Parish History
Information about our Parish Faith History maintained by our parish office.
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Schools
No parochial history is complete without reference to its schools. In the past, even more than in modern times, they have played a very important part in the preservation of the Faith. After the priest, the schoolmaster received the special attention of the Penal Legislator. Catholic education was banned; Catholic parents were penalized,* and the…
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1943
War still continues, prayer for peace being said from the very beginning Sept. 1940.People from parish very contented. No unemployment. Wages still high. Girls are working on bog with men and about to get 2 pounds per week footing turf. Even a boy of ten earned 2 pound ten shillings in a week backing out…
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Meath Hill School Teachers House
(Photo: “X” – roughly marks the position of the Teachers House)Inside the church gates on the left stood the school teachers house. A two-storey house, it was used by teachers until the early 1960’s. It was unoccupied from then until 1982 when it was demolished to make more space for the present car park. The…
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Meath Hill Old School
(Photo 1: “X” – marks approximately where the building was)Meath-Hill Old National School once stood in the Church grounds, on the right-hand side as you enter through the Church gates. It had two classrooms with open fires and two outside dry toilets, situated between the old school and the present school grounds. The present school,…
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Meath Hill Church: 1981–1982 Reconstruction
Meath Hill ChurchPlans were made to have the church reconstructed in 1974 but the project was postponed until 1981 when Fr. Butler took charge of it. The work commenced in November of that year and was completed in July of 1982.The architects responsible were Patrick Rooney and Associates, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 and the contractors were…
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Origin of name: ‘Drumconrath’
The following is study of the name in manuscript and document. Druim Condraighe: ‘the raighe’ or ‘raidhe’ means people or tribe. The hill or ridge of the Condra tribe.All scholars agree that ‘raighe’ = people/tribe (e.g. Joyce in his “Placenames” and an tAth. De Bhulf in his clan names)Mythology has it in the book of…
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Aodh Mac Domhnaill
Aodh Mac DomhnaillPoet and Philosopher1802 – 1867Aodh Mac Domhnaill was born in 1802 in Lower Drumgill, Co. Meath. His name is variously translated as McDonnell or McDaniel. We Know very little about his family or about his early life. His ancestors had come originally from County Louth and from some letters we know that his…
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Drumcondra Village. (1890 approx)
• Drumcondra Village. (1890 approx) The houses are generally ground floor and thatched. There is a Post Office, Police Station and Pound on North side of the street. On the South side, there is a Church, a neat one storey building in good repair and a dispensary. The Glebe house – a small two storey…
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14th-century raids on Drumcondrath and Ardee
In the 14 century there were continuous raids against Drumcondrath and Ardee by the Gaelic chieftains McMahon and O’ Reilly (Lydon 1977, 7). Researched and Compiled by Kathleen McArdle, “Brookville”, Drumconrath. Source: Faith History of Drumconrath – Meath Hill.
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Meath Hill Shrine
The present shrine standing in the grounds of Meath-Hill Churchyard was erected in 1954. Fr. A. O’Neill being parish priest of the parish at that time took charge of the work. The sandstone was quarried locally, mainly Carrickleck. Local voluntary labour and transport left the stone on site and this in turn was dressed, cut,…
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Industries and Handcrafts.
Two subsidiary industries are (1) Fruit growing, particularly damson raising, and (2) the growing of whitethorn quicks, both extensively engaged i n in the neighbourhood of Ardagh and Ballyhoe Lake. The cultivation of the whitethorn quicks is of interest in that there are very few places wherein this particular form of economic activity is considered…
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Monastery tradition in Drumconrath Village
Monica Saul (aged 14) said “My Grandfather told my father that the old wall o f his garden in Drumconrath Village was the ruins of a monastery” (Schoolchildren’s Notes 1937 – U.C.D.) Researched and Compiled by Kathleen McArdle, “Brookville”, Drumconrath. Source: Faith History of Drumconrath – Meath Hill.
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