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A writer of the 13th century credits the Order with 19,000 manors
in Europe...
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Welcome |
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Our
aim is to give the background of the deserted village of Rindoon in County
Roscommon, Ireland which was first mentioned in the
Annals of the Four Masters in the year 1199: |
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“John de Courcy, with the English of Ulidia, and the
son of Hugo De Lacy, with the English of Meath, marched to Kilmacduagh to assist
Cathal Crovderg O'Conor. Cathal Carragh, accompanied by the Connacians, came,
and gave them battle: and the English of Ulidia and Meath were defeated with
such slaughter that, of their five battalions, only two survived; and these were
pursued from the field of battle to Rindown on Lough Ree, in which place John
[de Courcy] was completely hemmed in. Many of his English were killed, and
others were drowned; for they found no passage by which to escape, except by
crossing the lake in boats.”
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In the 65 years it took the Normans to subdue Connaght
a number of measures were taken, including the construction of castles to defend
and hold territory as part of this strategy in 1227 a castle was built during
the initial subjugation of Connaght during the campaign of Richard de Burgo.
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Rindoon was one of a string of Royal Castles along the
Shannon and is situated halfway between the towns of Athlone and Roscommon. It
was assigned to the Knights Hospitallers. |
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The village is behind a fortified wall, twenty feet
high and five hundred meters long with towers and gates across the whole
peninsula, cutting it off from the mainland. The deserted village consists of a
Castle, a hospital building, a church and substantial windmill. There are also
the remains of several houses. These ruins are most impressively seen from Lough
Ree, however from the landward side the town walls make a big impression.
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