Athenry

Fifteen miles east of Galway city, Athenry has a past that goes back several millennia. Quite apart from polished stone axe heads from the general area, other prehistoric objects found locally include a fine late bronze age spearhead and bronze shield, and the bronze cape from an early iron age Celtic sword-scabbard. The region also featured prominently in Early Christian Irish history, notably nearby Tysaxon (Tech Sachsan, the Saxon's house) where Balan, who came to Ireland with Colman after the synod of Whitby in A.D. 664, founded a monastery.

Meiler de Bermingham, 2nd Baron of Athenry and founder of the town, bought the site from Sir Robert Breynach (= Breathnach = Welsh/Walsh) for 160 marks (=£106:13:4 - £106.67) in 1241 and presented it to the Dominican friars together with another 160 marks so that they might build an abbey - reputedly at the request of St. Dominic himself; the saint, however, had died in 1221. He also gave gifts of wine, English cloth, and horses for drawing stones, and furthermore induced his knights and soldiers to contribute to the work. Meiler himself died in 1252 in a battle near Cashel, Go. Tipperary, and his body was brought back to Athenry and buried near the high altar.

Shortly after Athenry was founded, a corporation of some sort was instituted, consisting in 1310 of a “Portreeve, Burgesses and Freemen of the Corporation of the Town and Liberties of Athenry”. The portreeve was elected annually, as were of about 20 burgesses- the portreeve was a Justice of the Peace, Clerk of the Market and sole Judge in the area. The portreeve had the use of a mace and the Corporation the use of the seal. The Athenry mace is unique, not being the usual silver ceremonial mace but a small brass latten clenched fist mounted on a stout wooden handle and clearly for use as a sort of gavel to keep order at meetings rather than to merely grace a civic occasion.

The town of Athenry is immortalised in the song 'The Fields of Athenry' which was written by Pete St. John in the 1970s. It tells the story of a young man who is caught stealing corn from Lord Trevelyn during the Irish Famine and who is deported to Botany Bay in Australia as punishment.

The song has been recorded by several Irish Artists, the most successful of which was Paddy Reilly whose recording remained in the Irish Charts for 72 weeks in 1983.

It may now be regularly heard on terraces and stands throughout Ireland and internationally as it has been adopted by Rugby and Football teams.

The Fields of Athenry Lyrics - written by Pete St John.

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young girl calling
Micheal they are taking you away
For you stole Trevelyn's corn
So the young might see the morn.
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
Nothing matter Mary when your free,
Against the Famine and the Crown
I rebelled they ran me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

By a lonely harbor wall
She watched the last star falling
As that prison ship sailed out against the sky
Sure she'll wait and hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry.

Low lie the Fields of Athenry
Where once we watched the small free birds fly.
Our love was on the wing we had dreams and songs to sing
It's so lonely 'round the Fields of Athenry

The Fields of Athenry performed by the Dubliners & Paddy Reilly