Splits When the First World War broke out, thousands of nationalist Irishmen enlisted to support the British war effort, in the hope that their country would be rewarded with Home Rule; thousands of Protestant Unionists joined up for the exact opposite objective. Other nationalists took the familiar route of rebellion. The Easter customs checkpoint Rising in 1916, like many Irish rebellions before, was unsuccessful. However, the execution of some of the leaders changed public sympathies and in 1918, Sinn Féin won the general election everywhere outside the North-East and established an (illegal) Irish Parliament, Dáil Éireann.

The bitter and bloody Anglo-Irish War followed, and in 1921 the British and Irish governments called a truce. The Anglo-Irish Treaty was signed in 1921, which conceded dominion status within the Commonwealth to 26 counties, to be known as Saorstát Éireann (Irish Free State) while ‘Home Rule’ was granted to six Ulster 90 counties – Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Derry (or Londonderry) and Tyrone – within the United 91 Kingdom. Thus, the modern border was created. As well as being a political and military border, this was also an economic border, which caused serious dislocation to legitimate border businesses, while also promoting smuggling. Smuggling became even more profitable during the Second World War when the North was at war and the South remained neutral. After the war (or ‘’ as it was known in the South) the Irish State officially became a Republic and left the British Commonwealth.

How did the border change life in Ireland? Rail transport was seriously disrupted. The railway network on both sides of the border relied on cross-border routes, and a significant portion of Ireland’s railway network was shut down. Today, the only cross-border train service runs from Dublin to Belfast; there are no rail services in counties Cavan, Donegal, Fermanagh, Monaghan and Tyrone. Many social and sporting bodies also divided after Partition. The Irish Football Association (IFA) split, and the Irish Free State Football Association gilford mill (1921-36) was formed, later renamed the Football Association of Ireland (FAI). However, the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) and the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) continue to organise competitions on an all-Ireland basis.

From the outset, Northern Ireland was unstable and subjected to periods of violence and British troops were deployed at periods in the 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s to confront Irish republican efforts to end partition. Following major unrest in the 1960s, British troops were brought in, as a ‘short-term’ solution. Rather than solving the problem the situation became more confrontational and militarised, leading to Britain suspending the Northern Ireland Parliament in 1972 and imposing direct rule from London. In particular, the ‘Troubles’ caused huge problems for the whole Border region, and towns and villages (like Mullan Village, Co. Monaghan) watch tower suffered from depopulation and decay.

The path to peace began with the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement (1985), which gave the Republic an official consultative role in the affairs of the North. The (1998) was the landmark settlement. It called for the sharing of political power between the two communities and granted the Republic a formal voice in Northern Affairs. In return, Nationalists had to accept that there would not be an end to Partition until a majority in the north voted for it. In 2007, after a series of delays and setbacks, deadlines and decommissioning, Devolution was fully restored to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Today, there is little mention of ‘cross-border violence’, instead ‘cross-border co-operation ‘and ‘cross-border funding’ are the buzzwords. With the cessation of political violence, the withdrawal of border patrols and the dismantling of , the once intimidating border is less apparent. With the N1/A1 (Dundalk to Newry) cross-border road venture complete, it is now a case of ‘spot the Border, if you can’.

orange hall, scarva dundalk railway station 39 40 Scarva Pillbox Newry Canal/Campbell’s Lock Banbridge Newry & Mourne/Banbridge

ACCESS Scarva Pillbox is situated at the rear entrance The Newry Canal is the oldest summit canal in access 92 to Scarvagh House (Scarva). In the early 1940s, Britain and Ireland. It consists of two sections, an 93 All year round. Admission Free a network of defences were built throughout inland stretch from Portadown to Newry and the From Scarva Visitors Centre contact Northern Ireland to prevent an anticipated Ship Canal from the town of Newry to Victoria facilities Banbridge Tourist German invasion. The most common of these Locks, halfway along Carlingford Lough. Car park, wheelchair access defences were called ‘pillboxes’. These were low Information. t: 028 4062 3322 It was built between 1734 and 1742 to carry the E: [email protected] concrete forts which were sited at road junctions, how to get there recently discovered coal deposits in east Tyrone canals and other strategic points. The Scarva Campbell’s Lock is situated Location to Dublin. Although the Tyrone coalfields were pillbox was part of the Lough Neagh-Carlingford along the canal towpath not a success, the canal stimulated the domestic Follow directions for Lough line of defence. The river Bann and the heading toward Portadown from centre linen industry and greatly facilitated the import Newry canal were used as the main obstacles in notes of Scarva village, pillbox is and export of goods. The Newry Canal was the situated on the right at the these areas and the pillboxes would have been first true summit level canal in Ireland or Britain, its Lock can be accessed by canal back entrance to Scarva used to defend crossing points. Although the entire navigation was 18 miles long, with 15 locks. walkers from Scarva Visitor Demesne. threat of invasion diminished after 1941, the Centre or can be driven to Campbell’s lock is located north of Scarva town possibility of Nazi commando raids remained a directly. and the lock house dates from the 18th century. constant fear. The coming of the railway in the mid-19th century Scarva Pillbox contains two machine gun signalled the end for the canal. . There is a stepped machine gun Although today the canal is non-navigable, the platform and a square recess, which was probably Newry Canal Towpath (where the horses once used for ammunition or water coolant, on the walked to tow the barges) provides an ideal inside of each . routeway for walkers and cyclist to discover the natural and manmade heritage of the region. 41 42 Gilford Mill Ulster Canal Banbridge Monaghan

