THE ANCIENT CHURCH IN KILCATHERINE:- Kilcatherine (Chellchatthigern; Kyllcharrine) Church:- There is a stone carved head in the ancient Church. The Church dates from the 7th Century. A leaning stone on the left is one of the eldery stone crosses in Ireland. >From the Monastic map of Ireland the site would appear to have been a Nunnery rather than a Monastery. In a Decretal Letter of Pope Innocent 3rd (1198-1216) the Parish was given as Cellchattigern; Caitighearn. The Parish is now known as Eyeries Parish, in which lies Ardgroom. The ancient Church is now closed. The later Parish Church, known to all the old people as Eyeries Church, was in recent years "re-Christened" as St. Kentigern's Church at the time of our Parish Priest Fr. Mangan (now dead), by a Killarney "Historian" Priest putting Saints' names on the Churches. Now I have queried why the name has been changed to St. Kentigern's Church, but to date I have received no answer ---- because I maintain that putting the name of the Church as St. Kentigern's Church is utter rubbish. St. Kentigern happened to have been the Apostle of the Kingdom of Strathclyde in Scotland, and was the founder of what is now known as the City of Glasgow. He was born circa the year 518 on died on January 13th 603. How he got to Eyeries is the question ---- unless he came over for a Rugby game between Scotland and Ireland !! It is St. Catherine who should be the Patron Saint of this Parish ---- not St, "Kentigern". Now, back to reality. The Ballycrovane Ogham Stone, between Ardgroom and Eyeries, is 17 feet 6inches above ground, and the width near the ground is 3 feet 6 inches. It is said to be the highest in Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales. The ogham characters, which are deeply cut, are still legible (with two exceptions). The inscription reads:- maqi deccada safitora ni as. Torani seems to be the person commemorated. The prefix safi may mean a sage or a wise man ---- The wise or learned Torani, son of Deccada. The pillar-stone obviously took several men to remove it and place it in its present position. Then there is the famous Cailleach Beara ---- the old Hag of Beara ---- a rock nearby, and over the sea, which is famous in Legends. There is a Holy Well on the hillside above Goulane. A Mass-Rock is to be seen in Cnocan an Aifrinn ( = the Hillock of the Mass), to the west of Cahirkeem. The Priests often lived in caves near Mass Rocks in the times of the Penal Laws. There are the remains of a small 29 feet 6 inches X 18 feet 6 inches Church with the surrounding Cilleenach (a burial ground for un-Baptised children = children who died before being Baptised) in Pairc a' Teampaill (= the field of the Church) in Cahirkeem. Another ancient now ruined Church, surrounded by a Cilleenach, is just above what was Con (Cromhane) O'Sullivan's's house in Coulagh. Stones from that Church were used in the buiding of the now-closed Kilmacowen Primary School. I remember the first day I came to teach in Kilmacowen Primary School asking the children of my class to try and search for the rod which was used as punishment by the previous Master (now dead). I'm telling you, they weren't long in finding it. After handing the rod to me, I gave it back to the child and told him to throw it down into the nearby river. I assure you that I didn't have to tell him the second time !! The rod was sent sailing down the river quicker than you could say "Kilmacowen". In Boffickil, between Eyeries and Ardgroom, there is a ruin which has underground chambers. The entrance to these is in the centre of the mound, which could be penetrated to one or two apartments, as the earth has fallen in. A portion of the stone ramparts were still to be seen. I will later continue. Just to conclude ----- for the women of Beara only !! A woman was asked what age she was. The answer she gave was: "Well, I suppose you could say that I am in the youth of my maturity". * ---- Riobard *.