Shrule
| Shrule Sruthair | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
  Shrule | |
| Coordinates: 53°31′00″N 9°05′00″W / 53.5167°N 9.0833°WCoordinates: 53°31′00″N 9°05′00″W / 53.5167°N 9.0833°W | |
| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Connacht |
| County | County Mayo |
| Elevation | 64 m (210 ft) |
| Population (2002) | |
| • Urban | 326 |
| • Rural | 889 |
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) |
| • Summer (DST) | IST (WEST) (UTC-1) |
| Irish Grid Reference | M281523 |
Shrule (Irish: Sruthair, also anglicised to Shruel, usage deprecated) is a village in County Mayo, Ireland. The boundary between Mayo and County Galway lies on the edge of the village. The Black River divides Shrule between Galway and Mayo.
The ruin of Shrule Castle, a fortification built by the Norman de Burgo family, dominates the view of the village as approached from the Galway side. The ruin is unsafe and is closed to the public.
Massacre of Protestant refugees
On February 18, 1642, during the war that followed the 1641 uprising, a number of English settlers, including a Dr. John Maxwell, the Protestant bishop of Killala, surrendered to Irish authorities at Castlebar, in the hope of saving their lives.[1]
After staying at Shrule Castle in the company of the third Viscount Mayo, then Sheriff of County Mayo, for more than a week, the group was given an escort with orders to take them 14 miles toward the border of County Mayo and County Galway, where other forces would assume the escort duty and escort them on to the Galway fort.[1] After provisioning the Maxwell family with horses, Lord Mayo set out for Cong. Mayo handed over his prisoners at Shrule, on the border, as his authority only existed in County Mayo. Edmond Bourke, an Irish soldier who led the escort duty, and a cousin of Lord Mayo, then directed his men to begin killing their settler charges. Estimates of the dead ranged from less than 30 to as many as 65. Survivors were taken to Headford by monks from Ross Errilly. Though Mayo tried to save some prisoners, and had to be driven away, he was executed in 1652 by an English Cromwellian inquiry into the killings that was held after the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland.
Religion
Shrule has a church, Saint Joseph's Church (Roman Catholic).It belongs to the Diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.
Education
Shrule has one primary school, and no second level school. Second level students usually attend Presentation College Headford, which is in Headford, County Galway, about 6 kilometres away
People
The Mortimer brothers Conor, Trevor and Kenneth have all appeared for the Mayo County Senior Football team. Conor Mortimer was named on the team of the year and was chosen as an All Star in 2006. Kenneth received an All Star in 1997. Trevor was named as team captain for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Christopher O'Dowd MM, an original member of the S.A.S., was a native of Shrule.
Notes
References
- The Dublin Penny Journal, Volume 1, Number 33, February 9, 1833 at Library Ireland
See also
- List of towns and villages in Ireland
- County Mayo
- County Galway
- Headford
- Castlebar
- Presentation College Headford