access Gilford Mill was once the largest industrial The Ulster Canal was constructed between 1825 and access 94 undertaking on the Upper Bann. The village 1841 to link Lough Erne to Lough Neagh. Its entire 95 No access to public of Gilford dates from the mid-17th century and navigation was 46 miles long, with 26 locks; seven locks Easy access at Canal Walk Park, the entrance of which is how to get there developed and prospered as the result of the were built at the Monaghan town section of the canal off the Cootehill Road to facilitate the rise into the town. The canal ran from High Street, Gilford linen industry. Linen was Ireland’s most important manufacturing industry in the 18th and 19th Charlemont on the River Blackwater to Wattle Bridge facilities notes centuries and it was heavily centred on Ulster. on the River Finn (south-east of Upper Lough Erne). Located in the town centre Gilford Mill is privately owned The town was ideally situated with the Newry The canal was to create a navigable waterway, which so car parks, restaurants etc Canal facilitating imports and exports to the town. would link the ports of Belfast and Coleraine with the nearby Contact Details Moreover, the water from the River Bann had River Shannon and onwards to Limerick. However, a how to get there GML Estates Limited properties that were ideal for whitening linen and poor water supply, inappropriately narrow locks and Park in town centre and walk 61 Dunbarton St., Gilford, waterpower was easily accessible. the arrival of rail and ultimately road transport meant , Northern along the Cootehill Road (r188). Turn left at entrance to Ireland, b t63 6h j that the canal was finally abandoned in 1931. The ‘Dunbar, McMaster & Co.’ mill was Canal Walk Park t: 028 3883 2655 established in 1834. They became one of most Although the canal was not a commercial success, it f: 028 3883 2673 notes e: www.gmlestates.com important thread manufacturers in Ireland and has immense cultural and heritage value. In 2007, it Britain, and at its peak employed 1,500 people. was announced that the western section of the Ulster The Old Canal Stores From the middle of the 20th century production Canal, from Lough Erne to Clones, is to be restored. Building can be seen across the road in the grounds of the at the mills declined as modern fabrics and This section of the Ulster Canal has been converted St Louis Convent (Private) technologies began to take over from traditional into a small park in the centre of Monaghan Town. weaving. Gilford Mill finally ceased production Although the original canal bridge has been replaced in 1987, although parts of it had already been by a flat bottomed one, the UlsterC anal Stores is unoccupied for a number of years. Today the mill located across the road in the St. Louis Convent is awaiting redevelopment. Gilford Mill is one of Grounds. Other interesting sites for the Ulster Canal the last remaining spinning mills on the River Bann built heritage includes the Canal Stores in Clones and bear testament to the industrial importance town, and the and locks visible along the main of the area. Monaghan- Armagh Road at Silverstream two miles outside Monaghan town. 43 44 Mullan Village Bessbrook Mill Monaghan Newry & Mourne

