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 […]
Tag: Bree
A medieval farmstead at Ballybuckley, Bree?
In 2007 the parish’s first archaeological investigation was carried out at Ballybuckley, Bree (see site location map at the bottom). It revealed evidence of medieval activity, possibly representing a farmstead, in the southern part of […]
Antiquarian Drawings of Ballybrittas Portal Tomb, Bree
These beautiful images of the Neolithic portal tomb (dolmen) at Ballybrittas, Bree were drawn by the noted antiquarian illustrator, George Victor Du Noyer, in July 1862. They represent the oldest surviving depictions of the dolmen […]
The Ancient Church Site at Clonmore, Bree
Clonmore church, Bree is the site of ancient monastery which was founded by St. Aidan in the 7th century AD.
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 […]
The defended homes of the Anglo-Norman colonists; Bree’s moated sites
Moated sites are rectangular shaped enclosures that are primarily associated with the 13thand 14th century Anglo-Norman colonisation of Ireland. Bree has a notable concentration of these monuments with 12 located within the parish bounds (see Table […]
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 […]
How a 16th century attack on Bree led to the defeat of an English army
On the 8th of April 1580 the parish of Bree was attacked by a large force of men who robbed and pillaged as they went. This event and more importantly the subsequent English response was […]
Bree Heritage 