Historically, the people of Lahardane and the surrounding area helped the French army under General Humbert during the 1798 uprising when the local priest, Fr Andrew Conroy, led French and Irish forces to Castlebar though the Windy Gap, a passage through the Mountains. The British forces had been expecting the French to go to Foxford first, and were caught off-guard. This led to the "Races of Castlebar". After the uprising was put down, Fr Conroy was hanged on the Mall in Castlebar, and is most likely buried in the old abbey in Addergoole cemetery. A Celtic cross now stands in Lahardane as a memorial these events. The cross was erected in 1937 by Michéal Ó Tiomanaidhe, the Gaelic scholar, writer and folklore collector who was born in Addergoole parish on 20 September 1853.