Lisacul is a 10 minute drive from Ballaghaderreen. While in Lisacul take a walk to Kilrooan Old Graveyard which has been incorporated into the Golden Mile Walk. The graveyard is located on the grounds of a 12th century monastic settlement. Only a small part of one wall of the monastery remains today. There is a local story that during the Cromwellian Invasion the monks fled from the monastery and buried their chalices and valuables in the banks of the river Lung.
There is a bullaun (a stone with a hollow that collects rain water) at the entrance to the graveyard. According to local folklore the water is believed to cure warts. Dip the infected area into the water three times and you will be cured!
Bullaun in Kilrooan Cemetery, Lisacul
It is unknown how many people are buried in the cemetery. Alot of people are buried in unmarked graves with people from the nearby parish of Fairymount also buried here. Some of the people buried in the graveyard are victims from the Troubles in Ireland in the early 1900’s when Ireland was fighting to gain independence from Britain. Many of the burials happened in the dead of night so the local authorities would not find out. Some of the dead were secretly brought from Fairymount to Kilrooan graveyard on a little boreen referred to as ‘Bóthar na Marbh’.
Kilrooan Golden Mile
The Golden Mile is an environmental competition run by Roscommon County Council each year. The aim of the competition is to raise awareness of the importance of hedgerows within our landscape on a community level. It is aimed at community groups. A mile of hedgerow along a country road is chosen while the aim is to maintain and enhance it as well as other man made features along that mile.
Kilrooan Golden Mile contains a section of modern roadway that is in daily use. Hawthorn dominated hedgerows line the roadway. On entering the Golden Mile you are enclosed by a double hedgerow. Conifer plantation borders a section of the walkway and the route then meets the old graveyard, a feature of great interest. Take a rest on the bench by the graveyard and we hope you enjoy our Golden Mile.