how to get there The picturesque 19th century mill village of Mullan is one One of the earliest of the model villages associated access 96 of the few well-preserved examples of early rural industrial with the Industrial Revolution, the mill village of 97 Mullan village is located development in existence in Ireland. Mullan derives its Bessbrook was founded in 1845 by John Grubb Inside cannot be accessed approximately 3 miles east from Emyvale, signposted name from the Irish Muileann meaning ‘Mill’. The village Richardson, a Quaker linen manufacturer, to house facilities contained a substantial flax mill and was at the centre of from the Main Street. workers at his huge flax mill. The village gets its Parking in Bessbrook, Emyvale is located on the N2, the linen industry in the 18th and early 19th century. Later, name from Elizabeth (or Bess, for short) Nicholson wheelchair accessible, toilet the main Monaghan/Derry Mullan became known for the manufacture of Bullock whose family had a linen business in the area in the facilities and restaurant in road. Irish Serge. In the early part of the 20th century the mill early 19th century. The ‘brook’ refers to a stream Bessbrook notes fell into disuse and the village lay idle until a shoe factory which runs nearby. The Bessbrook River was known how to get there was established in 1924. The village was purchased by the to be the hardest working river in Ireland, with Restoration works are in 20m from the roadway in mill progress Boylan family in 1944 and remained a busy and bustling more mills per mile of its length than any other. complex in Bessbrook rural centre until the late 1970s. The village was a social experiment and among it founding principles was the philosophy of the Three notes There are a number of interesting heritage features P’s: that there should be no public houses, no pawn This site is a very large within the village, which include a mill-race (reputedly the shops and consequently no need for a police force. building taking up a large longest in the country at 1km), a curved stone bench and a To this day there are no public houses in the village. part of Bessbrook village. working water pump. The original structure of the village The building is completely included the White Row, the Red Row, the Felt and the The mill flourished underR ichardson, Bessbrook fenced in. Dance Hall, and a shop and school as well as the Mill. A linen earned a reputation as among the finest in the Photo: Copyright John Davis village competition was held every year for best garden, world and the village prospered. The houses built best vegetables and a field was kept in an allotment style for the mill workers were laid out in neat squares and for use communally by the residents. terraces, with lots of green open spaces - all of the houses which remain are still occupied today. Mullan’s border location contributed greatly to its decline over the last quarter of a century, and the village suffered In the 1970s, the mill was taken over by the British a gradual reduction of population, with most of the mill Army and converted into an army base. The army houses falling into disrepair and abandonment by the withdrew in 2007, thus bringing to an end the British 1990’s. Works are now underway to restore the mill houses military presence in the South Armagh region. and revive the village as a centre for the local community once more. Bessbrook Mill has recently been given Listed Building Status 45 46 Armagh Public Library The Argory Armagh City Armagh

opening hours Archbishop Richard Robinson founded the The Argory, situated on a wooded estate opening hours 98 Armagh Public Library in 1771. His aim was to overlooking the Blackwater River, was built in 1824 99 Mon-Fri 1000am-1.00pm; improve Armagh and establish a University. for Walter McGeough. This superb neo-classical Grounds open year round. 2.00pm-4.00pm. House open 7 days/ day during Other opening times by Thomas Cooley designed the Georgian building house has maintained much of its original contents July and August and Saturday appointment and an inscription, in Greek, over the entrance and structure, and houses four generations of and Sunday mid-season. t: 028/ 048 37523142 translates as ‘the healing place for the soul’. family treasures. Its most notable feature is a facilities cabinet barrel organ, built by James Bishop of facilities The nucleus of the collection is Archbishop London, which still in working order. Also to be Garden, woodland and Access to collections under Robinson’s own library, which contains 17th and riverside walks with seen is the rare acetylene gas plant, installed in supervision, photocopying, 18th century books on theology, philosophy, wonderful sweeping views, 1906, which for seven decades was used to light disability access literature, travel, history, medicine and law. Adventure playground and gas lamps in the house. On the grounds there is a environmental sculpture trail, how to get there The library also houses a number of rare and rose garden, which contains a sundial bearing the Award-winning Lady Ada’s important books, such as John Gerson’s De Tea-room Armagh City, adjacent to inscription ‘Here reader mark the silent steps of Praeceptis Decalogi (printed in Strasbourg, 1488), Saint Patrick’s Church of never standing time’. There are also 315 acres of contact Ireland Cathedral Walter Raleigh’s History of the World (1614) and woodland to explore. Fynes Moryson’s Travels (1617). The collection 144 Derrycaw Road, Moy, Dungannon, Co. Armagh also contains a first edition copy of Gulliver’s Nearby is Ardress House, a 17th century b t 71 6n a Travels (1726), which contains notes in Swift’s own farmhouse with 18th century additions. Visitors t: 028/ 048 8778 4753 handwriting. can enjoy the cobbled working farmyard (with notes piggery and blacksmith’s forge), woodland walks, In addition, the library holds mediaeval and 17th garden and an adventure playground. Nearby Ardress House century manuscripts, engravings and artefacts. also owned The library gained museum status in 2002 in Both the Argory and Ardress House are owned by property recognition of its role in safekeeping valuable and the National Trust. delicate works. 47 48 The Mall Saint Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral Armagh City Armagh City

