St McCartans, Drumswords
About
Although many local people refer to St McCartans as being in the townland of Aghadrumsee, it is actually in the townland of Drumswords. This maybe due to the fact that there was originally a smaller chapel in Aghadrumsee.
History
About the middle of the 1700’s a little thatched chapel was erected in the townland of Aghadrumsee on the farm of a man called Blakely. In the year 1822, the then parish priest of Clones, a Father Duffy, began building in the neighbouring townland of Drumswords. The Church was not completed till 1829 being first used on the 1st November of that year. It was an oblong building with a gallery at each side and the altar in the centre of the sidewall. There was a two roomed sacristy, with a second storey, which served for a time, as a residence for a priest. The church built by Father Duffy was stripped of its roof on the night of the high wind, 6th January, 1839. It is remarkable that this is the only story that has survived about that particular freak wind storm.
A later priest, Father Keown C.C. who died in 1857, was buried there.
The ground for this cemetery was given by the Elliott family of Drumswords and the gift is still recorded on an old stone there: ‘God bless Mr John Elliott that gave us this place’
Photographs
-
St. Macartan's - From the road
-
St. Macartan's - Viewed from the side
