O Fiaich’s Country Cycle Part 2

A moderately hilly, circular cycle route on roads, approximately 31.4 miles long. Along with the spectacular views there are a number of the Cardinal’s favourite historical sites to behold along the way.

O’Neill castle at Glassdrumman
The castle of the O’Neill’s guarded the flat approaches from County Louth into the hilly and wooded Fews. The castle was ransacked in 1642 and finally demolished about 1700. Not a trace remains as, according to local tradition, its stones were used to build a house and make a piece of road..

Roche Castle
Castle Roche is one of the most striking Anglo-Norman castles in Ireland. Located on a rocky hilltop, it commands wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. The site of the castle marked the boundary between the Gaelic province of Ulster and the Anglo-Norman 'Pale' and overlooked an ancient route into south Armagh. The castle itself comprised of a great hall, which may have been up to three storeys high. The Castle is believed to have been built in 1236 by Lady Rohesia de Verdun after the death of her husband. The story goes that she promised her hand in marriage to the architect who would build her a castle at Roche. When he went to claim her hand, she had him thrown from one of the windows, which to this day is known as the 'murder window'.

Moyry Castle
The castle was built in 1601 to secure the pass during Mountjoy’s northern campaign, but it had a short military life. The castle is set on a rocky height, overlooking the strategically important Moyry Pass (Bealach an Mhaighre), the Gap of the North. The small tower, three stories high, has rounded corners, gun-loops and a machicolation over the door. The two upper floors have fireplaces and windows, but the accommodation is unlikely to have ever been very comfortable. Fragmentary remains of the bawn wall survive.

Kilnasaggart Stone
'Cill na Saggart' means the 'church of the priest'. Standing at almost 2m tall, Kilnassagart Inscribed Stone is regarded as being one of the oldest inscribed stones in Ireland. It stands on the ancient road which ran from Tara in County Meath and through the Moyry Pass to Dunseverick Head on the North Antrim Coast (Sighe Midhlachra). It has a total of 13 crosses on its faces and the inscription, ‘This place, bequeathed by Temoc, son of Ceran Bic, under the patronage of Peter, the Apostle.’ Temoc’s death was recorded around 714, which sets the stone in the 8th century. Excavations at the site in 1966 and 1968 revealed an early Christian graveyard with graves oriented radially around the pillar and facing towards the rising sun. It is thought that a church was probably located nearby.

Killeavy Churches
This site at the foot of Slieve Gullion contains back to back churches; the West Church dates from 11th Century and the East Church from 15th Century. It is also the site of an early monastery founded by St. Moninna in 517 as one of the most important monasteries for nuns in Medieval Ireland.

Moninna's real name was Darerca and it would appear that she came from the Donaghmore area of County Down, between Newry and Banbridge. As there were no convents in the area, Moninna went to the west of Ireland to join St. Ibar. When Ibar moved to Wexford, Moninna followed him, but stopped off with St. Brigid in Kildare. This may have been the turning point in her life.

Moninna travelled to Faughart in County Louth, Brigid’s birthplace, where she lived for some time. She then moved a short distance to Killeavy, where she founded her main monastery, Cill Sleibhe Cuilinn, the Church of Slieve Gullion or Killeavy, in this mountainous country of South Armagh. Although plundered by the Vikings in 923, monastic life continued and the site was occupied by the Augustinian nuns until 1542.

The church ruins now on the site comprise two distinct churches joined lengthwise. The smaller and older is characterised by a most impressive, low lintel doorway built of three massive, shaped granite stones. The more recent building, an Augustinian Convent, has a very impressive arched window with angel carvings still visible on its outside. The large tree-lined graveyard is still in use today.

Close by is a large granite slab which is reputed to mark Moninna’s grave, with a holy well further up the hill which is still visited by pilgrims on her feast day, July 6th.

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