What is recorded here

Cairn is a cairn, wayside cairn in Kilbegly, County Roscommon, Ireland. J. O'Donovan described it in the 1830s as a heap of stones built over the body of Shane or John O'Kelly, who was murdered there. Tradition holds that John O'Kelly, last descendent of Seán na Maighe and heir to the half barony of Moycarn, was returning from abroad when a blacksmith in Ballinasloe deliberately spiked a new shoe, lamed his horse, and let his enemies overtake him on Kilbegly Hill.

Described by J. O'Donovan in the 1830s (O'Flanagan 1931, vol. 1, 25; Herity 2010, 17) as a 'heap of stones' built over the body of a Shane or John O'Kelly who was murdered there. The tradition records that John O'Kelly, the last descendent of Seán na Maighe, and heir to the half barony of Moycarn, was returning from abroad and passing through Ballinasloe where he had his horse re-shod. The blacksmith deliberately spiked the shoe, laming the horse, which allowed O'Kelly's enemies to overtake and murder him on top of Kilbegly Hill where a cairn was erected to mark the spot (Egan 1960, 86). The cairn was not encountered, but the barony is named after it. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010 Amended: 22 July, 2014

A wayside cairn, likely medieval or early modern in date, associated with a local tradition of a murder and memorial to John O'Kelly. Its significance lies in its connection to historical folklore and the commemorative use of cairns in Irish cultural memory.

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