Newport 15

"We are in a grand remote sanctuary of nature hallowed in past ages by the reverent hand of man. Lone and grey on the bank of the river running from the lakes into the bay, nestled the ruined old Dominican Convent of Burrishoole on that remote Western coast. (P.G.Smyth in the Rosary Magazine, Somerset, Ohio, 1900)

During the 14th century the old Gaelic families had been replaced by the Norman families with a few exceptions. The De Burgos owned great tracts of land in Connacht, Ulster and Munster. In the year 1469 Sir Richard De Burgo (Burke) - Lord MacWilliam Oughter, Chief of the Burkes of Turlough, known in Irish as "Risteard an Cuarscidh" (Richard of the curved Shield), resigned his lordship. He was an old man and he dearly loved the Order of St. Dominic, so, for the sake of God, the eternal welfare of his own soul and the souls of his forefathers, he granted to the Order a plot of ground in Burgo's Vaill named Carta Gracilis(Carrowkeel), together with a certain portion of land in the vicinity. An inquis of 1615 found that half a quarter of land in "Rosnabracher" was parcel of the house of Barasoule A 813 (CR).

Richard also granted monies for the erection of the Abbey. He then took the habit and entered the Dominican order himself. Shortly afterwards Rory Ó Moran and some other members of the order came to Burrishoole and erected a temporary church and monastery of wood and settled down to ordinary convently life, Richard joined them in the abbey and lived there until his death four years later in 1473.

The Archbishop of Tuam, Donal Ó Murry had given his permission for the founding of the abbey. It was nevertheless irregular, Boniface VIII had forbidden the mendicant orders to accept the site of a religious house unless they had first obtained the permission of the Pope. Evidently the founder and, it appears, the Archbishop himself was unaware of the prohibition. It was not until the 9th February 1486 in the Papal Bull of Pope Innocent VII to Archbishop William Joyce of Tuam that the foundation was declared "irregular". The Bull then gave permission for the erection of a church, with a steeple and bell and an abbey furnished with refectory, dormitory, cloisters, cemetery, garden and orchard - the Abbey to have the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary. "His Holiness now gives power to the Archbishop to absolve from excommunication and irregularity all those who began work without proper sanction, a salutary penance is to be imposed", stated the Bull.

Very little is known of the next hundred years or so but the abbey flourished. It's peaceful community acted as pastors, physicians and hospitallers for the community round. This was the century immediately preceding that of the Protestant Reformation. There was a great religious revival in Ireland. Friars of all orders made their greatest progress in Connaught, numbers of new foundations were made, each Irish chieftain vying with the other to have the Friars in his territory. Several of the older abbeys were rebuilt from the ground.

When the storms of Persecution broke over the country and the more ancient orders were swept away as well as the communities of friars of the eastern and English parts of the country the Friars of Connaught held together and kept up succession in the worst times. More than that, as each successive storm somewhat abated and the communities in Leinster were dispersed and practically extinguished they were recruited and brought to life once more by Irish Friars from Connaught, so that the whole of Catholic Ireland owes a great debt of gratitude to the province of the West.

In the year 1563 Honoria De Burgo (Nora Burke),who was only 14 years old, received the habit of the third order of St. Dominic that in the order of St. Catherine of Sienna from Fr. Thaddeus Ó Duane. She was the daughter of Richard an Ierain (Iron Dick) who was the second husband of Grace Ó Malley (Granuaile). He had four castles in this area, Burrishoole - his residence which was built by the Butlers, Ballyviahan, Carrickaneadh and Carrik an Chabhlaigh (Rockfleet). But wealth or property possessed no attraction for his daughter. She built a small convent close to the abbey where she lived with some other sisters.

About the year 1580 an armed band of British soldiers came to disturb the peaceful convent of Burrishoole. Fearing for her chastity she fled to the mountains. The soldiers followed in quick pursuit. As they were drawing near sister Honoria earnestly besought the Saviour and His mother to come to her aid. When her pursuers had all but overtaken her their course was suddenly checked - rushing waters miraculously surrounded the place where she prayed, forming it into an island. The baffled soldiers were obliged to depart and when it was safe to do so Sister Honoria returned to her convent.

After Elizabeth I came to the throne the English gradually gained control in west Connaught. In August 1597 Sir Nicholas Malbie, Governor of Connaught gave the following description of the abbey - "the 17th I removed to Burrishoole, an abbey standing very pleasant upon a riverside within three miles of the sea where a ship of 300 tons may lie at anchor at low water". He had the abbey fortified and left a garrison of one hundred men in it. Fr. Thady O Duane was captured by the soldiers and kept in the abbey as their prisoner. However he converted every single member of the garrison to Catholicism, the converted soldiers all left the abbey and scattered over the country among the Catholic people (Hib. Dom. 521)

In 1653 the abbey was attacked by Cromwellian soldiers. Sister Honoria Burke and another sister Honoria Magaen (Kane) and a maid servant fled to Oylean na Naov (Saints Island) in Lough Furnace.

