Drumlane

The early christian Drumlane site is said to date back to Saint Columba around c555 AD. Afterwards Drumlane was regarded locally as one of St. Maedoc of Ferns churches (known locally as St. Mogue) from whom many miraculous stories and legends arise. Significant Church developments started to take place throughout Ireland during the twelfth century with the reforming of diocese and the creation of archbishoprics at Armagh and Cashel. A Synod of Kells in 1152 began further changes where the Kingdom of Breifni became the new Tir Briuin diocese boundary stretched from Kells in Meath to Sligo. Drumlane being the mid point of the new Breifne Tir Briuin Diocese to come under the jurisdiction of the Abbot of Kells order of Augustinian Canons regular St. Mary's Abbey of Kells. Drumlane priory was called afterwards St. Mary's Drumlane until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the mid sixteenth century.[1]

Notable historic events went recorded in the Annals of the Four Masters and in the Annals of Clonmacnoise, that in 836 AD Drumlane was attacked by viking raiders along with other abbeys at Devenish Island on the river Erne. Clones abbey was also attacked during these raids. The King of Breifne Tighearnan O'Ruairc (1124-1172) gave patronage to the early diocese, But in 1246 it went recorded that Drumlane church was burned during a feud between rival Breifne clans O'Rourke lords of West Breifne and the O'Reillys of East Breifne. Significant also then that Drumlane was once a town on the border line between east and west Breifne, also burial grounds for O'Rourke and O'Reilly clan chiefs. Battles at Drumlane also took place in 1261 between the O'Conors kings of Breifne and Hugh O'Reilly, followed by further battles in 1314 and 1338 where the O'Conors defeated the O'Reilly clan. Peace was restored in 1391 between all rival factions. In 1431 Papal records describe alms needed to rebuild Drumlane abbey with cloisters and a refectory. Then in 1436 the Pope appointed Patrick O'Farrelly as Canon (Coarb) of St. Mary's Drumlane priory then a dependency under the Abbey of Kells. An interesting charter of 19 September 1438 exists which grants the erenaghship of Drumlane to Nicholas O'Farrelly.[2]

Feuding within the O'Reilly clan continued, whereas in 1487 Edmund and Fergal O'Reilly attacked Clogh Oughter castle, occupied by their uncle John O'Reilly. Retribution came swiftly and Fergal was killed (buried at Drumlane) and Drumlane town where Edmund O'Reilly lived (according to the annals) was burned in punishment. O'Reilly clan feuds around Drumlane continued in 1512, while the last mention from papal records was in 1538 before the priory and church was confiscated by Queen Elizabeth I and granted to Hugh O'Reilly under lease. Later to be taken over by the reformed Anglican Diocese of Kilmore and used for protestant church worship while the priory buildings were left to decay. A new church called St'Columbas was erected by the Church of Ireland by 1821 and the old Drumlane church was then un-roofed and abandoned.

The original Drumlane monastic buildings were made of wood, rebuilt from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in what was then traditional styles of the period using local stone. Since the mid twelfth century Drumlane came under Augustinians jurisdiction from St. Mary's abbey in Kells and the monastic priory was probably then rebuilt along with that of the round tower. Today the ruined abbey church shows signs of various stages of construction from the late twelfth and early thirteenth century 'Transition' period, when late stages of Hiberno Romanesque style architecture gave way to the English Gothic styles being introduced to church construction all around the country. Typical twelfth century building can be seen in the construction of the round tower doors and windows using rounded head openings. The west doorway is similar with its round dog-tooth design opening typical of twelfth century churches. The windows and doorways in the south and north walls are from the later period using an arched (English) Gothic design opening which became popular from the early thirteenth century. Only fragments of masonary remain from the pillars of roof structure, along with some earlier masonary including a romanesque doorway chevron fragment (c1170), which perhaps could have come from the priory building once located about two hundred metres south from the church. Drumlane Round Tower shows signs that it was built or rebuilt in two stages. The symbolic stone structure which stands beside the church and is the only remaining round tower in the Church of Ireland Diocese of Kilmore.[3]

Today the buttressed ruin of Drumlane church measures (inside) 32.7 metres long x 7.5 metres wide and round tower stands 11.6 metres tall and represent a significant structure of the medieval period, while little remains of the old priory buildings which fell into decay after the dissolution of the monasteries in around 1538. The abbey church was used for Anglican worship until around 1820 before becoming abandoned and allowed to decay. All structures are now under the stewardship of the OPW state agency and open to visitors. The cemetery meanwhile is still in use and maintained by local parish communities.

