The earlies churches in the parish of Omeath-Carlingford were at Rooskey and Cill-an-Snamh which was located in the present Ferry Wood in cornamucklagh. Fr. Lauurence Murray records that some remnants of the Cill-am-Snamh monastey were still to be seen as late as 1850 and the site used for occasional buriels, especially unbaptised babies and strangers found drowned in the Lough. Cill-an-Snamh was burned by the vikings 841 and all the monks slaughtered. The abbot who was absent at the time, recorded as ‘abroad in Carlingford’ was the lone survivor. A number of sites from this period attracted Fr. Murray’s interest. A North Louth church was recorded in the 10th century at Drum Hubla. Was this Drumullagh in Omeath ? Local traditionidentified a hillock called ‘Cnoc na hEaglaise’ at the top of Knocknagoran hill where a chalice was discovered.a 1431 Church, tax assesment for the Carlingford area mentioned ‘Ballytresran’ Was this Ballenteskin ? We know of Mass Rock at Poll a Bhui in Ardaghy and eighteen century documents refer to a Mass House Cille Cam ( The Crooked Church ) in the old graveyard. It may be called Crooked Church because rules were that churches had to face East and this meant that the building was not parallel to the Lough Shore but at an angle to it.
Thank you and credit to Omeath Historical Society.
