The ruins of Miseog’s Home
Peggy Boyle known as Miseog, was a prophetess who lived in the townland of Ballymanus, a couple of miles from my home here in County Donegal.
Background
Miseog, a native Irish speaker, was born in 1816 and married Paddy Harley, who made several trips to work in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. In those days a passage was available by boat, and passengers could board from nearby Gola Island. The island is seen near the end of this video filmed from the ruins of their home.
Her brother Manus was one of the first pioneers to travel to California in 1868, settling in San Fransisco.
The ruins of her brother Sean’s house
Miseog died around 1898/9 and is believed to be buried in the cemetery in the village of Kincasslagh.
Prophecies
She made many predictions that were passed on by word of mouth. One of her most notable being:
“One day large white birds would come down from the sky at the “Tra Ban” (white beach) and carry people away”
Donegal Airport is now sited alongside the Tra Ban of Miseog’s prophecy!
The following video shows local historian Seimidh O’Dubhthaigh standing in the runs of Miseog’s home, with Donegal Airport and the Tra Ban in the background.
Donegal Airport was voted the second most scenic airport in the world by PrivateFly in 2017.
I apologise for the poor sound quality of the video but it was a rather windy day…
Seimidh was sharing the story of Miseog’s prediction of the airport, and the large white birds.
Donegal Heritage
Seimidh facilitates historical research and tours in the Rosses area of Donegal. He also produces full family histories or ancestral trees, guided tours or virtual tours of ancestral homes, and is a panellist for Ireland’s Heritage in Schools scheme. You can read more about his research on http://www.donegalheritage.com
Further Predictions
On a more tragic note Miseog predicted ” A great ball of fire would fall on Portabhoige, and many lives would be lost.”
Sadly, on 10 May 1943 at 9.50 pm, nineteen young men lost their lives when a mine exploded on rocks in Portabhoige. The dead included my father’s brother Eddie.
Dad and his brother Francie had been amongst the onlookers as the mine approached the shore. Thankfully, they had both started walking homewards when the mine exploded.
Such a terrible tragedy.
The Coming of The Railway
It is also believed that Miseog said ” The Much Dhubh (Black Pig) will come from the east with flames of fire coming from its nostrils, and make it its way westward until stopped by the sea.”
The first train made its way to Burtonport, a village on the edge of the Atlantic on 9 March 1903.
Weather
Miseog also said that there would be “no difference between summers and winters,” – so very true!
and
“Beidh Caisleain Os Coinn na Tra agus beidh conai don strainseir ann” translating as
“There will be a castle above the strand as a place for strangers.”
A beautiful hotel now stands in the village of Annagry, called Caisleain Oir or ” Golden Castle.” https://facebook.com/cohotel/
Miseog’s daughter Beiti gave birth to a son Jimmy, who eventually became a father to Mary and Teresa Ward, the visionaries mentioned in my previous post The Rock
Brigid P. Gallagher is a retired natural medicines therapist, passionate organic gardener and author of “Watching the Daisies- Life lessons on the Importance of Slow,” a holistic memoir dedicated to the art of mindfulness and healing from debilitating illness.
Very interesting read! Thank you!!!
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My pleasure Stella. 🌼🌼🌼
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Thank you for writing about Miseog ,I always wanted to know a bit more about her ,she is a far out relation of mine ,I am from the Beiti Gallagher’s Owey island Charlie harleys ,line ,my grannie was called Brigid Gallagher too she was a great natural healer
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Lovely to meet you Mary. Miseog is one of my most popular blog posts. I am glad she is still being honoured.
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I love this story! Thank you for so much background research into it and for the input from seimidgh. I could hardly hear it for the wind though do you have his transcript?
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I just ammended post Brigid to say that he was telling us about the airport and the large white birds. Thanks for your feedback. It helps me improve my writing. Hugs xxx
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Wow wonderful post, Bridget and such great videos. History and historic places never die they are such great artisitcally portrayed and these places never perish. Great.
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Interesting post and great photos 🙂
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Thank you Irene. How are you keeping? 🌼🌼🌼
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I’m improving, but do also fight with Arthritis in same time, which make all more challenging, thank you.
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Sending you a hug. 🌼
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Thank you and hugs back to you.
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Very interesting, beautiful photos.
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Thank Masha. Miseog was a very gifted lady. 🌼
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I’m always intrigued by the fact that people can predict future things.
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She was indeed a visionary! Interesting story, Brigid. I love the video with the panoramic view of the area. I feel like I’ve been for a visit. Is it always windy there?
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Thank you Molly. No the weather can be rather nice…😉
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Good to see you writing Brigid. Interesting story about a woman who had the “gift”. I wonder what smaller and more personal predictions she made and how those predictions impacted her fellow villagers.
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Thanks Bernadette. I could not find any other predictions for they were never written down. It would be lovely to know what else she predicted. I guess it will remain a mystery.🌼
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Fascinating, Bridget. The metaphors for the events remind me of Nostradamus. That they came true, raises questions about the nature of time. Wonderful post.
