A Very Happy New Year roll on 2021 X and a Big Hug Martin Emer and Mark Down at the Mullichain Cafe

Dammed Hessians

 

Martin Obrien

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The Hessians “To twin or not to twin?” No 13

Have you ever noticed the signs outside towns and cities proclaiming that they are twinned with some place like Timbuktu, Avignon, or even Lazio in Italy? The whole idea is to share your problems and solutions, to make amends for being nasty in the past, to be pals, to come and visit. Well I have a great crowd to twin up with and no we haven’t asked them yet as I am sure the current population of both villages or towns are blissfully unaware of one another .The village of St Mullins in South County Carlow and Hanau and Kassel in Germany have a long history that needs to be resolved.

Bet you thought the British defeated the Irish in 1798 all by themselves, that great empire, not on your nanny they brought in mercenaries from all places Germany, Baron Von Hompesch’s and his dragoons .Yep the very fellows they fought two world wars against they paid them to kill Americans in the American revolution which they lost and in the Irish revolution of 1798 which we lost. The Hessians were German mercenaries, thugs for hire, they had the same reputation as the Vikings for rape pillage and plunder. Can you believe that a quarter of the British troops in the American revolution were Hessians paid for by the Mad King George 111 and sure weren’t s E2all his relations Germans. Now whose pulling whose leg?

Why is 1798 so important to St Mullins? You just have to walk up to the grave yard, thousands were massacred, more were killed in six weeks in Ireland than the entire French revolution and they had their guillotine .Another bad apple who kept turning up was the mad kings pal Charles Cornwallis, the Americans kicked him out in 1781 in Yorktown when he surrendered. Where did he turn up but in Ireland in 1798 with his gang of Hessians to have a go at beating up the local lads who were armed with pikes. He died in India from a dose, “fever” they said, maybe the Indians put the hex on him, that’s a good quality curse.

Back to this twinning, I propose that we contact the Mayors of these towns in Germany, elect a Mayor of our own here in St Mullins, I know a few likely candidates and arrange a twinning ,Let’s make pals with the Hessians, forgive and forget, they might even come over on holidays. There could be a bit of their DNA around! Sure, one of the real locals could be heir to the Hessian crown.

Saintly carry on down in St Mullins

 

 

St Moling Turns a farmer to Stone No 11

 

 Now, St Moling was a fair man for the curse himself, didn’t he turn a crowd of locals in the parish of St Mullins into stone because he caught them working on his holy day. Those stones are there to this day,and not a man, woman or child would dare touch them for fear getting into the bad book with the Saint. It was a farmer called Anthony from the parish of St Mullins who had his workers out in the field digging away on St Moling’s day.His wife who was called the “Ramshadh Rua” came along with the dinner at 12.30, as that’s dinner time in the country none of this dinner at eight o’clock at night sure wouldn’t it stick in in your gut and you trying to get to sleep. Dinner in the middle of the day was for the working man it was only the Gentry had the big feeds at night , big fat lads with gout.Well the Ramshadh had a churn of milk with her on the cart when she pulled in beside the lads. They were all sitting around in a circle when suddenly out of the blue who appears but the bauld Moling himself in a bit of a temper.  He demanded to know why they were out working on his holy day after he telling all the local pagans it was a holiday for the lads. A Christian thing these Holidays were,  a new invention. Well Anthony took to his heels and made a bolt for it across the fields, the hair standing up on his head, sure he knew the powers and curses this saint had in his repatoir.  He only made it as far as Dranagh (that’s up on the Black stairs mountain )before the Monk’s curse caught up with him and he was turned into stone known to this day as “Stukan-na-Drana”.  Anthony’s wife took to her heels too. She was a almighty runner but only made it to the hill of Ramshagh,which is called  after her to this day  ” Ramshagh  Rua “. There she stands petrified (that’s turned into a lump of stone). Just ask Michael Boland,the stone is sitting in one of his fields, and that poor creature locked inside it for all eternity. I bet he wouldn’t dare try and shift it, just in case the wily saint is still around. The workers never made it off the ground where they sat in a ring having the dinner (probably a Druid’s ring as old habits die hard). They were turned to stone and so was the donkey and the cart and even the churn of milk. Moling didn’t miss a thing. Those stones remained in that place that was called “Maol Oula”(The Bald place), until some Yahoo dug them up to build houses in Marley ,I wonder how he faired ?

