Drumaroad

Drumaroad is a townland and village in County Down, Northern Ireland. Positioned at the base of Slieve Croob, beneath the Mourne Mountains, it is approximately eight kilometres south of Ballynahinch, Northern Ireland. The area is situated within the electoral division of Seaforde, part of the civil parish of Loughinisland in the barony of Kinelarty. A ridge runs along the eastern bank of the Moneycarragh River, traversed by a road connecting Dundrum to Dromara. Another road from Ballynahinch to Castlewellan passes closer to the village within the townland, potentially being the road referenced in the name of this townland.

The Savage family name dates back to 1659, with records in the Pender Census of Ireland showing Richard Savage in the townland of Drumaroad. The Savages of Drumaroad were direct descendants of the older Kirkstone branch, who in turn descended from the Savages of Ards. The lineage of the Savages of Ards dates back to the Anglo-Norman era, when William Baron Savage, one of John de Courcy's captains, built Ardkeen Castle in the Ards of County Down. The Savages became the dominant family in Uladh.

According to historian Colin Johnston Robb, legal and other documents have unequivocally established that the Savages of Drumaroad were a principal collateral branch of the family. During the harshest periods of the Penal Days, they steadfastly maintained their ancestral faith. Their castle at Drumaroad served as a sanctuary for those seeking refuge from persecution and oppression during those perilous times.

In the nearby townland of Drumnaquoil lies the site of the Friary of Drumnaquoil, which served as the locus refugii (place of refuge) for the Franciscans of Down. The exact date when the Franciscans established themselves in this location remains unknown. However, local legend provides an explanation for their choice of this secluded spot. According to the tale, while the friars were praying in Rome, a vision of a lady in white instructed them to build a friary where they would hear the sound of three bells ringing. Exhausted and footsore from their search across Ireland, the friars rested one day at the gate of Savage's Castle in Drumaroad. It was there that they finally heard the long-awaited chimes echoing from the lonely hillside of Drumnaquoil, bringing joy to their hearts.

The old chapel of Drumaroad, located in the Catholic parish of Dunmore, is believed to have been one of the "five Mass-houses" in County Down mentioned in the Protestant bishop's report to the House of Lords in 1731, which were built before the reign of Queen Anne. According to tradition, its origin is attributed to Edmund Savage, Esq., of Drumaroad, who represented a branch of the Portaferry family residing in that townland. In 1838, construction of a new chapel began, but it was destroyed by the great storm of January 6, 1839, before its completion. The current chapel was subsequently started and completed in 1841. The bell tower was added in 1954.

Within Drumaroad Roman Catholic Church, there is a slab of black slate that originally served as part of the altar of the Franciscan Friary of Drumnaquoil. Subsequently, this slab was repurposed as the headstone for Bernard McAvoy, a writer and local schoolmaster. Notably, it is among the few gravestones in the county predating 1865 that bear an inscription in Irish. In 1935, the slab was relocated inside the church and affixed to the wall, accompanied by a descriptive plaque.

The area around Drumaroad, between Slieve Croob and Dundrum Bay, is known for its many old stone or earth-built forts. A comprehensive excavation was conducted at White Fort by Dudley Waterman in 1953 that was published in the Ulster Journal of Archaeology in 1956. The excavation revealed both a house and an underground passage (souterrain) within the fort. The house had two main construction phases. In the first phase, a platform about 25 feet square was built using loose gravelly soil. This platform served as the house's foundation. A layer of charcoal, including burnt sticks, indicated where people lived. This layer contained many pieces of pottery and an iron plough-coulter. Three post-holes were found, suggesting the house was square. The exact structure of the house is unclear, but the floor's limits suggest a square shape.

In the second phase, a stone curb was added to stabilize the platform. This stone border enclosed an area of at least 26 feet square. The house had a paved floor made of flat stones, which was well-preserved in the western half. The entrance was on the south side, with two post-holes supporting the door frame. Four internal posts supported the roof, and a stone-lined hearth was in the centre of the house.