The story of the Spaniard's Church requires a Catholic author. There is too much mystery and overtones of the miraculous to come easily to a Protestants, especially a Scottish Presbyterian. Therefore I've decided to go straight to a Catholic source, Sacred Sites in the Parish of Kilcar, Co Donegal, Catherine Campbell, O.P., (self Published), copies available at Aislann Chill Chartha (The Kilcar community center .)
"Situated between Kilcar / Carrick road at a place call Bun na dTri Sruthán at the bottom of Gleann an Bhaile Dhuibh (now known as Cashlings) is an unusual long building. The story behind it is as fascinating today as it was two hundred and fifty years ago.
On a nice summer evening in 1756 a Spanish cruiser was observed around Glenhead making its way to Donegal Bay. The Glencolmcille folk were aware of a storm brewing and hastened indoors. The parish priest, with his faithful clerk, Denis or Owen, had been on a sick call in Mallinberg. The household pressed them to stay the night but the priest wouldn't hear of it. As the two crossed Sliabh Liag the wind rose up and they had to fight their way on.
The clerk pressed the priest to go back but to no avail. Fear gripped the poor pony. The priest insisted they go on, assuring the clerk 'the angels will guard us.' Halfway along the mountain they heard crying and moaning. The proest located wherefrom the sound was coming, and taking stock of the sea-cliff, carefully chose his route down, marking it along the way.
Down below, a fatally wounded soldier breathed a sigh of relief and disbelief as he saw a priest. That the priest could speak Spanish was a great comfort to the Spaniard. He asked forgiveness from God for his wasteful life, and told the priest of his habit of saying three Hail Marys for a happy death. He showed his deep gratitude to the priest by offering his belt filled with gold coins, only minutes later breathing his last.
To the great relief of the clerk, the priest eventually arrive back up the mountain.
The pair continued their journey along the 'One Man's Path.'
A version of his story also exists where a woman brought the news of the dying Spaniard, but afterward disappeared. There is yet another very detailed version printed by 'Kinnfaela.' The parish priest, who could have been Fr Owen Carr, Fr Kerr, or Fr Cannon, had a church with a thatch roof built at Cashlings, and he also had the old church at Faugher, Glencolmcille rebuilt.
We know that Teach Phobail an Spainigh served the local community well until 1830, when the new church in town was dedicated. '
KS's family lived in this part of Donegal and, perhaps they attended this church.
Note: the Church was rebuilt in 1985 and the original stones were put in the foundation (Campbell, p. 12). The thatched roof has collapsed, but the walls remain solid.
The Presbyterian version would involved many committee meetings, conflicts over the purchase price of the land, and a fierce debate over the questions of windows on the north face. (The no windows side won, their arguments about winter storms carrying the day against those who argued for God's symmetry.) There would be benches and boxes, with the wealthy families buying the boxes at the front, closer to God.
This is the best I could do to capture the stones placed near the roofline at right angles to the wall. The thatch roof was overlaid with ropes that were tied to these protruding stones to anchor the roof.
This is the best I could do to capture the stones placed near the roofline at right angles to the wall. The thatch roof was overlaid with ropes that were tied to these protruding stones to anchor the roof.
The windowless north wall
of the Spaniard's Church.
A travel confession: KS and I had a hell of a time finding this place. KS had a map which usually is all she needs. I was very tired and concentrating on staying on the left side of narrow country roads and shifting with my left hand. When we first found the church, I said, "That's some old agricultural building. That can't be it." We returned three more times (damn map) before we investigated the "agricultural building" and I had to admit I was wrong. KS generously didn't mention my earlier archeological error.
sooo, why does it have this name?
ReplyDeleteI had so much trouble adding a video of the place and then snipping photos out and posting the pictures, phew! Details to follow.
ReplyDeleteSmall observation: The stone that is propped up on a pedestal half way down the inside of the church appears to have a very crude X carved into it, but then I also thought that just might be how the stone looked naturally. It was a puzzle as to placement - it certainly didn't look like much of an alter.
ReplyDeleteHowever, we knew that during a good deal of the time that Britain was ascendant over Donegal, it was forbidden for Catholics to openly practice their religion. We learned that there came to be "priest stones" around the area, marked with crude crosses. When a priest came through (in secret), the word would pass to assemble at one of the stones. Mass would be said, there might be other ceremonies held, etc.
Great care was taken to get the word out without alerting a spy, given that the result might be dire for the priest, and likely the persons present for the mass as well.
There were no "priest holes", or secret rooms as in the great halls of England among wealthy Catholics who refused to embrace the Church of England. Affluent persons in this area of Donegal were exclusively Protestants of mostly Scottish heritage. Priests who travelled in this part of Donegal during that period were not easily hidden, and were in great danger virtually all the time.
According to records that the local history people have, there was a priest's rock near the old church. I think that the stone with the x grooves in it could be the priest's stone near the Spanish church, brought inside to give it a proper place of respect.