opening hours This area known as ‘The Mall’ (formerly, ‘The The twin spires of Saint Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral contact details 100 Commons’) has been a focal point in the centre of stand watch over the city of Armagh from Sandy 101 Mon- Fri 10-5pm Armagh for more than two centuries. It was used Hill. Archbishop Crolly laid the foundation stone t: 028 37522802 for bookings. Sat 10am-1pm and 2pm- 5pm Bookings not essential. Admission free for horseracing, bull baiting and cockfighting in of the cathedral on Saint Patrick’s Day in 1840. the 18th century. Archbishop Robinson banned However, work was delayed and disrupted on a notes facilities these activities in 1773 and the area became a number of occasions, notably during the Great Mass in mornings so please City centre facilities public walkway. Today, the Mall has retained its Hunger (1845-50). It was dedicated for worship in be aware this is a working building. contact Georgian character and is surrounded by several 1873, but the magnificent interior decoration was of the city’s main tourist attractions: not completed until early in the 20th century. It was w: www.visitarmagh.com Armagh Tourist Information finally consecrated in 1904. Centre, 4o English Street, Armagh City. b t61 7b a . The Armagh County Museum was originally built as a The Cardinal Ó Fiaich Library and Archive t: 028/ 048 37521800. schoolhouse in 1834. Today, the Museum celebrates the (COFLA) is an important cultural and historical w: www.visitarmagh.com. history of Co. Armagh. e: [email protected] resource and holds collections relating to Irish Armagh Gaol history, local history, Irish archaeology, the Irish Armagh Gaol was built in 1780 and extended in 1852 and language, ecclesiastical history and Irish sport. is Northern Ireland’s oldest prison. Its impressive and intimidating grey façade stands guard over the Mall. Saint Patrick’s Trian visitor complex is an interesting visitor centre located in the heart Archbishop Robinson founded Armagh Observatory in of Armagh City. It derives its name from the 1790. The 14-acre site (known as ‘Armagh Astropark’) ancient division of Armagh City into three distinct incorporates a scale model of the universe. districts, or ‘Trians’. The complex incorporates Royal Irish Museum three inspirational exhibitions under one roof: The Museum tells the story of the regiment, which played an The Armagh Story, Saint Patrick’s Testament and important role in the history of Armagh between 1793 and the Land of Lilliput and interprets much of Saint 1968, when it became part of the . Patrick’s legacy in Armagh and Ireland. 49 50 Watch Towers Railways Armagh/Newry & Mourne Throughout the Region

notes Erected some 38 years ago at the beginning of the The heading north from the notes 102 period in Irish history known as “”, village of Inniskeen is the perfect place to explore 103 Most of these sites have now these towers were located in strategic positions the region’s railway heritage. It’s a good idea to explore the been dismantled and are gone region’s for old and existing atop the hills of South Armagh and County Down. from view. What remains is Sections of the Monaghan Way take advantage of railway sites as there are some evidence of their strategic and lovely walks. remote locations. The towers, with their state-of-the-art surveillance the old disused line for a scenic walking route from equipment, were used by the to Inniskeen to Monaghan town. monitor movements along the border areas. The Monaghan Way is signposted from the Remote and inaccessible, these modern day Patrick Kavanagh Centre in the village, and the versions of Norman castles were usually supplied famous poet travelled on the last train to Inniskeen by helicopter, with troops and equipment being in 1957. flown in and out. Inniskeen was on the Dundalk to Great With the cessation of “The Troubles” in Northern Northern Railway line. Imposing cut stone bridges, Ireland these watchtowers have proven more , railways stations, good sheds and halts ephemeral than the Norman castles and are still remain as a legacy of the once extensive gradually being dismantled, the once high security public transport system. Just outside Newry you sites being returned to greenfield status and can see at first hand the glory of the rail network. eventually accessible to the public once again. Craigmore Viaduct which opened to traffic in 1852 carries the Belfast to Dublin rail link, the only existing cross border route in this region. Part of the branch line to Ardee, County Louth, is now a public walkway. site index site locations

site page site page no Armagh no no Monaghan no 07 Navan Centre & Fort p30 02 Edergole Court Tomb p19 09 Danes Cast p38 05 Lisnadarragh Wedge Tomb p28 19 Saint Patricks Cathedral (C.o.I.) p54 Crossmoyle Ecclesiastical 14 p49 20 Tynan Cross p55 Site 26 The Franciscan Friary p67 15 Inniskeen Round Tower p50 37 Richhill Castle p84 22 Clones Motte and Baliey p63 38 Battle of the Diamond p85 30 Mannan Castle p71 40 Newry Canal/Campbells Lock p93 32 Lisanisk Crannog p79 45 Armagh Public Library p98 42 Ulster Canal p95 46 The Argory p99 43 Mullan Village p96 47 The Mall p100 Saint Patrick’s Catholic site page 48 p101 no Newry & Mourne no Cathedral 03 Annaghmare Court Cairn p20 09 Danes Cast p38 site page no Banbridge no 10 The Dorsey p39

