Pete, I don't know the answer to your question, but I can think of a couple possibilities for finding the information--one for you to do and the other for me to do. For you: send a copy of the passage that describes the location of Druimcheo to the Archivist of the Diocese of Ardagh/Clonmacnoise, Father Tom Murray (email [email protected]), and see if he can help you. Father Tom is not only the diocesan archivist but also a leading light in the Longford Historical Sociey, so he may have useful sources in one and/or both of the two places. Meanwhile, I have a friend who is an archeologist in Ireland whom I was going to email on another matter anyway. I will include the passage in my message to him and see if he can be of any help. Nancy Gray -------------- Original message from [email protected]: -------------- > This is not actually genealogical, but I think I need help from someone who > might be aware of the Ousley family in Bawn townland, Moydow civil parish, in > about 1838. > > One of the more interesting aspects of my Irish travels is locating Early > Christian and early Medieval nunneries. I've been doing this for years, and > have > acquired a pretty-good reputation "in the trade" (whatever that is). One of > my recent targets has been Druimcheo, in Co. Longford. This goes back to St. > Patrick, St. Mel (of Ardagh fame) and Mel's "kinswoman", Lupita. Anyway, > Patrick arranged for Lupita to go to Druimcheo, west of Bri Leith. John > O'Donovan, in his Ordnance Survey Letters of 1838, deduced that this site is in > Bawn > townland. Here's the section from the OSL: > "The ruins of this Nunnery, said to be the oldest in Ireland, are now to be > seen to the rear of Mr. Ousley's house at Bawn in the Parish of Moydoo and > within about three miles of the Town of Longford. Now, if you draw a line from > the ruins of this Nunnery to that of Saint Mel's Church at Ardagh, it will pass > over the summit of the mountain Slieve Calry or Bri Leith." > > This assumption of J.O'D is unproven, but I'd still like to take a look. > Incidentally, the Ousley house was referred to as "Bawn House", which made me > hope that it would be shown on my Townland Index maps. But it's not. I realize > it's a long shot, but perhaps someone out there has the Ordnance six-inch map > for that area of Co. Longford - map 19 (or XIX) - and could locate Bawn House > within the townland and let me know? Unlikely, I realize. Google shows a > couple of references to Bawn House, but not enough to precisely locate it. > > Any help would be appreciated. > > Pete Schermerhorn, in the glorious Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts > > > ==== IRL-LONGFORD Mailing List ==== > To find other Irish county web pages visit IGP: > http://irelandgenealogyprojects.rootsweb.com >