Our parish is centrally located in the diocese of Cashel and Emly and because of the fertile nature of the land has always been attractive for settlers since ancient times.

The name Knockavilla is derived from the Gaelic ‘Cnoc a’ Bhile’, which refers to the existence of a ‘Bile’, or great oak tree under which, according to tradition, the local chieftains of the ‘tuath’ were inaugurated.  This tradition is confirmed by the name of the civil parish, Oughter League (Uachtar Liag) which refers to a standing stone at the apex of Knockavilla Hill.  This was the coronation stone.

Donaskeigh, on the other hand, is derived from ‘Dún na Sciath’, the fort of the shields.  This fort is referred to on numerous occasions in historical annals as a fort of some significance of the Cashel Eoghanacht.  A branch of the McCarthy family resided there, of whom Cormac is said to have been responsible for the magnificent Cormac’s chapel on the Rock of Cashel.

The presence of in excess of 70 forts and a number of holy wells (Tobar na Gloíre, Tobar Ailbhe and Tobar Lachtaín) would indicate that the conversion of the early settlers to Christianity by Saint Patrick, Saint Brigid and Saint Senan was complete at an early stage in our history.  This conversion was further consolidated as evidenced by the churches erected in each of the five civil parishes of Oughter League, Ballygriffin, Kilmore, Ballintemple and Rathlynin.  The ruins of Ballygriffin church still remain even though historically it was the oldest.  The inscription on the north wall indicates that it was in use in 1646 with a Father Corcoran resident. The present churches were built in 1806 ( Church of the Assumption, Knockavilla) and 1901 (St Brigid’s Church, Donaskeigh).

The O’Dwyer family, long associated with the Barony of Kilnamanagh and its five castles, one of which stood in Dundrum, fell to Cromwell in 1650.  This saw a new era of plantation and landlordism in the parish.  The Maudes of Dundrum were pre-eminent in this regard until their demise at the beginning of the twentieth century, when through the various Land Acts the agrarian agitation was rewarded and the land restored to the local tenant farmers.  William Scully, of Ballycohey (1868) fame, was another controversial landlord living in Ballinaclough, following which he relocated to the U.S.A,  acquiring large tracts of land in Wisconsin, Illinois during the late nineteenth century.

A lasting legacy, however, of landlordism has been some of the fine period houses still existing in the parish, most notably Dundrum House, which subsequently housed a convent, an orphanage and College of Domestic Science under the direction of the Presentation Sisters, while at present it is developed as a  hotel and Golf and Country Club.  The fate of Father Nicholas Sheehy is said to have been decided, by Sir Thomas Maude among others, with the strategy for his conviction having been prepared in Dundrum House.  Father Sheehy was hanged in Clonmel in 1766 for alleged involvement with the White Boys.

Father Matt Ryan, the stalwart Land Leaguer and Sinn Féiner, spent forty years ministering as parish priest in Knockavilla - Donaskeigh, during which time the Gaelic culture and tradition was revived to the point where Knockavilla became synonymous with our Irish cultural tradition.  Eamon De Valera and Seán T. O’Kelly attended Father Matt’s funeral in Knockavilla in 1937. Michéal Mac Carthaigh, having been imbued with this revivalist culture as a boy later become Uachtarán of Conradh na Gaeilge. 

The same sense of patriotism charaterised the efforts of many locals during the War of Independence:  Packie Deere, Dinny Lacey (Attybrick), Seán Hogan (Lisheen), Michael Sheehan and James Prout. Martin Purcell was shot in the barracks in Tipperary ‘whilst trying to escape’.  The Kilshenane end of the parish too, was the centre of much activity during the war of independence, spearheaded by Séamus Robinson and Eamon O Duibhir.

The Gaelic games, too, were fostered and promoted in the parish as were athletics and from this tradition sprang such stalwart hurlers as Willie O’Dwyer, Paddy Furlong and  Donal O’Brien as well as athletes J.J Howard and the renowned Tim Crowe.  This gaelic and athletic tradition has continued to flourish in the parish.  The sporting exploits and achievements of the little horse ‘Dundrum’ in the showjumping arena have brought international acclaim, as has the English Derby victory of Philip and Vera Heffernan’s greyhound ‘Ringa Hustle’ and Eddie Wade’s ‘Eyeman’, winner of the Irish equivalent.

Children have always been well educated in the parish.  During Penal times, pupils were educated in hedge schools at Ballygriffin, Ballinahinch, Garrane, Gurteenamoe, Kilshenane, Grantstown, Alleen and Drishane.  Non-vested schools, under the patronage of the local Landlord existed in Dundrum (Church of Ireland) and Ballinahinch while schools were set up in Knockavilla in 1838 and in Bishopswood in 1862 under the National Board of Education.

In 1972, following the division of the Cooper Estate in Killenure Scoil Mhuire, an amalgamation of the schools in Knockavilla, Bishopswood and Ballinahinch was officially opened where the children of Knockavilla are now educated.  The new school at Donaskeigh (Curraghpoor) was also formally opened in 1972 by Father John O’Mahony, P.P – the pioneering work having been completed by Father Michael Quinlan, P.P.

In 2003 a project initiated by Father James Egan, P.P and the Community Council resulted in a prayer garden of peace and reconciliation being constructed.  The garden is dedicated to Saint Senan, who is associated with Kilshenane (Cill Seanáin) and commemorates those who suffered, emigrated or died during the darkest time in our history – The Great Famine - when almost half the population of the entire parish was lost.  Among those who lost their lives during this period was Father O’Brien-Davern, curate, who was trenchant in his condemnation of evictions in Dundrum and in his support of the tenantry of the parish.

In modern times, Knockavilla & Donaskeigh is characterised by its continued devotion to Christian ideals, to a happy well-educated youth, to a lively, prosperous economic activity in agriculture, industry and tourism and looks forward to the future with hope and trust in God.

Sources:

1)   ‘A Tipperary Parish’,  Micheál Mac Carthaigh.

2)   ‘Donaskeigh / Curraghpoor National School’,  D. Ó Duíbhuír.

3)   ‘Education in the Parish of Knockavilla’, Dónal Ó Muirgheasa.