Drumconrath’s Place in Church History

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The modern parish of Drumconrath comprises the parishes of Drumconrath and Meath Hill. Parishes are in general old divisions, some divisions may represent foundations from the very beginning of Christianity in Ireland. Over the centuries, actual boundaries may have been changed to suit the circumstances as is evident here in our own parish. (Dean Cogan’s History of Diocese of Meath). In 1690 when the Rev. Dr. Thomas Fleming was presented by James Il to the Rectory of Drumconrath, he was registered as the “Popish Priest of Drumconragh, Ardagh,Loughbracken and Inismot.” This parish, however, had changed by 1867, when the parishes of Drumcondra, Loughbracken and Ardagh made up the union. The parish has been variously written Drumconra, Drumcondra, Drumconragh, Drumconrath, and is questionably a very ancient name in the records of Irish history.

We here in Drumconrath can be very proud of the fact that we may have been one of the first communities to adopt the new faith. In Monastica Hibernicum we find the following:
Druimchorcothri-This religious house was founded by St. Patrick after having preached at
Tara in 433. St. Diermit, the bishop, was placed over it. Dr. Lanigan remarks in his Ecclesiastical
History that this place was perhaps Drumcondra in the Barony of Slane.

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Researched and Compiled by Kathleen McArdle, “Brookville”, Drumconrath. Source: Faith History of Drumconrath – Meath Hill.