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Thank you Diana. Nostradamus was indeed a fascinating character. 🌼🌼🌼
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What a wonderful post Brigid! Thank you so much for sharing the history and photos of your beautiful land. I always feel I get to travel vicariously through your posts. You’ve been in my thoughts and prayers this week.
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Bless you Terri. You are so kind. I hope to visit an island called Tory soon and share more mystical legends. Have a great weekend 🌼🌼🌼
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Hope your weekend is a great one also!
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What a fabulous read, Daisies. Loved it. ~ Cobs. x 🌷 🌷 🌷
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Thank you Cobs. It was fun to research although I should have brought my wellies for tramping through wet fields 😉 xx
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This is so very beautiful to read. My only regret is that I do not know how to pronounce the names. Might you be able to place the phonetic pronunciations alongside. Fabulous read!!
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Which words would you want explained ? I shall see what I can do. 🌼🌼🌼
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Great post
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Thanks Bella. I am enjoying Inside Out and will post on it in a week or two. 🌼🌼🌼
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So Happy You are enjoying inside out. Hope you are well otherwise. Hugs
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Wonderful to see this and so much information. It amazes me how they predicted events and the descriptions they gave. Black Pig exactly that must have been a little frightening to see. The area looks very condusive to being connected to the all, peace and clean near the flowing sea.
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Thank you. Miseog was an amazing lady and yet everything she said was only passed by word of mouth. 🌼
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A lovely post, Brigid. Thank goodness your father was spared in the mine tragedy.
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Yes Robbie. He only spoke but once to me of that day. It was a terrible event for the area. 🌼🌼🌼
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I enjoy reading if any of the predictions came out and how it was interpreted back then. Interesting read. 🤗🌸
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Thank you. It was all passed down by word of mouth but she is still talked about. 🌼
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I love a good story and it seems that the Irish are champions of the tale. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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My pleasure. 🌼
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Fascinating! And one of my favourite songs is Clannad’s Caisleain Oir!
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Thank you. Clannad hail from a few miles from here. I have seen them live and hopefully will see them again on 27 October. 🌼🌼🌼
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Wow – that’s great. Enjoy!
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If I get a ticket I shall do a post for you. 🌼
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Brigid, this was a fascinating post and I loved learning about Peggy and her prophecies… is she very well known in Ireland? I get spine tingles at how she foresaw the airport with its ‘big white birds’ and then had to smile at how there would be no difference between summer and winter! 😀
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Thank you Annika. I am not sure if her prophecies are widely known but
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Around the country. She also said it would be difficult to tell if it was a man or a woman walking on the road . Woman would not have worn trousers and men did not have long hair back then. 🌼🌼🌼
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I love stories like this Brigid. It was wonderful learning about Peggy and her prophecies. And I have just read your post about Kerry Rock shrine- it seems pretty obvious that visionary gifts are passed down through families.It is fantastic your father was spared the mine tragedy. I am a big believe in that we all have a path or fate to follow and that life takes us where we are meant to go.
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Yes. I did not know the visionaries were related to Miseog until Seimidh told me. I hope to go on another of his historical tours. Poor Dad only spoke of the mine disaster once. It was a terrible tragedy for his village. I hope you got your computer sorted ok. 🌼🌼🌼
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Don’t one to jinx it …but so far so good. Hence I can now catch up!!!!
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Great. 😊
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Interesting Brigid– looks like such a beautiful green green place! How is your week going?? Are you singing this weekend? hugs hugs!
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Hi Rhonda. Yes it is very green here. We have the forty shades! I will be sining on Sunday abd tonight I am going to hear some local choirs in concert.xx
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Oh that sounds wonderful Brigid! WE love choral music here– like to travel to a church a few towns away for their Sunday evening music. Hope it all goes well!! Blessings friend! xo
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Brigid I think you captured Miseog in that first picture, can you see the white mist, it’s just right of center, you can see it above the rocks and between the two white houses. I also think there might be two “ghosts” in the video with Seimidh. It’s blurry to the right of him and to the left in the sand. Maybe it’s the camera but everything else is in focus. What a very fascinating story. I’m sorry about your Dad’s brother and the others, how tragic indeed. I love her description of trains. Thanks for sharing all this history, so interesting! xo
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Bless you Debbie. You are the first to comment on the mists. I think Miseog was pleased to be featured. I booked the tour with Seimidh which would normally be a group but no one else came. I was able to ask lots if questions and get her house to myself. She was quite a woman. X
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Ahhh so you saw it too! I think she was pleased too. She was very hospitable. Oh you had the tour guide all to yourself, how fortunate. I would have loved that tour, what fun. That kind of history is right up my alley. ☺ xo
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Some quite amazing prophecies there!
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Yes. They are pretty accurate for a woman who lived so long ago. 🌼
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Delighted to find this blog, Miseog was my 4th great aunt.
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Goodness. It is lovely to meet you Aisling. Glad you enjoyed it. Where do you live?
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[…] You can learn more about Miseog HERE […]
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Fascinating… and I do love my airports scenic!
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Me too. The view from Carrickfin is awesome.
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