Loughcrew find may be the home of St Oliver Plunkett

The drought conditions have revealed another major archaeological find – what may have been the childhood home of St Oliver Plunkett outside Oldcastle.

The martyred saint grew up in Oldcastle on what is now the Loughcrew estate, but the actual site of he house was unknown until now.

The recent hot dry weather has exposed the clear outline of a house, with a path leading from it directly to the church in the grounds of the Loughcrew estate.

A couple of weeks ago, the outline of what seems to be a major Neolithic ceremonial centre was spotted in a field adjoining the prehistoric burial site at Newgrange.
Dermot Fenton of Loughcrew said they are excited by the find.

“I am not an archaeologist, but it is a fair supposition that this is the original Plunkett house. St Oliver’s head may be in Drogheda, but his soul is here,” he said.

The outline of the house became apparent a couple of weeks ago and as the rain arrived last week, it was beginning to fade, so they decided to get some pictures.

“There is a definite path leading from the house to the church.”

The current Loughcrew House was built around 1800 and the footprint of the Irish Long House, which was built in the 1670s, is in the gardens. Saint Oliver’s Family Church is also still standing in the gardens.

The 1612 civil survey describes the tower house, motte and bailey and ring fort, which are still on the estate. It also mentions the church, a millhouse, as well as 60 cabins in the garden, along with what was then the main house.

“My suspicion is that the house we are now seeing is the house they talk about in the civil survey,” says Dermot.

“I’m only an amateur, not an authority on it, but I always wondered where the original house was,” he said.

“It would be lovely to have the site examined and to have it dated and verified.”

“We hope that an archaeologist will take an interest.”

Fr Ray Kelly, parish priest of Oldcastle, said it was amazing find and it would be wonderful if it proved to be the birthplace of St Oliver.

“It is amazing what this fine weather is discovering. I’m not an archaeologist, but it could be his family home.”

He pointed out that there is great devotion to St Oliver Plunkett in his ancestral Oldcastle area.

There is always an open air Mass at Loughcrew on the first Sunday in July and there was a huge crowd this year.

In fact, devotion to the saint, who was martyred for his faith at Tyburn in London in 1681, is strong throughout the region and the Knights of Saint Columbanus recently took the relics of St Oliver Plunkett to the Church of the Immaculate Conception, Kingscourt for veneration.