• Saint Columba (founded Drumlane c. 555 AD)
• Saint Mogue (Maedoc of Ferns) patron of Drumlane, conceived after parent’s visit to Drumlane
• Saint Danem (Feast Day 13 November)
• Saint Indem
• Saint Fintan
• Saint Indecht (Feast Day 11 August)

Coarb of Drumlane (appointed succcessor from patron saint)

• Urcain Mac Ailill (nicknamed Faircellach, ancestor of the O’Farrellys): 632-
• Conchobhar O’Farrelly: -965-
• Dubhinsi O’Farrelly: -1025 (died)
• Conaig O’Farrelly: -1059 (died)
• Muiredach O’Farrelly: -1257 (died)
• Niall O’Farrelly: -1357 (died)
• William O’Farrelly: -1366-1368 (died)
• Muiredach O’Farrelly: 1368-December 1368 (died)
• William O’Farrelly: -1400 (died)
• Maurice O’Farrelly: 1400-
• Muiredach O’Farrelly: -1438 (died)
• Nicholas O’Farrelly: 6 September 1438-
• Hugh O’Maelmocheirghe: -1512 (died)

• Conaig O’Farrelly: -1059 (died)
• Peter Magauran: -1431 (died)
• Patrick O’Farrelly: (but in actual possession of Cormac Mác Shamhradháin) 1431-1436
• Patrick O’Farrelly: 1436-1439
• Cormac Mác Shamhradháin: 1439-1444 (later Bishop of Ardagh)
• Thady Magauran: 1444-1455
• Peter Magauran: July 1456-
• John MacBrien: -26 August 1467
• Cormac Mág Shamhradháin: 26 August 1467-December 1511 (died) (Also Bishop of Kilmore)
• Ferdinand Farrelly: -1651-
• Andrew Magaghran: -1678-

• William O’Farrelly: -1400 (died)
• Maurice O’Farrelly: 1400-January 1401
• David O’Farrelly: January 1401-1410 (died)
• Brian O’Farrelly: -1484 (died)
• Ferdinand Farrelly: 1631-?
• Andrew Magaghran: 1652-1705
• Edmund Magaghran: 1705-1726 (died)
• Bernard MacHenry: -1739-1749
• Thomas Fitzsimons: 1750-1769-
• Owen O’Reilly: -1782-1790 (died)
• Farrell O’Reilly: 1790- 24 August 1807 (later Bishop of Kilmore)
• Nicholas Brady (Upper Drumlane): 1815-2 September 1835 (died)
• Patrick McCabe (Lower Drumlane): 1815-2 September 1835
• Patrick McCabe (Upper & Lower Drumlane): 2 September 1835 -15 October 1843 (died)
• Philip Donegan: 1843-31 January 1854 (died)
• Patrick O’Reilly: 24 March 1854-16 February 1880 (died)
• Bernard Finegan: March 1880-May 1886 (later Bishop of Kilmore)
• Edward MacGennis: May 1886-15 April 1888 (later Bishop of Kilmore)
• James Brady: 15 April 1888-18 February 1918 (retired)
• Patrick Magauran: 18 February 1918-11 July 1920 (died)
• Bernard Carolan: 27 August 1920-21 August 1923 (died)
• Charles Magee: 20 October 1923-28 December 1938 (died)
• John Brady: 21 March 1939-14 December 1943 (transferred)
• Peter O’Reilly: 14 December 1943-26 January 1949 (transferred)
• Patrick MacGibney: 26 January 1949-22 June 1955 (died)
• Arthur J. MacMahon: 27 August 1955-31 March 1982 (retired)
• Patrick Callaghan: 20 July 1974-21 August 1982 (retired as P.P. but remained as Curate)
• Joseph C. Young: 21 August 1982-26 August 1989 (retired)
• Bernard Doyle: 26 August 1989-
• Gerard Comiskey: current P.P.

Drumlane parish had two curacies, one at Drumlane and one at Staghall

Staghall Curates

• Patrick Trainor: 1839-1840 (transferred)
• Patrick Brady: 1840- 15 January 1841 (died)
• Patrick Gilroy: 1841-1853 (transferred)
• Michael Clancy: 1844-1846 (transferred)
• Peter Brady: 1878-1879 (transferred)
• Bernard Carolan: 1900-1905 (transferred)
• John Brady: 1906-1907 (transferred)
• Thomas J. Bradley: 1907-1909 (transferred)
• Francis McGowan: 1911-11 November 1920 (died)
• Edward MacGennis: 1924-1927 (transferred)
• Laurence Corr; 1927-1929 (transferred)
• Alexander J. MacCabe: 1929-1930 (transferred)
• Walter J. McGrath: 1930-1935 (transferred)
• Thomas Galligan: 1935-1939 (transferred)
• Patrick Callaghan: 1982-1986 (retired)

Milltown Curates

• Charles O’Reilly: -1844-1851
• Peter Connolly: -1919-
• Thomas J. Bradley: 1922-1934 (transferred)

Notes

Sources

• "Breifny Antiquarian Society Journals from 1924 & 1925". Cavan library & online pdf at: www.cavanlibrary.ie. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
• McGuinn, J., ed. (1995). Staghall a History 1846-1996. Cavan: A Church Committee Publication.