Local History

Doe Castle

Doe castle is near Creeslough. It was owned by the Mac Sweeneys in the 16th century.

Sir Cahir O Doherty set up his headquarters there before his attack on Derry in 1608. It was then occupied by the English and used to Garrison soldiers until it was possessed by the Mac Sweenys during the
Williamite wars in the 1690s. It is now in care by the office of public works.

The Famine

The Famine started in 1845.There was potato blight in Ireland and since the people were so dependent on the potato they faced starvation, hunger, disease, death and emigration. Ireland's population was halved. Many emigrated to Americea and in school we did an emigration song about www.ellisisland.com in Americea. This is where the Statue of liberty is today. Katie saw it when she was in New York.Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears
Lyrics By : Brendan Graham

On the first day on January,
Eighteen ninety-two,
They opened Ellis Island and they let
The people through.
And the first to cross the treshold
Of that isle of hope and tears,
Was Annie Moore from Ireland
Who was all of fifteen years.

CHORUS:

Isle of hope, isle of tears,
Isle of freedom, isle of fears,
But it's not the isle you left behind.
That isle of hunger, isle of pain,
Isle you'll never see again
But the isle of home is always on your mind.

In a little bag she carried
All her past and history,
And her dreams for the future
In the land of liberty.
And courage is the passport
When your old world disappears
But there's no future in the past
When you're fifteen years

Chorus

When they closed down Ellis Island
In nineteen fourty-three,
Seventeen million people
Had come there for sanctuary.
And in Springtime when I came here
And I stepped onto it's piers,
I thought of how it must have been
When you're fifteen years.

Chorus

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Most of the local people who died in the famine in this area were buried in the famine graveyard.

People went to the Workhouse in Dunfanaghy where there was a soup kitchen. The Workhouse is open today as a centre you can visit and find out more about the Famine in this area.

Faugher House

Faugher house was built in 1691 by Turlough O Boyle during the Ulster plantation period. The house was then sold in 1700 to William Wray. The Wrays later built Ards house. Faugher house was abandoned in the 1700s and its ruins are there to this day behind the home of the lafferty family.

The Tunnel

Lady Isabella married A.J.R Stewart in 1851. She was a proud lady and looked down on her tenants. It is said that the tunnel was built so the lady Isabella could go to St. John's church without been seen by the tenants.

World War 1 – A nice story

World War 1 was also known as The Great World War the war to end all wars. The countries involved in World war 1 were Germany, France, America, Hungary, Serbia, Russia, Belgium, England, New Zealand , India, Italy, Australia and Japan.

On Christmas day 1914, something amazing happened near Armentiéres in France. Soldiers sang and shouted across to their enemies. They went out into 'No mans Land' and no one was shot. Footballs were produced. Coats were produced and used as goal posts. There were many games that day. For one day, sport had taken the place of war.
If you want more on World War 1www.bbc.co.uk/history/