Burrishoole Abbey
The close proximity of the cemetery to the sea and the eerie atmosphere such combined imagery evokes, really reminded me of the setting for The Woman in Black (1989). Being the horror aficionado that I am, I tried to find out if there were any reported hauntings or spooky tales about the place, but sadly these proved elusive. I did however read a gruesome story about the brutal deaths of several nuns at the hands of British soldiers in the vicinity of the abbey.
In 1563, Sister Honoria De Burgo (Nora Burke) daughter of Richard an Ierain (Iron Dick) – the second husband of pirate queen Grace Ó Malley (Granuaile) – built a small convent close to the abbey where she lived with her fellow sisters. Around 1580 she and the other sisters fled from marauding British soldiers and sought sanctuary in the mountains. When they thought it safe to return to the convent, they were seized by the soldiers, stripped, beaten to death and their bodies thrown into a boat. One of the sisters, Magaen, managed to escape, and when she reached the shore she hid in the forest. Seeking refuge inside a hollow tree, she was found dead the following day and eventually buried alongside her sisters. Perhaps they still wander the grounds of the abbey and the surrounding shore?
Here are a few photos of the place for your enjoyment.
Comments
Have you ever thought of doing a book of photos such as these and your other cemetery ones? Combined with some of the stories like the one above, it would a beautiful thing! You have a very keen eye.
Hope all is well with you and you're enjoying your time away ;)
joe
your friend ....the Doctor
@Wes – I’m sadly not familiar with In Ruins: The Once Great Houses of Ireland, but I shall be adding it to my wish list; thanks so much for the recommendation. The forgotten graveyard you stumbled upon in Kinsale sounds wonderful! Any photos?
@Christine – Cheers! Glad you liked them. And that’s a very interesting suggestion re: a book of graveyard photographs and eerie stories. One to ponder while weak and weary. ;)
@Joe – Thanks – hopefully it won’t be too long before I find myself wandering around another such moody place. My friends really do despair of me!
@Dr Theda, if you ever get the chance, this place is really worth visiting. So much beautiful scenery tucked away just waiting to be discovered.
@Shaun – thanks amigo! I enjoyed posting the photos of Abney Park cemetery, and the positive feedback made me think of trying to do similar posts more often. I really hope you get the chance to snap some of those gargoyles you mentioned! I shall look forward to checking them out if you post them. Which I hope you do. :)
http://www.rte.ie/radio1/sunday-miscellany/