Dromiskin (historically ''Druminisklin'', from ) is a village and

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

in County Louth,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is situated 10 km south of

Dundalk Dundalk ( ; ga, Dún Dealgan ), meaning "the fort of Dealgan", is the county town (the administrative centre) of County Louth, Ireland. The town is on the Castletown River, which flows into Dundalk Bay on the east coast of Ireland. It is h ...

, about 1 km inland from the Irish coast.

History

The village was home to a monastery for hundreds of years, which was reputedly associated with Saint Patrick. The first bishop of Dromiskin was Lughaidh, son of

Aengus mac Nadfraoch In Irish mythology, Aengus or Óengus is one of the Tuatha Dé Danann and probably originally a god associated with youth, love,Ó hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth, Legend & Romance: An encyclopedia of the Irish folk tradition''. Prentice-Hall Press, ...

the first Christian king of Munster. St Patrick reputedly pierced Aengus's foot with his pastoral staff during the baptism.

Áed Findliath Áed mac Néill (died 879), called Áed Findliath ("fair-grey Áed"; Modern Irish: ''Aodh Fionnadhliath'') to distinguish him from his paternal grandfather Áed Oirdnide, was king of Ailech and High King of Ireland. He was also called Áed Olac ...

monarch of Ireland, son of

Niall Caille Niall mac Áeda (died 846), called Niall Caille (Niall of the Callan) to distinguish him from his grandson Niall mac Áeda (died 917), was High King of Ireland. Background Niall belonged to Cenél nEógain, a northern branch of the Uí Néill, ...

, retired to and died at Dromiskin. The ''Chronicon Scotorum'' records his death at

879 __NOTOC__ Year 879 ( DCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * April 10 – King Louis the Stammerer dies at Compiègne, after a reign ...

O'Donovan The O'Donovans are an Irish family. Their patronymic surname derives from Irish ''Ó Donnabháin'', meaning the grandsons or descendants of Donnubán, referring to the 10th century ruler of the Uí Fidgenti, Donnubán mac Cathail. During the ...

records his death as 876 and the ''Annals of Ulster'' place it at 878. The next few hundred years were turbulent times for Dromiskin. The constant plundering by both Vikings and Irish destroyed the Abbey and dispersed the monks. Annudh macRuaire rampaged through the territory in 1043 and Dromiskin was destroyed. The ecclesiastical site was abandoned and the monks took refuge in the neighbouring Abbey of Saint Mochta, the possessions of this ancient church being placed in the hands of the Prior of Louth Abbey. Dromiskin served as the home to the

Archbishops of Armagh In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

for a time. The Archbishops of Armagh lived at Dromiskin House. Archbishop Milo Sweetman is buried here. The old ninth-century round tower and parts of the Abbey still remain. From the tower, there is a view of all of

Dundalk Bay Dundalk Bay ( ga, Cuan Dhún Dealgan) is a large (33 km2), exposed estuary on the east coast of Ireland. The inner bay is shallow, sandy and intertidal, though it slopes into a deeper area 2 km from the transitional water boundary.< ...

and the surrounding countryside.

Parish

The village is part of the parish of Darver and Dromiskin parish, Darver being a neighbouring village. The parish is bounded by the Fane River on the north and by the

Glyde River Glyde may refer to: * George Glyde (1821–1898), settler of Western Australia * Henry George Glyde (1906–1998), Canadian painter * Lavington Glyde (1825–1890), South Australian politician, perhaps not related to Samuel and William * Rosemary G ...

on the south.

Demographics

Since the mid-1990s, Dromiskin, like many areas in County Louth, has seen an increase in population. In 2006, 992 people were living in Dromiskin. By 2016, the population of the village had increased to 1,195. According to 2016 census figures, 221 of the village's 391 private houses were built between 1991 and 2010.

Sport

The local Gaelic football club, St. Joseph's, was formed in 1961. It covers the entire parish of Darver & Dromiskin, and won the Senior county championship (Joe Ward Cup) in 1996 and 2006. As of 2011, the club was playing Intermediate level championship as well as Division 2 league football, having been relegated from League Division 1 in 2010. The club's Minor (U-18) team won the county championship for the first time in 2009 and retained the championship in 2010. St Peter's Athletic Club is located in the outskirts of the village.

Transport

Bus Éireann route 168,

Annagassan Annagassan ()"Annagassan" A Dictionary of British Place-Names. A. D. Mills. Oxford University Press, 2003. Oxford Reference Online. Oxford University Press. Solihull Libraries. 16 April 2008 is a village in the townland of Ballynagassan, County ...

serves Dromiskin Mondays to Fridays inclusive providing one journey in each direction.

References

External links

St. Peter's National School Website
{{Authority control Towns and villages in County Louth Townlands of County Louth Towers in the Republic of Ireland