This document provides an overview of the local history around Whitecross School in County Meath, Ireland. It describes several landmarks near the school including Whitecross townland which the school is named after, Ballygarth Castle which is 500m away and the site of a local legend, and several old watermills along the nearby Nanny River. It also mentions nearby graveyards, roadside crosses, holy wells, and four local legends. The document then discusses Drogheda, the nearest town with a long history, and sites related to the Battle of the Boyne. It concludes with noting the prehistoric monument of Newgrange near the school which aligns with the winter solstice sunrise.

1. WHITECROSS SCHOOL,
JULIANSTOWN,
CO. MEATH,
IRELAND
The Richness in Our Local History-
An Overview

2. WHITECROSS –
THE CROSS
Our school is named after the
town land and the children
have the base of the cross on
the crest of their school
uniform.
There was once a wooden
cross on top of this stone
which gave the name to the
area.

3. THE SCHOOL WAS ESTABLISHED IN THE
EARLY 20TH CENTURY, THIS PICTURE IS
FROM 1917

4. BALLYGARTH CASTLE
This magnificent castle is
500m from our school and is
the setting for one of our local
legends – The White Horse of
the Peppers.

5. WATER MILLS FROM THE PAST
Our school lies right beside a
small river, The Nanny, that
once had 14 watermills
working on it. Two of these are
nearby – one was once a nice
local hotel with a bar and
restaurant and the other has
been converted into a house.

6. WE HAVE AN OLD GRAVEYARD NEARBY AND
LOTS OF CHURCHES, OLD AND IN RUINS

7. WE HAVE A LOCALITY WITH MANY
ROADSIDE CROSSES AND HOLY WELLS
St. Colmcille’s Well,
Shallon
Keenogue Cross, (15th
Century)once part of the
Keenogue church, no longer in
existence

8. IN OUR IMMEDIATE LOCALITY WE HAVE FOUR
REMARKABLE LEGENDS.
THESE INCLUDE A HIGHWAY MAN, A WHITE
HORSE, A HIGH KING AND CUCHULAINN.
King Cormac Mac Airt,
Once High King of Ireland
Collier the Robber

9. OUR LOCAL TOWN – DROGHEDA
(DROICHEAD ATHA)
Our neareat town was once a walled
town, dating from the 1100’s it has a
wonderful history and some of her
gates are still standing today.
It has a museum in Millmount where
historical artefacts can be seen.
St Laurence’s Gate, one
of seven gates into the
town

10. BATTLE OF THE BOYNE
The Boyne River flows through
Drogheda. Some people say that the
problems with North / South relations in
Ireland date back to the Battle of the
Boyne in 1691. King William of Orange
and King James fought here. This is a
very important part of Irish history and
we have it on our doorstep!

11. NEWGRANGE
Newgrange in Co. Meath predates the famous Pyramids of Egypt.
On the morning of the Winter Solstice every year, the rising sun shines
directly into the chamber part of this tomb, through a tiny opening. It
only occurs once a year.