Mass Rock

The Mass rock ( Irish: Carraig at Aifrinn; German: Messe stone ) is a unused as an altar in the years of the Penal Laws in Ireland boulder. He offered a prerequisite for the clandestine visit of Holy Mass, which took place outdoors.

The English occupation force forbade the Catholics of the island by 1695-1709 resulting laws public worship. In particular, in the 18th century public ceremonies of Catholic priests were forbidden. The prelude to the discrimination was the adoption in 1691 Act of the English Parliament, the Catholics from all offices of State, Parliament, the universities and the military - in England and Ireland - excluded. Many churches and monasteries were destroyed after the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 or abused.

The Irish Catholics began, therefore, to celebrate fairs outdoors in hidden and unspoilt Mass Rocks. Many courts have to date received in memory ( Ballymacpeake, Cappabane, Castlemagner, Newtowncunningham ) and will continue to be used sporadically. Even as the Megalithic Wedge tomb of altar in County Cork served as a measure Rocks. In Killina west of Tullamore in County Offaly in Ireland are located in close proximity to a holy spring, a measure skirt and a Bullaun. Today Mass Rocks are partly drawn in maps (eg of Tawley in County Leitrim ).