Santa Claus out in search of his Reindeers

 Happy Christmas from all The Gang Down at The Mullicháin Cafe ! Great Time for a Swim Brrrrrr!

Mystical St Mullins South County Carlow Home of The Mullichain Cafe Back in February 2021

The Flower bed gang

Ahh isn't it great hanging out in The Mullichain Cafe flower Bed back in February 2021

Holy Well Cures St Mullins R95XY93

 Holy Well Cures

It is beyond me what happened to the Irish! We queue in the doctor’s clinics for the cure, have shelves full of medications, potions and God knows what when all we have to do is make our way to the Holy well in St Mullins and get the cure for nothing .No waiting lists, no appointments, well maybe go through a few rituals and say your prayers, but no charge. There are reportedly 3,000 holy wells recorded in Ireland more than anywhere else in the world, now that’s why we are the land of Saints and scholars. Pagan and Magic wells were run by the Druids until St Patrick came to convert us all. He blessed the wells and Bobs your uncle ownership changed hands and the heathens were banished. Christian Monks were great sales men and they knew if they outlawed the Pagan wells that locals wouldn’t buy in so they just made the cures holy instead of magic, now that’s Magic. Holy wells were a cure all for all ailments until the local parishes had to claim specific cures for their own well. Sure, you have to do something to keep the crowd coming by being special. Now that’s sales. St Moling’s well has a cure for ulcers which Moling himself suffered from but it also cures eye ailments, warts and the flu, I don’t know about the Asian flu. The catch in getting the cure is you have to duck your head into the cold water three times and say a prayer or in some cases go around and around on your hands and knees. We also have the woman up the Hill with the cure for ringworm and the man with the cure for warts. My brother convinced me to bring two of our children to the man with the cure for the warts, didn’t work for them that’s what you get for not believing.

When the plague arrived in Ireland in 1348 visits to the well really took off with thousands of Irish flocking to St Mullins to be saved from what seemed like certain death. Sure, half the population was wiped out. Today St Moling’s well sees a steady flow of visitors some whom come to be healed, others out of curiosity and many to enjoy the peace and tranquillity. St Mullins is the Mystic centre of Ireland where wells and springs are believed to come from the outer world, the land of Druids and shamans who control the natural forces of the world. Water from the outer world springs into life to fill our wells and rivers that flow to the sea like the Aughavaugh and Barrow River.

Pagan traditions continue today and are mixed up with Christian ones. Offerings of all kinds can be found at most wells, rosary beads rags, cups, pins, coins holy medals.

Bathing in the waters and drinking from this magical source will give the gift healing, wisdom and gift of the gab, sure we are full it!

The Viking Raids on St Mullins

 

Martin Obrien

 is at 

The Mullichain Cafe

.

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The Viking Raids on St Mullins No 4

When the River Barrow falls as the tide goes out, rocks appear at the bend just below the Mill, known locally as the “Scar” a Viking name for weir even the word would strike fear into Ya. The Vikings came from Norway Sweden and Denmark and were a shower of savages, never mind what you see at the movies today.

The Vikings used the rivers to raid inland Ireland and were very fond of monasteries as that was where the wealth of the country lay. Rape, pillage and Plunder was their game and they struck fear into the natives as no mercy was shown. Plunder doesn’t really describe what went on, it means they killed all around them and stole anything of value including the women. Now we are worried about global warming and our kids watching too much telly give me a break we have it good.

In 824 a large fleet of Vikings sailed up the Barrow from Waterford to St Mullins with badness in their hearts and plundered the monastery of St Moling. Can you imagine these mad lads charging up the hill with Axes and swords roaring and shouting in this quite little village? The Monks were totally unprepared for this invasion and had lived peacefully with the local tribes having made good Christians out of them.

