The Rindoon Revival 2013.

At the height of it's fame in the late 13th century the Medieval town of Rindoon, in Warren townland in south Roscommon, was an important meeting place of diverse cultures. An interchange between the English and Irish, the town boasted a population of between 800 and 1,000 or about one-twentieth the size of London at the time! Today, Warren is one of the few townlands in Ireland with zero population. On Sunday 18th August 2013 St. John's Parish Heritage Group would like to recreate this cultural exchange. You are cordially invited to attend " The Rindoon Revival 2013" to witness what it was like when Rindoon held a religious or social festival and all the townsfolk, Irish and English, gathered to enjoy the day! Make the day part of your holiday, a family fun-day with a difference! Enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lough Ree and the historic ruins of Rindoon and feel inspired by a place where people lived on the border of two cultures. Be excited, be inspired, "The Rindoon Revival 2013" - be there! We invite you to get involved in the spirit of the day by attending in costume. Though we would prefer Medieval dress, if you wish you can come in any pre-20th century guise. This event is organized by St. John's Parish Heritage Group as part of Heritage Week 2013, Irish Walled Towns Day 2013 and The Gathering 2013. Please come along and make this a day to remember. The Rindoon Revival be part of it! Entry to the event is FREE, however we invite all adults to make a voluntary contribution to our supported charity The Carers Association. A donation of 2 per adult is suggested.

How to find us
Roscommon The Yew Tree Restaurant
The Rindoon Revival 2013 Lecarrow

Athlone

Sunday 18th August

From 1.30 pm to 5.00pm
~ Part of Heritage Week 2013 ~

Map: Ordnance Survey Ireland Permit No. 8894. Ordnance Survey Ireland / Government of Ireland.

When in the area why not drop in for a meal at the award winning

Be excited, be inspired, "The Rindoon Revival 2013" - be part of it!

Tel: +353 90 666 1255 Email: info@theyewtreeroscommon.ie

The Yew Tree restaurant was awarded Best Restaurant in Roscommon on two consecutive occasions and won the prestigious Best Chef in Roscommon Award and Best Customer Service in Roscommon Award from The Restaurant Association of Ireland. Open Wednesday to Sunday: 12.30 to 9.00 pm.
Leaflet designed by Liam Byrne. June 2013. 087 2431240

For more, follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rindoon.revival.2013 or Twitter: https://twitter.com/RindoonRevival or email us at rindoonrevival@gmail.com

Organized by St. Johns Parish Heritage Group

rindoonrevival@gmail.com

Rindoon Medieval Town A Brief History

The deserted Medieval town of Rindoon is situated on a peninsula on the western shore of Lough Ree about nine miles north of Athlone. The surviving remains constitute one of the most important complexes of Medieval monuments in Ireland. Though there is little physical evidence to indicate settlement before the coming of the Normans, the placename Rinn Din, "the fort of the promontory" is itself an indication of pre-Norman activity. In 1156 Ruaidhr Conor drew his boats over the ice from Galey to Rindoon during a particularly hard winter. The discovery of an Early Christian cross-slab in the graveyard adjoining the Medieval hospital of the Fratres Cruciferi indicates that this was an early church site and it was also here that two hand bells and a bronze crucifixion plaque, now in the National Museum of Ireland, were found. Rindoon's possibilities as a bridgehead into Connacht first came to the attention of the Anglo-Normans in 1200/1 when John deCourcy spent a week ferrying his men across Lough Ree from Rindoon, following his defeat in Connacht. Rindoon was occupied by the Normans in 1227 when Toirdelbach Conor and Geoffrey Marisco erected a castle here on behalf of King Henry III of England. The town was also founded about this time because its market cross, bawn and ditch are mentioned in 1236 when Phelim Conor attacked the town. No charter of incorporation survives but references to a portreeve indicate that it was administered by a corporation. The town possibly served as a processing station for the thousands of cattle paid in annual tribute by the Irish to the English King. At its height, the population of Rindoon is estimated to have been about 1000 people, a considerable number, for the period. (The population of London at the time was approx 20,000). The towns first account to the exchequer was in 1241. In 1259 it was assessed for 8-5-8 per annum. By 1285 this had risen to 320 per annum and the town was supplied with corn, cloth and wine from Bordeaux. Rindoon underwent a series of attacks from 1229 until 1321/3 and it is last mentioned in 1342/3 when it was described as being in Irish hands. In 1544 the Earl of Clanrickarde petitioned for the land of St. John's of Rindoon. The castle may have been in ruins by this time because the grant eventually made to Christopher Davers and Charles Egingham mentioned only the hospital of the Crutched Friars and cottages in the town. By 1574 Rindoon was back in Irish hands but in 1578 it was granted to Thomas Chester and George Goodman on condition that they maintained one English archer there. In 1605/6 it was granted to Edward Crofton as "the monastery of St. John the Baptist, alias the Crotched Friars of St John the Baptist ... a slated church, belfry, cloister and all other buildings, gardens ... six waste cottages in the town of St. John's". This and subsequent grants in 1608 indicate that the town had ceased to function and was now simply an estate (Rindoon Management Plan 1998)). In the past five years The Irish Walled Towns Network (part of The Heritage Council) in association with St. Johns Parish He ritage Group have spent over a quarter of a million Euro on conservation work at Rindoon. St. Johns Parish Heritage Group would like to thank all those who have helped, in any way , with this project. We would like especially to thank the landowners, without whose continued cooperation this work would not be possible.

St. Johns Parish Heritage Group - Helping to preserve our yesterdays for your tomorrows.