Copyright ©2010.

Oughterlin Mass Rock: The hidden location of the Mass Rock, pictured here at Lág-na-hAltora (Hollow of the Alter), is an indication of the secrecy attached to the peoples’ worship during Penal times 1692-1793.

©The Penal laws
In 1692 Penal Laws were enacted against Catholics and Dissenters (Presbyterians) but were more severe against Catholics and lasted in varying degrees for 100 years.

Catholics:
Could not carry Arms, own a horse worth more than £5 (pounds), maintain a school, be a tutor or send children to be educated abroad. They could not sit on a Jury, could not become lawyer or Judge or take a Government job. They could not take land leases for more than 31 years and on death their estate had to be divided equally between their sons. Only one Priest, who had to be registered, was permitted for each Parish outside of which he could not go without permission and when dead he could not be replaced. No Bishop or unregistered Priest was to remain in Ireland and any found would be sent to France. Only English Protestant education was to be available for children and all denominations had to pay Tax (tithes) to the Established Church of Ireland.

Presbyterians:
Did not fare quite so badly but they were forbidden to teach in schools. Marriages performed by Presbyterian Ministers were not recognised, and children of such marriages were considered illegitimate and therefore could not inherit their father’s property.
The English Toleration Act 1689 which was only applied in Ireland from 1719 granted freedom of worship to Dissenters (Presbyterians) but not to Catholics. Even so, more than 50,000 Presbyterians emigrated from Ireland to America between 1730 and 1750 in search of religious freedom. Rev. Francis Makemie who emigrated from Ramelton founded Presbyterianism in America. Ironically, he was arrested in 1707 for preaching, without a license, in a private home in Long Island, New York. In Court, he based his defense on the English Toleration Act of 1689 and was acquitted.

Catholic Worship:
Catholic worship was carried out in a secretive manner at Mass Rocks which were usually located in remote places where the congregation of people would not be too easily discovered. The Oughterlin Mass Rock is situated at Lag na hAltora near to the "hollow of the Buck bray". It is said that one or two people stood on top of Leargan (hill) to keep a lookout for "Redcoats" and to alert the congregation in case of adversity.
A Mass Rock, at Cnoc-An-Aifreann in the Oughterlin Hills, is referred to in the the Memoirs of Lieutenant William Lancey, Royal Engineers 1834:
"Its locality can be traced by the name of the mountain of Glenalla, which is also called Mass Hill, and a large stone 10 feet high by 8 feet long said to be the place of performing the ceremony in Elizabeth’s time and called a Church stone still exists".
There is also a Mass Rock at Tra-na-hUrnai (Strand of prayer), Macamish on the shores of Loughswilly.

Surviving the Penal Laws:
As the effects of the Penal Laws continued, "Station" Mass was held in a parishioner's home in each Quarterland during March and October. The Priest collected stipends for Parish funds at the October Stations. The amount of stipend to be paid was related to the valuation of the person's land holding. A lesser "Easter" collection was taken up in March. A household was considered to be host for "Stations" only if they owned a good horse. The reason being that the Priest would arrive on a horse being loaned for his use from the previous "Station house" and when leaving he would use the horse from the present house, so that he would always be on a fresh horse. In those days Priests were addressed as "Mister".

"Funeral Offerings"
A cash collection of "offerings" was taken up at Catholic funerals. Each household of relatives, neighbours & friends of the deceased was expected to contribute. Those who could not attend the funeral usually left the offering at the wakehouse and their contribution would be read out at the funeral. In the course of the funeral, proceedings would be halted so that the offerings could be collected and the names of those paying as well as the amount paid would be called out. I understand that at one time the proceeds went to the bereaved family but as people got more prosperous the proceeds were taken by the Church. This system put an unfair obligation on the family of the deceased to pay a similar amount at a funeral in a contributors family. Resentment to the custom of offerings grew as the amount collected became an indicator of the importance or otherwise of the family of the deceased. The custom was discontinued in the 1960's.

Hedge Schools:
Catholic education was also carried on in secret, usually behind a hedge to shelter from the weather. Hedge-school teachers took huge risks because if caught they could be hanged or transported for treason or flogged for vagabondage.
Across the road from the Mass Rock at Lag-na-hAltora, children attended a hedge-school behind the "big daike" outside of Banker Doherty’s field, Gortaldiff (Gortfhaldubh). The last hedge-school teacher there was Master Deeney who lived with his wife in a small house at the bottom of Hugh Philemy Doherty’s (now Duffy's) garden in Legland.
A hedge-school at Mullnaha in Drumhallagh Upper catered for Drumhallagh children and William (Owen Rosha) Sheridan was a pupil there.
There was another Hedge-School at Sheridan's of Carraig Lough in Saltpans. Hughie Coyle's father from Lurganboy, was a pupil there and one of the Carrons, Carradoan was a teacher.

The reader would be forgiven for assuming that the Penal laws would have little or no impact on such a remote place as Oughterlin, but they certainly did and with the most tragic consequences for Rev. Peter Hegarty.