In November 1641, a fierce massacre took place in a cave close to the Catholic Church on the south side of the island. The tragedy occurred during the reign of Charles 1, when Captain Conynham and his troops were stationed at Doe Castle, Dunfanaghy. With the purpose of taking charge of animals in the area, various districts were raided regularly. On one of these occasions, the marauders decided to pay a visit to Arranmore. When the islanders learned of the imminent arrival of the invaders, it was decided that the women and children should take refuge in a sea cave and that the men should take to their boats and cross the sea to the mainland. It is estimated that 60-70 people hid in the cave. When Conyngham found no evidence of occupancy, he prepared to leave the island, taking with him all the animals that had been gathered. As the party prepared to leave, a soldier spotted a woman at the mouth of the cave and informed the captain of what he had seen. The captain dispatched two groups of soldiers, one by land and one by sea. When the escapees were discovered in the cave, the soldiers proceeded to massacre them.