11. Páirceanna San Labhrás

Páirceanna San Labhrás

Siar ón mbaile mór, tá láthair eile ó ré na meánaoiseanna in áit ar a dtugtar Cill na bPáistí. An páiste a fuair bás sular baistíodh é, is ansin a chuirtí é i rith ré na meánaoiseanna agus ó shin i leith. Mheastaí ag an am nach bhféadfaí leanbh nár baistíodh a chur i reilig choisricthe. Bhí daoine eile a mbeadh doicheall rompu freisin i mbaile mór Bhaile Locha Riach aimsir na meánaoiseanna. Galar coitianta go maith a bhí sa lobhra an tráth sin agus tá staraithe den tuairim go mbíodh áit do na lobhair in aice le Baile Locha Riach. Taobh amuigh de bhallaí an bhaile a bheadh a leithéid ionas nach scaipfeadh an galar ar fud an bhaile mhóir. Ba é Naomh Labhrás pátrún na lobhar agus meastar go bhféadfadh go mbíodh ospidéal san áit ar a dtugtar Páirc San Labhrás in aice le Cill na bPáistí.

St. Laurence’s Fields

To the west of the town, there is another medieval site. In the area known as Kilnabasty, children who died before being baptised would have been buried here during the Middle Ages and afterwards. At that time it was believed that unbaptised children could not be buried in Christian cemeteries. Other people would have also been excluded from the medieval town of Loughrea. Leprosy was a common disease in the middle ages and historians believe that an area for lepers, somewhere near Loughrea. It would have to have been outside the town walls to avoid the disease being spread in the town. St Laurence was the patron saint of lepers and is believed that the hospital could have been in the area called St. Laurence’s Field nearby Kilnabasty.