Fenagh Abbey needs more preservation and promotion

More needs to be done to preserve, protect and promote Fenagh Abbey according to Sinn Féin councillor Brendan Barry.

Cllr Barry asked Ballinamore Municipal District to write to the Office of Public Works OPW requesting that they clean up an inscription from 1671 at the Abbey along with other headstones and stone work.

Cllr Barry  said the O'Duignan plaque  in Fenagh Abbey is a protected structure, but the inscriptions are faded and he said the OPW should be maintaining this.

He said the O'Roddy and O'Duignan families that are buried inside the Abbey are so important to our ancient Irish history. He said the O'Roddy's commissioned The Book of Fenagh and the   O'Duignan's helped compile the Four Masters Annals which includes Irish history from the four provinces up to 1616.

He said we sometimes forget the “huge asset” that Fenagh Abbey is and we need to “honour those people who were writing books such as the Book of Fenagh from 516AD.” Cllr Caillian Ellis seconded the motion and supported all Cllr Barry said.

Cllr Enda McGloin noted that Cllr Barry had researched a lot of information for his motion and he thanked him for that, he said a letter will be sent to the OPW and a request to Minister Patrick O'Donovan to visit Fenagh on his next trip through Leitrim.