Ardee Castle

Written by Rev Diarmuid MacIomhair - generously forwarded to this site by Leonard HatrickÁth Fherdia is the Ford of Ferdia, where this ancient hero fought his epic fight with Cuchulainn about two thousand years ago. Then and for long afterwards it was an important river crossing on the highway of Slighe Midhluachra which led from Tara to Armagh; but it was not yet a town. That did not come about ...

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Kildemock and it’s Jumping Church

Written by Rev Diarmuid MacIomhair - generously forwarded to this site by Leonard HatrickKildemock is one of the countless little ruined churches all over the country. Embosomed in our green Irish fields, the graves of its dead around it, it is a quiet spot now, apart from the daily life of men. Yet it was not always like this. There was a time when it stood whole and entire under ...

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Ardee Mills

The mill was not only an essential element in the economy of any manor but was also a source of considerable profit to the lord who owned it. For that reason lords were careful to see that there was no erosion of their milling rights.

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Hacklim – Legend of the Sleeping Army

The townland of Hacklim lies to the south east of Ardee.  This townland is on record from the early years of the Anglo-Norman occupation, which, over time had different spelling and pronounciation, including Heyghlem, Heglen and Heylem.  The meaning of the name Hacklim, from the original Gaelic language, seems to be Each Léim, or Horse Leap. Hacklim runs across a ridge of land running east-west. Baltrasna sits to the north, ...

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Part 1: The Keppock family and Cromwellian Confiscations

In 1641 the Keppock estate contained 509 Irish acres, plantation measure – but it is to be noticed that the Down Survey generally stated the contents as less by about one-seventh than the actual measurement – so that the Keppocks must have owned almost 600 of our modern Irish acres. The estate lay chiefly in Baltrasna, Great Lough (now Broad Lough), Mulladrillen, Rathgory, and the town of Ardee.

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The Grave of Ferdia

They met at the place now called Ath Ferdia, within 80 perches off Ardee to the west where an engagement took place between them. Cuchulain then gave Fear-dhiadh a mortal wound with the Gae bulga of which he immediately died: whence the ford is called Ath Ferdiad and the town Baile Ata Ferdiad.

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