104 01 Legananny Portal Dolmen p18 16 Killeavy Churches p51 105 09 Danes Cast p38 Kilbroney Graveyard & 17 p52 12 Lisnagade/Lisnavaragh p41 Crosses 13 Finnis Souterrain p48 23 Greencastle p64 21 Dromore Motte and Bailey p62 33 Narrow Water Castle p80 31 Scarva Demesne p78 34 The Gap of the North p81 39 Scarva Pillbox p92 35 Bagenal’s Castle p82 40 Campbells Lock (Newry Canal) p93 40 Newry Canal p93 41 Gilford Mill p94 44 Bessbrook Mill p97 49 Watch Towers p102 site page no Louth no site page 04 Proleek Portal Tomb p21 no All Council Areas no 06 Proleek Wedge Tomb p29 50 Railways p103 08 Cuchalainn’s Stone p31 11 Faughart p40 18 Monasterboice p53 24 Castle Roche p65 25 Carlingford p66 27 Mellifont p68 28 Castletown Motte p69 29 Drogheda Walls p70 36 Beaulieu House p83

silent valley 20 07 19 26 38 45 46 47 48 37 09

B28 41 50 Dromore B2 A29 B77 21 B B B115 128 131 A50 A3 A1 B7 Finnis 13 Richhill A27 Gilford A50 ARMAGH Tandragee B3 B111 A51 B10 BANBRIDGE A28 A51 NAVAN 12 R186 MULLAN LISNAGADE/LISNAVARAGH Emyvale CENTRE LEGANANNY CO. A R M AG H Scarva A50 43 TYNAN CROSS 01 B3 B2 NEWRY B10 Glaslough CANAL CO. D OWN A3 B B210 Markethill DANES CAST 3 N2 R185 A29 31 39 40 Middletown A27 A1 B25 A50 DANES CAST B7 R186 B3 09 N12 B132 B133 TASSAGH B78 DANES CAST VIADUCT B31 R213 Keady NEWRY Raithfriland 42 ULSTER B134 CANAL CANAL A28 R187 Castleshane B3 09 MONAGHAN A27 A1 A25 B8 A29 B133 44 N54 NEWRY B180 Three Mile House Newtownhamilton CANAL R162 Bessbrook 35 40 R189 B8 R184 NEWRY A25 Camlough 49 22 14 Clones A25 B7 NEWRY & MOURNE R183 R100 WATCH TOWER 33 R181 A2 NARROW WATER Newbliss MONAGHAN N2 R182 B25 B27 B135 16 05 R183 A1 ANNAGHMARE B30 LISNADARRAGH R183 B134 Killeavy 03 10 Rockcorry Ballybay THE DORSEY B79 R212 Warrenpoint KILBRONEY R188 R190 Castleblaney A29 B115 17 EDERGOLE WATCH Rostrevor A2 106 02 R180 TOWER N53 B30 49 Crossmaglen R162 A2 Kilkeel GAP OF THE NORTH WATCH 34 CARLINGFORD 15 A37 TOWER FAUGHART N1 R177 PROLEEK LOUGH R174 GREENCASTLE Shantonagh CASTLE ROCHE Carlingford 23 N53 R181 M1 R173 Jenkinstown Greenore R173 R179 30 DUNDALK R175 R180 MANNAN Iniskeen R173 25 50 R178 R178 N52 LISANISK CUCHALAINN’S 04 06 32 STONE R178 R171 Carrickmacross Blackrock 11 Louth R132 24 R179 M1 N52 28 R N2 166 R171 08 LOUTH R132 Ardee R166 R170 Togher R165 Dunleer SMARMORE N2 R170 R169 M1 R166 18 Collon Termonfeckin MONASTERBOICE 27 R167 R168 R132 BEAULIEU 36

MELLIFONT DROGHEDA N51 29 www.borderlands-ireland.com

image credits © Crown copyright. Reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office The National Archives, ref. MPF1/86 (Ireland c1580) The National Archives, ref. MPF1/67 (Ireland c1610) The National Archives, ref. MPE1/1061 (Carlingford Lough, 1821) Archive Service, Sean Casey.

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This project is part financed by the European Union through the Ireland/ Northern Ireland Interreg IIIA Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by the East Border Region Interreg IIIA Partnership.