Ireland's Edinburgh

A signpost in Ferns Town lists its attractions: The Grave of Fr Murphy -- Grave of Diarmuid MacMurrough -- Ruin of Medieval Cathedral -- St Mary’s Abbey -- St Edan’s Cathedral -- High Crosses -- St Mogue’s Cottage -- St Peter’s Church -- St Mogue’s Well -- St Aidans’ Monastery -- Ferns Castle -- St Aidan’s Church.  

It helps to know that St Edan, St Aidan and St Mogue are the same person.  

Fern’s modern story began when Edan/Aidan/ Mogue arrived there in 598. His name was originally spelt Maodhog, from ‘Mo Aodh Og’,  ‘Our Dear Aodh’ ( a common form of affections in Irish saints’ names).  As ‘Edan’ he is the patron of the COI Cathedral on the original site of his monastery, as ‘Aidan’ (the most common form) his name is on the local Catholic Church and ‘Mogue’ is on his ’Cottage’ and Holy Well.  

The man himself was born in 560 in Co Cavan and, as was the practice of many early Irish scholar-monks, spent much of his early days travelling around the county (and nearby Wales, according to locals there) setting up communities. He finally settled in Ferns which later became a diocese and a major political centre.      

The other name commonly associated with Ferns is Diarmuid MacMurrough, the infamous King of Leinster who invited the Normans to Ireland. They eventually took over his Ferns castle and a large section of Ireland.  Unique for an Irish king, his grave can be found in the public graveyard beside the cathedral.  

Buried in the same graveyard is Fr John Murphy, a hero of the 1787 United Irishmen’s revolt which saw much of its action in Wexford and Wicklow. Memories of the Rising are still alive in south Leinster and Fr Murphy continues to be saluted in the popular ballad, ‘At Boolavogue as the sun was setting…’  He was parish priest at Boolavogue, just 7 kilometres from Ferns.

For centuries Ferns remained a major city and capital of Leinster but many of its buildings were destroyed by a fire in 1851 from which it never recovered. When I visited there I was reminded of Edinburgh, it has its own ‘Royal Mile’ walk between the Castle on one hill and the cathedral on a hill at the other. Though not lined with picturesque medieval buildings, Ferns’ mile brings you close to most of the historic sights mentioned on the tourist list.

The castle and monastic remains mark the start and end of the ‘Mile’ but the charming St Mogue’s Cottage also catches the eye, it is not where Mogue lived but was built in the late 1700s for the clergy at the nearby COI cathedral.

Down a quiet lane is ‘St Aidan’s Monastery’ – not where Aidan lived either but the site of the parish church which was built in 1826. Now it is a centre for spirituality with its own adjacent stone hermitages. Just outside the walls are Aidan’s Holy Well and the substantial ruins of St Peter’s ‘nave and chancel‘ 1060 church.  

Not quite Edinburgh but equally impressive in an Irish way.