A Service is to be celebrated at a “Mass Rock” in Glenshane Forest, Co Derry, this weekend.
The origin of the mountain’s name and the “Mass Rock” (pictured) date back the Penal Times of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Folklore has it that the mountain’s name, An Buachaill Bréige – meaning “the lying boy” -derived from an incident when the Red Coats were dispatched to hunt down a priest.
A young boy, who was posted at the top the mountain as a lookout, was questioned by the searching soldiers to the whereabouts of the “Mass Rock” and the location of the priest.
Essentially, he told them he knew where the priest was, but pointed them in a different direction, protecting the priest from capture.
A Mass will be celebrated at the “Mass Rock” this Sunday at 3.00pm.
There will be car parking close to the rock and a minibus service to take people up to where the Mass will be held.
Patrons are asked to come no later than 2.30pm as it takes at least 30 minutes to get up to the “Mass Rock” from the Glenshane Road.
The entrance is about a quarter of a mile on the Dungiven side of the Ponderosa and there will be signs at the entrance on main Derry to Belfast Road.
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