Boulick

(Dr. Willie Nolan)

 In the early 1600s many religious centres through out the country were burned down and it was during this period that Buolick was attacked and destroyed.  Between the years of 1600 and 1750 very little is known of the actual history of the church but it was again used as a parish church in 1752.  In July 1754 Dr. Edmond Butler visited Buolick and in his report we see that the church was dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. He also stated that "the chalice being used belonged to the Fransiscans of Thurles. There was one old corporal, one good alter stone, one old alb, one amict, one cincture, two good alter tombs, a plate pixis plate, oylstock and old vestment with its maniple and stole vellum which all belonged to the parish".  The last recorded visit of Dr. Edmond Butler was on July 13th 1758.  On this visit the parishes death, birth and marriage rolls were recorded, so also were the name of the ‘public sinners’.  The church seems to have fallen into disuse at this time.  The church is a large building with a large four storey tower at the Western end.  The ground floor of the tower is vaulted there are several post holes probably used for the erection of an additional building.

 A short distance from the church there is the large Bawnreigh castle; built in the late 15th or early 16th century.  In 1640 the civil survey records it as; "a good castle and some cabins wanting repair", stood at Buolick.  The owner of Buolick at this time was James Butler, Earl of Ormond.  The Butlers did not always live at Buolick and sometimes the tower house was leased to other noble families including other septs of the greater Butler clan.  For instance, in 1578 Pierce Butler leased the castle from Thomas Earl of Ormond and was bound to keep the manor in as "good a manner" as Richard Cooke did.  The lease was for twenty one years at an annual rent of £32.  Another non Butler rentee was one Milo Cantwell in the year 1307.  Two owners previous to this were John Adam circa 1259 and William Laffeyn circa 1290.  The manor was inhabited during the 18th century by Mr. William Barker when he was forced to stay there due to lack of accommodation at Kilcooley.  Mark Byrne also held some of the estate around the 1850’s. 

 Within a mile of each other at the settlement of Buolick there are a pair of Moates and Baileys. There is also evidence of open-field farming which can still be seen in the very large bawn and paddock.  From this evidence it can be assumed that Buolick was occupied by Anglo-Normans.  The ‘Down Survey’ map shows that six acres of land in Buolick were divided into eighteen strip plots.  In 1890 two large bronze bells were discovered in Boulick while a grave was being dug.  The bells were discovered under the partly ruined tower of the church.  The finder gave them to the then Archbishop Croke who left them in the garden of his palace at Thurles.  The great antiquity of these two bells was not until 1972, and it is prpable that they at one time hung in Kilcooly Abbey.  In September 1973 both bells were installed in Holycross Abbey and re-dedicated to St. Michael and St. Gabriel.

BUOLICK IN HISTORY

Buolick rests in the barony of Slieveardagh, bounded on the north by Fennor, east by Ballingarry, and on the west by the detached part of Kilcooley and Fennor.  The remains of the motte and Baile, the castle and the church are in evidence today and clearly point to the importance of this medieval parish in yesteryear.

In the year 1200 Mannaseur Arsic held the manor at Buolick and later, in the year 1307, John Assky, Lord of the manor, granted the revenues of the church with fifteen acres of land to the priory of the hospital of St. John of Dublin.  The Priory then provided a priest to officiate in the parish.

In the early 14th century the lands and castle in Buolick changed ownership from Assky to the Butlers.  In the early 1600's, many religious centres in the country were burned down and unfortunately Buolick was not spared this fate.  It was both attacked and destroyed.  Between the years 1600 and 1750 very little is known of the actual history of the church, but in 1752 it was again used as a parish church. In July 1754 Dr. Ed,mond Butler, Archbishop of Cashel, visited Buolick and in his report we see that the church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin. He also stated; 'The chalice being used belonged to the Franciscans of Thurles'. The last recorded visit of Dr. Edmond Butler was on July 13th 1758. On this visit the death, birth and marriage statistics were recorded and so also were the names of the public sinners. The church seems to have fallen into disuse at this time. .

A short distance from the church is a large castle, known as Bawnreigh Castle. It was built in the late 15th or early 16th century.  In 1640 the Civil Survey records that 'a good castle with some cabins wanting repair' stood at Buolick. The owner of Buolick at this time was James Butler, Earl of Ormond. However, the Butlers did not always live at Buolick, the tower house was sometimes leased. In 1578 Pierce Butler leased the castle from Thomas, Earl of Ormond, and was bound to keep th~ castle in as 'good a manner' as Richard Cooke did. The lease was for 21 years at the annual rent of thirty -two pounds. It is worth mentioning that the afore-named castle was prece~d by an earlier manor or castle. That castle was leased to John Adam in 1259 and to William Laffeyn in 1290. Milo Cantwellleased it in 1307. During the 18th century Mr. William Barker inhabited the manor owing to a lack of accommodation in Kilcooley. Mark Byrne also held some of the estate around the 1850's.

The Motte and Bailie at Buolick date from the Norman times in the early 13th century. There is also evidence of open-field farming which can still be seen in the very large bawn and paddock.

In the year 1890 Buolick once again came to prominence when two large bells were discovered when the grave of a Lanigan was being dug.  The bells were buried under the partly ruined tower of the church.  They were given to Dr. Croke, then Archbishop of Cashel and were kept in the garden of his house in Thurles.  In September 1973 both bells were hung in Holycross Abbey and were re- dedicated by Dr. Morris to St. Michael and St. Gabriel.  Some believe the Boulick bells were originally housed in nearly Kilcooly Abbey.

Gortnahoe came to be the centre of population and the present church in Gortnahoe was built there in 1820.  However Buolick remained a very sacred and venerated spot and is used as a cemetery by many families of the parish and surrounding parishes up to the present day.  The renovation and clean-up of the site has brought a new sense of pride and interest in the church, the cemetery and in all the families buried there.

"Death is God's great equaliser, For the monarch and the slave;
And the millionaire and beggar, All are equal in the grave."