The accounts below detail some of the superstitions which once surrounded May Day in Bree parish. They are based on information supplied to the Irish Folklore Commission by children studying at Galbally school in the […]
Category: History articles
History articles about Bree Parish
The Battle of Lambstown, 1650
In October 1650 a bloody battle was fought near the border of Bree and Glynn parishes at a place called Lambstown.
Ballyhogue and the Knights Hospitallers
It is hard to believe it now but the small and overgrown cemetery at Ballyhogue was once home to a crusading order of knights, whose origins lay in the Holy Land. These were the Knights […]
The Early History of Wilton Castle, Bree, Co. Wexford
Wilton Castle has long and varied history and it is associated with some of County Wexford’s most esteemed families including the De Denes, Furlongs, Butlers and Alcocks (location map). In its earliest days it was the […]
Bree parish and the census of 1659 AD
In 1659 a census of Ireland was undertaken and its results for Bree parish are revealing[i] (see Table 1. below). The census was compiled by Sir William Petty to assess the country for poll tax purposes […]
From Macmine to Montserrat, the tale of 17th century adventurer
The tiny tropical island of Montserrat might seem an unlikely place for a Bree man to end up, but this is exactly what happened in the early 17th century. Located in the the southern Caribbean, where […]
The Ghosts of Wilton Castle, Wexford
If the local legends are to be believed, a fair number of ghosts now lurk within the wall’s of Wilton Castle.
Petty’s map of Wexford, 1685
This short article is based on William Petty’s map of Wexford of 1685 and its depiction of Bree. As well as detailing a number of place-names within the parish the map also shows the location […]
The remarkable career of Prior James Keating
The tumultuous life of James Keating, a Bree man who played a starring role in the politics and history of late 15th century Ireland.
An outlaw attack on Clonmore, Bree
Late one night in 1739 a group of outlaws known as the Kellymount Gang attacked the residence of Captain Donovan of Clonmore, Bree (Griffiths 1877, 300). The Kellymount gang were a notorious band of thieves and robbers, who […]
Bree Heritage 