In 888 Riagan, son of Dunghal defeated the Vikings at St Mullins after which 200 hundred heads were left behind. In 915 The Chiefs of Liphe “Broad Deeds” waged a battle with the Vikings leaving 500 heads in the valley over Tigh –Moling St Mullins. You see the Irish got it together after a while and were no push over, no prisoners taken just leave your head behind. The Irish were no Angles and great men for counting the heads of their enemies and we were still at it when the Normans arrived 250 years later. The Vikings built towns like Wexford and Waterford which were fortified against the local tribes who took every opportunity to do in a few of the invading enemy. The Viking never made any in roads into the centre of Ireland it was a dangerous place for the foreigners. Heavily forested with narrow paths they were greatly outnumbered by the mad Irish tribes who charged with no fear of death, painted and naked sure that would put the wind up myself. AD 951 Teach Moling was again plundered by Laraic from Waterford the same fellow that Waterford is named after Port –Lairge. Eventually over years the Viking descendants became Irish themselves, we have that kind of effect on invaders.

“Around the swelling waters a graceful swallow glides

As the ever-patient Herron awaits the falling tides.

Shadows of raiding Viking ships about the scar appear

The clash of swords, the shouts men, the ancient smell of fear.”

The Arrival of The Normans in St Mullins

The Arrival of the Normans in St Mullins No 5

 

The first Normans landed in Bannow on 1^st May 1169 they were Knights loyal to Robert Fitz Gilbert de Clare (Strongbow)who was later to marry Aoife daughter of the scoundrel Diarmaid Mac Mourough. The lad that we are interested in is Maurice de Prendergast because he ended up in our patch St Mullins.

The Normans joined forces with Diarmaid Mac Mac Mouragh Ex King of Leinster and fought to help him regain his Kingdom. However, Diarmaid’s only interest was to use the Normans as mercenaries and Maurice de Prendergast had come to win a lordship, money gold a decent estate sure he had to pay the lads who joined him on his venture. Realising he was on a loser he decided to cut his losses and return to Wales with his Flemish knights and 200 Welsh archers. Diarmaid had no intention of letting Maurice out of the country as he was now back in charge of his Kingdom and who did this Norman think he was anyway.

Maurice sent a messenger to Domnall Mac Gilla Pátric(the King of Osraige) that’s Kilkenny who keep winning the all-Ireland hurling championships. He explaining that Diarmaid was now his enemy and that he Maurice was willing to serve him, It was cunning way out of Diarmaid’s trap and the strategy was a success.

The messenger returned with good news .On receiving the offer from Maurice Domnall  had leapt into the air with delight .His reply was that de Prendergast should come at once with complete confidence  to St Mullins to rendezvous with the army of Osraige on the banks of The Barrow (Co Carlow).From there they would see what opportunities presented themselves but Maurice could be reassured that whatever happened ,they would receive generous and substantial payment from Osraige, Money always does the trick.

It would have been better for Diarmaid if he had simply let Maurice and the Flemish army return to Wales. For when he learned of this new and very unexpected alliance ,he felt his power beginning to fragment ;Wexford was rebellious and there was no certainty that the other Normans with him would enter battle against Maurice .In order to attempt to intercept the Flemish army as it marched along The Barrow, Diarmaid dispatched his son with his 500  cavalry these would be half naked lads with long spears hurleys and wearing blue war paint. The two armies clashed, but Dairymaids son dared not turn the encounter from a skirmish to an open field battle, not in the face of the more heavily protected Flemish knights and foot soldiers in full armour. Harassed all the way, Maurice eventually arrived at the round tower in St Mullins, there he made a stand and sent word to Domnall Mac Gilla Pátric. The messenger returned with a promise that if Maurice held fast, the army of Osraige would be there on the third day. The King of Osraige (Kilkenny)did indeed arrive on the third day, to the cheers of the Flemish troops and to the dismay of Diarmaid’s cavalry who now ran as fast as they could towards the foot of Mount Leinster. Observing the proper formalities, Maurice and his seven knights greeted the king who had so recently been their enemy. The chief men of Osraige and the Flemish knights swore faith to one another at St Moling’s alter. In particular, Domnall Mac Gilla Patraic swore that he would never betray Maurice and his men, so long as they were allies. St Moling was important for the people of Osraige, for it was said that, through his presence, St Moling had enfeebled an army of Leinster which had been raiding Osraige. The Leinster men were powerless to lift a hand against the saint. All the cattle these raiders had stolen were given to St Moling, who then returned them to Osraige. It would therefore be a foolish king of Osraige who violated an oath made in tempall na-bo or (the church of the cows) and risked the saint’s wrath.