The abbey itself was fortified and held against the enemy by a few confederate Catholic soldiers. Two attacks made on it were repulsed. On the third they broke through, killed some, wounded others while the rest of the defenders fled. After pillaging the abbey some of the soldiers discovered the two nuns on the island. They were brutally stripped naked even though they were old, sister Burke then being 104, and it was the month of February and as cold as the middle of winter. After breaking three of her ribs she was flung into a boat "as if she was a bundle of sticks" and left to die She was carried on the shoulder of the maid back to the convent where she died. Sister Honoria Magaen, who escaped from her captors, on reaching the lake shore fled into a neighbouring wood and concealed herself in the hollow trunk of a tree. The next day she was found frozen to death. The sisters were buried side by side in the chapel Sister Burke is depicted on a fresco of Saints in Sicily.

This attack on the abbey and its occupants was the last fighting that took place at Burrishoole. Of the subsequent history of the abbey and it's personnel little is known. During the 17th century edict after edict went forth ordering priests and friars to leave the country. Some were driven out by force but others remained. The Dominican Order kept up its numbers and these were multiplied when the persecution eased. During most of that period three or four hundred friars were saying Mass wherever they could, hearing confession, preaching and burying the dead. In most cases they lived in thatched cabins as near as possible to the old abbey which they witnessed going to ruin year by year. The roof collapsed in 1793. The friars wore no habit and were in no way distinguished from the ordinary people. The Dominican friars preached devotion to the rosary. They were commonly called "Fathers of the Rosary". They were hated by the Government because they disregarded their unjust laws. The government forbade burials in old abbeys. The friars continued burials in their old abbeys and cemeteries over which they still retained their canonical rights. The government forbade the opening of schools but the friars defied the law and carried them on in the woods. In 1642 the Dominicans had opened a school at Burrishoole for the training of youths. It continued with untold difficulty until 1697. One of the professors at the Burrishoole school was Father John O Rune.

In the Lords Committee returns of 1731 the following notice is taken of the Burrishoole community :-"Another friary in the parish of Burrishoole whose number is said to be 20, of whom five are kept abroad in foreign parts and fifteen commonly dispersed themselves about the country. In 1756 the community consisted of five priests of the Dominican order - Fr. Francis Mac Donnell who was prior, Fr. Anthony Mac Donnell sub prior, Fr. Dominic Barrett, Fr. Dominic Healy and Fr. Francis Bourke who was thirty four years of age and the youngest of the community. He is said to be the last priest of the Dominican order connected with Burrishoole. Fr. John Mac Donnell was the last prior 1798-1800.

Tradition has it however that a friar Horan lived in the abbey or it's vicinity in the early years of the nineteenth century. He is described as a saintly, humble and charitable man. In handing down the tradition the generation that has passed away spoke with great reverence of Friar Horan who was the last link of a practically unbroken chain extending over almost three hundred and fifty years. With this, the religious history of the Dominicans of Burrishoole comes to an end.

The last friar to take the habit for Burrishoole was John Hughes in 1862. He was a native of Galway and it was at Esker that his habiting took place.

A Hallowed Resting Place

It was indeed considered a privilege to be buried within the grey walls of the abbey or within it's shadow. It is fitting that we mention the names of a few whose mortal remains repose within the walls. The oldest inscribed monument within the abbey is the Ó Kelly altar tomb, the inscription which is in Latin gives the date 1623, also within the abbey repose the remains of Peregrine Ó Cleary, one of the Four Masters !, in his will dated "Gort na h-Eilte 8th February 1664" ( the original manuscript of which still exists) he set out :- " I bequeath my soul to God and I charge my body to be buried in the monastery of Burghéis Umhaill " (Gort na h-Eilte is a townland in Glenhest)

For many sleep in old Burrishoole where once the altar stood they rest

As shattered stone and manuscript and clear traditions voice attest

God keep the grass green on their graves with sweet wind that fills the West.

Sources

Rev. Martin O'Donnell C.C. Spiddal, Co. Galway - Burrishoole Abbey

Pádraig Ó Móráin Annála Beaga Pharáiste Bhuiréis Umhaill.

A special word of thanks to Jane O'Malley, Kiltarnet, Newport for her personal notes and papers

Mayo County Library

Connaught Telegraph.