The Bloody Pass

This print is part of my 2020 Dreamscapes collection which was created for the wonderful Turbet Island Dreamscape Trail in Belturbet, Co Cavan.  

What is a dreamscape? 

 In the dictionary the word dreamscape means “A landscape or scene with the strangeness or mystery characteristic of dreams.”

 Each print in this series of Dreamscape has a beautiful story to tell. I created each in response to the landscape and extensive historical and mythological research of the local land. The unique story comes with the print and gives an extra special depth of meaning. It makes a unique gift for anyone interested in folklore or nature.

 The Story for this piece:

Four miles north of Belturbet town in the townland of Derravonna lies a peninsula of land surrounded on three sides by water. There is a ford across the river, indicating that it has been a means of transport possibly since ancient times. This is, and has been, for well over three centuries the border between counties Cavan and Fermanagh and since 1922 the barrier between Northern Ireland and the Republic. But the location is far more important as it is the site of one of the most violent episodes of the Williamite wars, the Battle of Newtownbutler in early August 1689.

 Colonel Justin McCarthy (Lord Mountcashel) was a native of Co. Clare. He distinguished himself in the army of King Louis IV of France. On the orders of James II, he recruited an army on his journey from Kinsale to Belturbet. This was his base for an attack on Crom Castle. The “Munster Army” was for the most part untrained and undisciplined, which was to be a deciding factor in the Battle of Newtownbutler. Mc Carthy joined up with Maguire of Fermanagh in Belturbet and together they marched up the Naughan Road. It has been said that 3000 men marched. When they reached a narrow stretch of water in Derravonna now known as the Bloody Pass they made a pontoon bridge of cots. Having crossed the island of Innisfendra they proceeded to attack Crom Castle. This was supposed to have been a three-pronged attack from Belturbet, Sligo and Omagh but the other two armies did not arrive. The Irish Army mistook an order given by Mc Carthy. The result was that the main strength of the troops was drawn from the field. 200 were killed, the remainder retreated in the direction of Newtownbutler.

 During the retreat hundreds of Mc Carthy's men were slaughtered in the bogs and the fields. 400 were trapped in the isthmus below Castle Saunderson. They were given a choice of drowning or being butchered, most of them took to the water. When the remnants crossed Innisfendra island they discovered that their bridge of cots had disappeared and they were forced to take to the water. Only 1 out of 500 men is said to have survived in the lough on the retreat, the other 499 were slaughtered in the water, which is why this site has become known as The Bloody Pass. Many of the bodies were buried in a nearby field that is still called the burial field. 

 Mc Carthy was taken prisoner when his horse was shot from under him, it is believed that a watch he had in his tunic pocket saved his life when a bullet struck. He was taken to Enniskillen and imprisoned in a castle there. He soon escaped by bribing a jailer who was executed the following morning. Mc Carthy sailed up the river to Belturbet, he fled to France where he became the first leader of the Irish brigade there. A position he held until death in 1694.

 The Hawk or falcon - folklore makes no distinction - features in some Irish folktales and is known for its ruthlessness and efficiency in hunting down and killing its victims which also made it a symbol of strength and war.

 Information taken from George E. Morrissey’s book, Belturbet, A Chequered History. A Heritage Guide to Cavan - Monaghan Region and surrounding counties & Ireland’s Birds; Myths, Legends and Folklore, Niall Mac Coitir