Drumcliffe
Encyclopedia
Drumcliffe, officially Drumcliff , is a village in County Sligo, Ireland
. It is 8 km north of Sligo town
on the N15 road between Ben Bulben
and the sea.
did not exist, and the priest was educated in the liberal atmosphere of a French College, and possibly both of them read Voltaire and Gibbon. One of the peasants told me he remembered the priest getting up a bonfire to celebrate my grandfather's return to the parish from a protracted sojourn in Dublin".
The village is best known for its round tower dating from the 10th or 11th century and as the final resting place of the poet William Butler Yeats
(1865–1939), who is buried in the graveyard of St. Columba's Church of Ireland
church. W B Yeats died in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
, France
in January 1939, his last wish was to be re-interred in Drumcliffe within a year or two of his death. WW 11 intervened and his remains were returned to Ireland by the Irish Naval Service
and re-interred at Drumcliffe in 1948 in the presence of a large number of local people and dignitaries which included the Minister for External Affairs, Seán MacBride
, who represented the overnment of Ireland|Government]. The graveside oration was made by Yeats's friend the author Frank O'Connor (1903-1966) ].
St. Colmcille founded a monastery in Drumcliffe in about 575 and the village is also famous for its Irish High Cross
dating to the 9th century, which stands in the grounds of the former abbey. In this monastery occurred the incident which led to the Battle of the Books.
Across the road is the stump of a Round Tower, which was struck by lightning in 1396.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is 8 km north of Sligo town
Sligo
Sligo is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is sometimes referred to as a city, and sometimes as a town, and is the second largest urban area in Connacht...
on the N15 road between Ben Bulben
Ben Bulben
Ben Bulben, sometimes spelt Benbulben or Benbulbin , is a large rock formation in County Sligo, Ireland. It is part of the Dartry Mountains, an area sometimes called "Yeats Country".Ben Bulben is listed as a protected structure....
and the sea.
History
The village is shown on Ptolemy's map of Ireland as Magnata and was once a thriving town, as John Butler Yeats remarked in a letter to his son W B Y in 1913: "My father, tho' a low Churchman, hated Presbyterianism and Presbyterians. Why? Because he knew like members of his own family the Catholic peasants of Drumcliffe. In his time there were forty houses between the rectory gate and the round tower, now there is only one. In my grandfather's time he & the parish priest were friends. MaynoothMaynooth
Maynooth is a town in north County Kildare, Ireland. It is home to a branch of the National University of Ireland, a Papal University and Ireland's main Roman Catholic seminary, St. Patrick's College...
did not exist, and the priest was educated in the liberal atmosphere of a French College, and possibly both of them read Voltaire and Gibbon. One of the peasants told me he remembered the priest getting up a bonfire to celebrate my grandfather's return to the parish from a protracted sojourn in Dublin".
The village is best known for its round tower dating from the 10th or 11th century and as the final resting place of the poet William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats
William Butler Yeats was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms...
(1865–1939), who is buried in the graveyard of St. Columba's Church of Ireland
Church of Ireland
The Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church...
church. W B Yeats died in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin
Roquebrune-Cap-Martin is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France between Monaco and Menton. The name was changed from Roquebrune to differentiate the town from Roquebrune-sur-Argens in the neighboring Var Department.-History:In pre-Roman times the area was settled by the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in January 1939, his last wish was to be re-interred in Drumcliffe within a year or two of his death. WW 11 intervened and his remains were returned to Ireland by the Irish Naval Service
Irish Naval Service
The Naval Service is the navy of Ireland and is one of the three standing branches of the Irish Defence Forces. Its main base is in Haulbowline, County Cork....
and re-interred at Drumcliffe in 1948 in the presence of a large number of local people and dignitaries which included the Minister for External Affairs, Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
, who represented the overnment of Ireland|Government]. The graveside oration was made by Yeats's friend the author Frank O'Connor (1903-1966) ].
St. Colmcille founded a monastery in Drumcliffe in about 575 and the village is also famous for its Irish High Cross
High cross
A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
dating to the 9th century, which stands in the grounds of the former abbey. In this monastery occurred the incident which led to the Battle of the Books.
Across the road is the stump of a Round Tower, which was struck by lightning in 1396.
Current affairs
In March 2009, Mac Aviation, a company having its address at Cloonmull House, Drumcliffe was charged by the US Justice Department with illegally (according to US law) exporting aircraft parts and engines to Iran. Among the alleged recipients of these parts was an Iranian military firm that US authorities claim is involved in a disputed nuclear and ballistic missile programme.See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
External links
- Drumcliffe group of parishes (Church of Ireland)
- 360 Panorama Tour of Drumcliffe