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Early Christian period

In the early Christian period, there is evidence to suggest that a religious settlement was based at Benburb central to the Parish of Clonfeacle. It is referred to as the “old” church or the church of the priests (Cill Na Sagart).  This venerable heritage is referred to in a document of 1531 in the calendar of state papers when the dissolution of the monasteries was underway. 

Richard Wingfield

In the early 1600s at the time of the Ulster Plantation, Sir Richard Wingfield, later Viscount Powerscourt, was granted 9000 acres of land in and around Benburb, including the village itself, in recognition of his services to the British Crown.  The Wingfield/Powerscourt family were also granted another estate near Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, where they lived mainly and where the Powerscourt Estate still exists, though the house itself was destroyed by fire in the 1970s. 

The Battle of Benburb

The estate is situated one mile from the site of the ‘Battle of Benburb’ which took place in 1646, and was one of the most significant battles during the Irish revolt of 1641-1652. The rebel Ulster army led by Owen Roe O’Neill defeated the Scottish Covenanter army led by Col. Robert Monro. 

James Bruce

 In 1877, James Bruce, a wealthy distiller from Belfast and a partner in the firm of Dunville & Co., bought the Benburb Estate in its entirety from the then Viscount Powerscourt, and set about establishing a country home in Benburb.  Bruce made many changes.  In order to build his new manor house (now the Servite Priory), he relocated all inhabitants on the south side of the village street, knocked down the houses, and built on the cleared site.  He built a new Police Station in the village, the Post Office and a number of houses, one of which is the present Church of Ireland rectory. 

Benburb Priory's Wartime History

In March 1942, Royal Army Medical Corps established a 166-bed hospital in the Manor house. The largest number of beds occupied on a single day during the period was 139.

The British left the Manor house in the autumn of 1943. In October 1943, the seventh field hospital of the United States army arrived in Northern Ireland. A short time afterwards the first hospitalisation unit moved into the Manor house and was used until they relocated to England.

Later, in August 1945 the Manor house was put up for sale. The advertisement for the property noted that it offered many and varied post-war opportunities. These possibilities included the school, nursing home, institution, Rd house or as factory premises.

At the beginning of 1946 the Manor house and 37 acres of land were brought by the Catholic parish of Clonfeacle for 12,000 pounds. On 5th of June 1946 on the 300th anniversary of the battle of Benburb, a major event attended by 10,000 people was held to celebrate the purchase of the Manor house.

Benburb Sunday and the Best of Irish Music

Benburb Priory was a significant date on the local and national calendar for nearly seventy years. Many of the leading lights of Irish traditional music and the arts showcased their talent on Benburb’s prized day.

From 1949 onward, Benburb Sunday attracted people from all over Ireland and even further afield. The tradition of the greatest musicians and leading figures in our society coming to Benburb Sunday continued over the decades. During its heyday, and long before the advent of social media, Benburb Sunday attracted figures such as The Dubliners and similar artists of world renown.

Official Opening of Benburb Priory Library and Museum

The Benburb Priory Library and Museum was opened officially by the two Archbishops of Armagh, Most Rev Eamon Martin and Most Rev Richard Clarke.

The £1.4 million development, was the result of detailed planning and fundraising over an 8-year period. Celebrating over 1,000 years of local history, the Library and Museum houses a number of unique collections including Servite, Marian and O’Neill collections and archives.