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Co. Cavan
Bawnboy
In the center of Templeport
lake sits a picturesque, mysterious island around which many legends
swirl. It is said that on this island, St. Mogue-who later became Bishop of
Ferns-was born under extraordinary circumstances. Early in the 6th
century, there was a house on the island inhabited by a weaver. On a
particularly cold summer's night, the weaver's wife told him that she had
refused shelter to a strange woman wandering the grounds. During the night, the woman-Eithne-had given birth to a son. Eithne died but the hazel staff she carried
burst forth in to blossom.
Across from the island, St. Killian awoke to find snow
covering the ground. His herd of cattle had stampeded during the night. He found
them on the shore of Templeport Lake gazing toward the island. Hearing the
cries of an infant, St. Killian urged
the weaver's wife to find something flat to put the baby on so that he could
baptize him. All she could find was an enormous flagstone at the hearth. To her
surprise, the stone moved at her touch, and when she placed the infant on the
flagstone, it miraculously wafted to the other side of the lake. When the
infant had been baptized, St. Killian gifted him with a bell-Mogue's Bell. The
flagstone carried him safely back to the island. Mogue grew to become a
dedicated and influential religious figure and is the saint of Templeport
Parish.
The laver for the holy water font at nearby St. Mogue's
Church in Bawnboy is made from part of this flagstone, while Mogue's Bell is
housed in Armagh.
Today, the island (accessible only by boat) is lush and
resplendent, its natural beauty visible for miles around. On the island are the
remains of the original church. Legend holds that the mortar between the ruined
stones is touched by the hand of St. Mogue and grants safety from drowning or
burning. One local resident insisted that the clay was truly powerful. She
carried it with her on a ship built in Belfast and bound for America...the
Titanic. She survived the fateful journey only because she carried something
magical with her-St. Mogue's Clay.
How to get there:
From Dublin: N3 to Belturbet then N87 west to approx 2km
before village of Bawnboy. At Bawnboy, follow signs to Templeport Lake and St.
Peter's Church. Well signposted.
From Belfast: A3 to Cavan Town, then N3 north to Belturbet.
Follow signs to Bawnboy then to Templeport Lake and St. Peter's Church.
Address:
St. Mogue's Island, Bawnboy
A road sign gives directions to St. Peter's Church of Ireland
and from the graveyard there, visitors can get a close view-and some wonderful
photos-of St. Mogue's Island.
Festivals:
First week in August, St. Mogue's Festival. Boat hires available for trips to the island.
To arrange a boat ride to the island, contact www.cavantourism.com or Sheila McKiernan at
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Written by Joy Davis - Summer of Travel
2007
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