Newry Love Heritage NI 2016 event announced | Latest Newry News, Newry Sport and Newry Business for Newry City

Newry Love Heritage NI 2016 event announced

The Department for Communities has announced the programme of events for 2016 Love Heritage NI.

EHOD 2015 openerLocations open to the public in the Newry area include Killevy Churches on Saturday 27th August from 11am -3pm.

This site at the foot of Slieve Gullion contains back to back churches; the West Church dates from 11th Century and the East Church from 15th Century. It is also the site of an early monastery founded by St. Moninna in 517 as one of the most important monasteries for nuns in Medieval Ireland.

Moninna’s real name was Darerca and it would appear that she came from the Donaghmore area of County Down, between Newry and Banbridge. As there were no converts in the area, Monnina went to the west of Ireland to join St. Ibar. When Ibar moved to Wexford, Monnina followed him, but stopped off with St. Brigid in Kildare.

This may have been the turning point in her life. Monnina travelled to Faughart in County Louth, Brigid’s birthplace, where she lived for some time. She then moved a short distance to Killevy, where she founded her main monastery, Cill Sleibhe Cuilinn, The Church of Slieve Gullion or Killevy, in this mountainous country of south Armagh.

Although plundered by the Vikings in 923, monastic life continued and the site was occupied by the Augustinian Nuns until 1542. The church ruins now on the site comprise two distinct churches joined lengthwise.

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July 2016The smaller and older is characterised by a most impressive, low lintel doorway built of three massive shaped granite stones. The more recent building, an Augustinian Convent, has a very impressive arched window with angel carvings still visible on its outside. The large tree-lined graveyard is still in use today.

Closeby is a large granite slab which is reputed to mark Monnina’s grave, with a holy well further up the hill which is still visited by pilgrims on her feast day, July 6th.

St Monena walks again through her church and grounds, come along and meet with her to hear about her life.

Details of all events are available on https://www.discovernorthernireland.com/loveheritageni/

Short URL: https://newrytimes.com/?p=57257

Posted by on Aug 24 2016. Filed under Community, Old Newry, What's On. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

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