User:Theclonleahistorian

the clonlea massrock

This Massrock hidden among the clump of trees as it was 400 years ago is  located near the shore of the beautifull scenic mountainous Clonlea lake in Kilkishen co Clare. It was consecrated in 1655 by fr Edward Glissane and used to perform secret mass for the catholic people  during the Cromwellian campaign the infamous general Henry Irenton and the Cromwellian army burned down clonlea church and all the catholic homes causing fr glissane and the catholics to flee  for the  Knocknahuran, Oatfield, and Snata mountains dressed as farmers and sneak to Clonlea by stepping stones withough being hunted tortured And slaughtered under Cromells rule. The massrock was used for secret mass all the way to the  Penal Laws when murdering torturing and banishing catholic rituals was legal by law. The local sherrif and priest hunter of kilkishen castle John Cusack hunted priests and Catholics ,seized catholic lands,  burned there homes and flung them all into the cold dark dungeon of Kilkishen castles dungeon  where they were brutally tortured and executed. Out of the 100s he brutally killed he himself died a rotten death and was so hated his remains were taken from his vault in clonlea and flung in the lake and others carved a nasty poem on his tomb.

God is happy when man cease sin. The devil is happy when a soul he win

Mankind is happy when evil dies

But all is happy for here John Cusack lies

In 1712 while saying mass fr Edward Glissane and the Catholic people were arrested by the priesthunter Cusack and his soldiers and flung into Kilkishens dark dungeon. In the dungeon fr Glissane fell ill of ague disease and was forced to register loyal to the crown. He never said mass again and spent his remaining days ill in bed until death. During the 18th century it was used again to perform secret masses during the evictions of clonlea when the gentry studderts evicted large amounts of catholic family's such as Donnelon, Gleason, Moloney and Dwyer. out of there land in in the Knocknatinty mountins that are right beside Clonlea lake so to let in the   protsent gentry family  Bailey who built a fancy gentry house there. The O Dwyers were evicted twice and were forced to bury there relative on the crannog but became the blacksmiths of Clonlea. Moloney is famous for his hatred and continuous arguments with Bailey and when he died he wasn't allowed to be buryed in Knocknatinty and the priest caused the graveyard to miraciously  move over in one night to this day know one knows how. As the penal laws began to fade in the late 18th century the massrock was forgotten and never documented until 400 years when 15 year old Cathal O Hagan discovered it. It was documented by the national museam and today is a public historical site

The massrock was completely forgotten for 400 years and never documented until its discovery in 2017 by 15 year old Cathal O Hagan. The massrock was investigated and documented by the National Museam and now is a public historical site  where you can visit the massrock and go up to the ruins of the church.