Faughart

The Hill of Faughart is the site of early Christian church ruins and a medieval graveyard, as well as a shrine to Saint Brigid.

There are also two holy wells and a modern shrine devoted to Saint Brigid, which attracts thousands of pilgrims and tourists each year.

The Annals of the Four Masters give the story as follows under the year 732: The battle of Fochart, in Magh-Muirtheimhne [was fought] by Áed Allán High King of Ireland and the Clanna-Neill of the North, against the Ulidians, where Aedh Roin, King of Ulidia, was slain; and his head was cut off on Cloch-an-chommaigh [The Stone of Decapitation], in the doorway of the church of Fochard; and Conchadh, son of Cuanach, chief of Cobha [Magh Cobha, a plain in Iveagh, Co. Down], was also slain, and many others along with him.

The cause of this battle was the profanation of Cill-Cunna [Kilcloony, parish of Ballyclog, Barony of Dungannon, Co. Tyrone] by Ua Seghain, one of the people of AedhRoin, of which Aedh Roin himself said: " I will not take its Conn from Tairr" for Ceall-Cimna and Ceall-Tairre [Cill-Thairre, anglice Kilharry, a glebe in the parish of Donaghmore, Barony of Dungannon, Co. Tyrone] are side by side.

The Battle of Faughart was fought on 14 October 1318 between a Hiberno-Norman force led by John de Bermingham, 1st Earl of Louth, and Edmund Butler, Earl of Carrick and a Scots-Irish army commanded by Edward Bruce, the brother of Robert Bruce, King of Scots,[4][5] who had been hailed as King of Ireland by certain Irish chiefs.