St. Michael's Church, Drumlion

Drumlion (Droim Laighean in Irish) is a townland in the civil parish of Killukin (Boyle) in North Roscommon that also gives its name to the district surrounding it. The name "Drumlion" is associated with the Táin Bó Cúailnge. As Queen Medbh assembled her forces for her invasion of Ulster a group of men coming to join her army from the province of Leinster camped on the highest ridge here. It was from this action that Drumlion received its Irish name, as Droim Laighean translates into the "Ridge of the men of Leinster".

Within the Catholic parish of Croghan (previously Killukin & Killummod), Drumlion was known as a half-parish.

DRUMERCOOL CHAPEL

In the 1830s "Drumercool Chapel" is recorded on the OS Survey map and Lewis' topographical directory. It had a thatch roof and was in a poor state of repair. Fundraising began for the building of a new house of worship on this site (in Drumercool townland).   In 1853, it was reported that the thatch roof on Drumercool chapel's would  "scarcely hold it together through this winter" and  that on a wet Sunday the parishoners of Drumlion were forced to kneel on a wet floor, with the rain pouring down on their heads. Rev. Fr Matt Barrett RCC (Finner, Croghan) made a plea to the landlords of the district to subscribe to their building of  a new church.

DRUMLION CHURCH

By 1856, Drumlion's new church 'St. Michael's' was complete. The church is still in use today and a number of key family names can be spotted on the stained-glass windows they sponsored. 

In 2006, Drumlion Sesquicentennial Committee published "St. Michael's Church - Drumlion - Co. Roscommon, 1856-2006 : church, people and landscape" by :John Keenehan. (SBN 10: 0955382319 ISBN 13: 9780955382314 )

This book is chock-full of local history and a must-read for anyone researching the districts of Drumlion and Croghan.

Drumlion Cemetery is one of the biggest in the district and still in active use today.