Reindeer Missing

Hi Santa here ! Did anyone see a bunch of Reindeers up on The Green St Mullins? one fella has a Big Red nose
 

The Mystical Valley of St Mullins

 Didn't I tell ya there were Fairies Down in The Mystical Valley of St Mullins 

Lock Down November 2020

 St Mullins the perfect spot to lockdown .The Mystical Valley 

Mysterious St Mullins

 Mysterious St Mullins

No 2 The Motte and Bailey of St Mullins

Or is it The Tumulus of St Mullins?

When you arrive in St Mullins the green is dominated by a large mysterious mound which historians will tell us is a Motte and Bailey, that’s a big mound of earth and stone with a wooden fort on top. They, who know everything locally, say it was the Normans who stuck their wooden fort on top of the mound that was there for years and years, ancient it was. The Normans were dastardly invaders from France who arrived in 1169 and they used the fort to guard the river, that was their way in and out of St Mullins and it kept them safe when the local tribes’ men attacked.

Ireland was covered in thick forest; it was very hard to get through so the best way not to be mugged by the Carlow gang was to come up river. Around the mound they dug out a dry mote and put spikes on top to slow down the attacking natives. The strange part of the mound is the tale that it was the burial ground of a Great chieftain who was buried standing up with his spear and shield ,he fought alongside our famous warrior Chu Chulainn .You might ask have the archaeologists ever dug into the mound to see what’s inside? Not on your life, there are things in this life that are best left alone fairies and Leprechauns are not to be messed with. When all the motor way building and road works were going on you would be surprised how many times certain areas had to be avoided lest the unknown be disturbed .The local children use cardboard boxes to slide down the Motte into the surrounding mote blissfully unaware of what may lie beneath and the battles that once raged in this spot. Wise men observing from the pub across the green believe the Motte is shrinking or maybe it is descending into the other world beneath. Stand with the Motte at your back and look across the green to the pub now that’s where the village of St Mullins was. When the dangerous St Mullins folk got frisky and mounted an attack on the village the Normans would jump up from the dinner table leaving the half-eaten dinner behind, run up into their fort and slam the door. On the walls of the wooden fort they had cow hides, skins that they poured water over so flaming arrows couldn’t set them on fire, can you imagine the smell? Along with the Normans were Welsh archers these lads had the big long bows like in Robin Hood and they could stick an arrow in you long before our lads had a chance to throw a spear. Just be careful when you climb to the top there are tales of people disappearing into the underworld never to be heard of again.

(1)             St Mullins  Poem No 1

 

St Mullins steeped in history a place of wondrous sights,

With peace slowly darkens as evening shadows dim the lights.

Grey ruins of Moling’s abbey in the distance stand,

His memory ever etched upon this Noble land.

 

Pikemen, Kings and Peasant neath shadowed tower rests

Inscriptions with time have worn names, titles fading crests.

Ghosts of Heroes long since past, The Valleys passes Guard,

Upon the Motte a growing shadow of an ancient bard.

 

Celtic crosses cast their shadows, tall markers of passing time,

Like time soldiers on sentry duty all gathered in marching line.

Kings, Chieftains with common man share this Holy ground,

In life exalted by their peers now lie neath common mound.

 

 

Above The Barrow valley the dark raven circles high,

As evening closes quietly clouds rush through the sky.

Rooks gathering, jostling, prepare for evening flight,

Badger awakens sensing dusk peeks out to scent the night.

 

 

 

Around the swelling waters a graceful swallow glides,

                    As the ever-patient Herron awaits the falling tides,

                    Shadows of raiding Viking ships about the Scar appear

       The clash of swords, the shouts of men, the ancient smell of fear.

 

Author Martin O’Brien

St Mullins The Mystical centre of Irelands Ancient East

 

Had to have a word with the Wellie gang on social distancing

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Happy Easter to all our customers from all the Gang Down at The Mullicháin Cafe Emer Martin and Mark . Sit out in your garden a play a couple of Oldie tunes Post code R95XY93

What a stunning Morning Down on The Quay St Mullins R95XY93

Cherry 🍒 Blossoms just ready to burst out Down on the Quay St Mullins R95XY93

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