‘The historic graveyard plays an important role in the cultural life of Irish people and represents the focal point in the historical life of a parish. It is a place where the ancestors of the parish have been interred, a place where, in some instances, burial practices may be traced back to the origins of Christianity and in other graveyards to the 12th century with the introduction of the parish church and its adjoining graveyard. The graveyard is often seen as the symbol of the parish and offers important clues to the historical development of that parish. Keeping the graveyard in good condition is important to local people as it reflects pride in their parish and is an acknowledgement of the contribution our ancestors made to its development.’
Database of Offaly Burial Grounds 2015
During 2014/2015 a database of all known burial grounds was compiled by Stephen Callaghan in the Heritage Office of Offaly County Council. This can be downloaded here – Offaly Burial Ground Survey. Any comments or queries should be emailed to heritage@offalycoco.ie. The database gives details of the ownership which in the vast majority of cases is a Church Body or Offaly Local Authorities.
Care and Maintenance
Please note that all work in graveyards must be carefully planned. In many cases the site will come under the National Monuments Acts (1930 – 1994) which states it is the requirement of owners and occupiers to inform the Minister two months in advance, of their intention to carry out any works to or within the vicinity of a National Monument. The heritage office are pleased to discuss any works planned for caring for your graveyard and to outline the help that may be available.
Information
For many of the pre 1700AD burial grounds there is information on www.archaeology.ie. You can search by county, townland and monument type i.e. “children’s’ burial ground”.
National Graveyard Advice by Caimin O’Brien published by the Heritage Council. (November 2010)
Download Guidance for the Care Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards or email heritage@offalycoco.ie for a hard copy.
Recording Memorials
The heritage office is currently working with a number of groups in the county to explore the most effective way of recording memorials. As years pass, memorials are becoming increasingly hard to read and the need to record them is now pressing. If you are interested in recording memorials please contact the heritage office.
See chapter 4 on “Guidance when Recording your Graveyard” in Guidance for the Care Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards by archaeologist Caimin O’Brien.
For a comprehensive approach to memorial recording see “Heart and Soul, A History of Saint Brendan’s Graveyard in Birr” a book by Stephen Callaghan and Caimin O’Brien published by Offaly County Council in 2016. Copies are available from all libraries or can be purchased at Offaly History, Bury Quay, Tullamore, Birr Municipal District offices, SuperValue Birr and Midland Books in High Street Tullamore.
St Mary’s Church of Ireland in Geashill completed the recording of all the headstones and have erected an information board. You can download this as an example, courtesy of the Vestry. Geashill Information Board.
During the summer of 2015, a local team coordinated by James Scully recorded the headstones at St Rynagh’s Graveyard, Banagher. Eoghan Broderick designed the information board showing the location of headstones and the names. In 2020 “Forgotten Souls – Memorials in Saint Rynaghs Old Graveyard Banagher County Offaly“, written by James Scully was published by Offaly History and documents those buried in this graveyard. The book is sold out but copies are available from the library service.
In 2018, Kilmonaghan Ancient Graveyard (nr Tubber) erected an information board which uses an aerial image to plot the sites.
Recommended reading
Guidance for the Care Conservation and Recording of Historic Graveyards By Caimin O’Brien, Published by the Heritage Council in 2010.
The Heritage Council have also produced a useful poster guide to Ireland’s Historic Churches and Graveyards.
Conservation of Historic Graveyards, Guide for Practitioners, Historic Scotland, 2001, available through the library service or through www.historicenvironment.scotland
