Aghadoe ( Irish: ''Achadh an Dá Eó'') is a large

townland A townland (; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a traditional small land division used in Ireland and in the Western Isles of Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of medieval Gaelic origin, predating the Norman invasion, and mo ...

overlooking the town and lakes of

Killarney Killarney ( ; , meaning 'church of sloes') is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The town is on the northeastern shore of Lough Leane, part of Killarney National Park, and is home to St Mary's Cathedral, Killar ...

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

. Officially it is also a parish, although the parish is larger than the area normally associated with the name. The area is famous for its views of the lakes and islands, including

Innisfallen Innisfallen ( ) or Inishfallen (from , meaning 'Faithlinn's island') is an island in Lough Leane; one of the three Lakes of Killarney in County Kerry, Ireland. Innisfallen is home to the ruins of Innisfallen Abbey. Geography Innisfallen ...

. The ruins of 13th century

Parkavonear Castle Parkavonear Castle is a 13th-century Anglo-Norman ruin in Aghadoe in Ireland, overlooking the lakes of Killarney. It was built following the Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169. Description The castle is two stories high, and, unusually, ...

and of

Aghadoe Cathedral Aghadoe Cathedral was a church that may have been the seat of a bishop at Aghadoe, Ireland (later joined with the Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe, Bishopric of Ardfert). The now ruined cathedral overlooks the Lakes of Killarney from Aghadoe, a few ...

, an old Romanesque church in ruins, make the spot popular with

tourist Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as being limited to holiday activity on ...

s and

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...

History

Aghadoe takes its name from ''Achadh an Dá Eó'', which is Irish for "the place of the two

yew Yew is a common name given to various species of trees. It is most prominently given to any of various coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus '' Taxus'': * European yew or common yew (''Taxus baccata'') * Pacific yew or western yew ('' Taxus ...

trees". During the

Irish Famine The Great Famine, also known as the Great Hunger ( ), the Famine and the Irish Potato Famine, was a period of mass starvation and disease in Ireland lasting from 1845 to 1852 that constituted a historical social crisis and had a major impact ...

, the abbey or church of Aghadoe's churchyard was the designated burial site for famine and fever victims. London editor Charles Mackay travelled to Killarney in the summer of 1849 and notes that the churchyard itself was small (less than one acre), with a corner reserved for burials from Killarney's workhouse. It was "one of three where paupers are interred". From 1846 to 1849 Mackay estimates that close to 2,000 famine victims were buried at Aghadoe. They have "all

een Een ːnis a village in the Netherlands. It is part of the Noordenveld municipality in Drenthe. History Een is an ''esdorp'' which developed in the middle ages on the higher grounds. The communal pasture is triangular. The village developed dur ...

interred in one very small corner" of the cemetery. The "first glance shows the traveller in the midst of what a Golgotha he stands. In the wretched corner set apart for the paupers the earth is covered with deal planks and fresh remnants of coffins in shocking profusion".

Annalistic references

See

Annals of Inisfallen The ''Annals of Inisfallen'' () are a chronicle of the medieval history of Ireland. Overview There are more than 2,500 entries spanning the years between 433 and 1450. The manuscript is thought to have been compiled in 1092, as the chronic ...

* ''AI939.1 Kl. Repose of Aed son of Mael Pátraic, abbot of Achad Deó.'' * ''AI1010.5 Mael Suthain Ua Cerbaill , eminent sage of Ireland, rested in Christ in Achad Deó.''

History

Annalistic references

See also

References