Here In The Middle of The Glen Danny Houlihan’s Irish Experience

During the Penal times primitive churches were erected in secluded places such as glens, valleys and shorelines out of the eyeshot of the English Soldiers. Built sometimes of available material such as mud and in cases roofs of sod or straw or willow woven depending on the area and the material around the area that would have been suitable for use.

Priests were being hunted down and hung the practice during the Penal Laws with lookouts being posted along ditches, hillsides and pathways to spot the approaching English Redcoats approaching with their horses. 

Danny Houlihan in this episode examines the small but important history of the area of North Kerry once more which was forgotten where a number of such mass houses were located and the brief history involved in their story.

Mass was said in the shade of a ditch near Dillanes land not far away from the famous seaside resort of Ballybunion and the other site Gleann Na Dtalamh The Glen of The High land where a mass house was erected with a free flowing stream near it which meandered its way to the high cliffs facing the Shannon Estuary North Kerry Ireland. 

One of these site priests were buried there a Father O Keeffe from County Cork and a Fr O Connor the names lost in time.

Using the the poem in Irish by the late Sean Mac Fheorais teacher and Irish Poet born in the year of 1915-1984 this poem Anseo I Lar An Gleanna paints a poetic picture of the serious time of the Penal Times in Ireland.

Danny once again using old sourced information and history backed up with his music reinforces the picture and the poem of the period.Thanks to the County Kildare Library Service, and all who supplied information for this episode. This episode like others will be updated as more information arrives.

Note the translation in this episode is like others in our national language is open to Interpretation.