DROMTRASNA VILLAGE BYPASSED!
| Category: History | 1 Comment
The Parish Newsletter, distributed over Christmas, was a riveting read, with one article in particular, creating much discussion and debate, as well as a certain amount of head scratching.
The article, (author unknown) describes the early days of the Parish of Abbeyfeale and claims that there were in fact two villages in the parish – Abbeyfeale and Dromtrasna!
The article goes on to state that in 1659 the village of Abbeyfeale had a population of 39 and the village of Dromtrasna had a population of 37. Dromtrasna Village was situated on the Allaughan River, quite close to the Blessed Well at Killinagh and not too far from the present national school.
Abbeyfeale developed into a bustling market town and a new road was constructed in 1822 which created a more direct link between itself and Newcastlewest. This was the road through Barna Gap and on to Devon Road and Mountmahon. It completely bypassed the village of Dromtrasna and sent it in to a decline, from which it never recovered, with most of the trades and businesses transferring to the Fealeside Town.
A new church was built in Abbeyfeale in the 1840`s. There was, it appears, also a church in Dromtrasna, but efforts to raise funds to rebuild the church were unsuccessful.
The decline in the fortunes of Dromtrasna Village continued into the 1870`s when the eviction of small tenant-holders by English Landlords was at its height and much of the countryside faced devastation and ruin. In the midst of all their tribulations, the people of Dromtrasna approached Fr Casey and appealed to him to provide funds to help restore their beloved church. The Patriot Priest agreed, but the business people of Abbeyfeale, jealous of their new-found wealth and status, rose up and informed him in no uncertain terms that if he acquiesced to the demands of these rural settlers, he could expect not another brown ha`penny in donations from them. Reluctantly, Fr Casey bowed to their threats and the church and the village at Dromtrasna finally disappeared into the mists of time.
However, the Blessed Well at Killinagh survived and remains a place of pilgrimage and prayer right up to the present day.
Incidentally, the people of Dromtrasna contributed most generously to the funds to erect a statue to Fr Casey in The Square. Having read this, they may now feel justified in demanding their money back!
WE WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM ANYONE WHO CAN SHED ANY FURTHER LIGHT ON THE EXISTENCE OF DROMTRASNA VILLAGE. WE HAVE OPENED UP A NEW DISCUSSION BOARD IN OUR PHOTO ALBUM AND GUESTBOOK. WE ASK FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND OPINIONS . WE ALSO HOPE TO CARRY OUT OUR OWN RESEARCH OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND SHALL POST ALL RELEVANT DETAILS TO THE DISCUSSION PAGE.
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Linda Relias
21. February 2008 | 22:59 hMy great great grandmother came from Dromtrasna.
Her name was Catherine Hartnett. The Hartnetts lived
in Dromtrasna in the early nineteenth century. ANyone
with information about those early Hartnetts, I would
like to email exchange information with. Catherine never emigrated, but her daughter Mary Prindiville did to Illinois, and I descend from both of them.