The twentieth century gravestones comprise the burial place of the Ruby family, Denis and Margaret O’Brien and Mary Mahony (of Fergus and died 1904). In 1907 Ellen Walsh erected a gravestone in memory of her mother and father, Ellen and Michael. The Buckley family of Ballyshonin Berrings are also present, Timothy Buckley (died 5 May 1987) and his wife Mary (died 26 January 1997)

The principal graveyard is rectangular and is located next to road. Indeed one could argue that the graveyard is in the way of the road that the graveyard needs more space to breathe. Most modern cultures mark the location of the body with a headstone. This reputedly serves two purposes. Firstly, the grave will not accidentally be exhumed. Second, headstones contain information or tributes to deceased. This is a form of remembrance for loved ones; it can also be viewed as a form of immortality. Many gravestones carry an epitaph, an inscription in memory of the dead. Sometimes the epitaph offers a warning to the young. Some express resignation in the face of death.

There are mainly late eighteenth century and nineteenth century plots. The   earliest grave is that of Maurice Haly (and family) who died in 1784.  There are no signs telling you where the oldest graves is. One must explore the full extent of the graveyard. The earliest grave noted by the mid Cork Archaeological Inventory was 1766, which I could not find. Other late eighteenth century graves comprise Daniel Mullane who died on 26 March 1784 (aged 22), (Cornelius Mullane, Newcastle, Blarney who died on 4 August 1977), John  Riordan who died in 1790, and Daniel Kelleher who died in 1793 aged 66.

There is a Hennessy family plot with a date range from 1795 (John Hennessy) to 1980 (John Vincent). The Hennesseys still live ion the local area. Edmond Coffey, died on 27 March 1792 aged 42. Daniel Coffey (from Dromatimore, near Aghabullogue) died on 15 November 1914, aged 76.  His daughter Hanna is also mentioned on the gravestone. Daniel Blake died on 9 April 1806, aged 24. Francis, the son of William Blake of Dromgownagh who died on 21 December 1903, aged 23. There are four coffin tombs, three of which are unreadable. One is that of the McCarthy family of Kilclough. Denis McCarthy died on 18 January 1968. Stephen McCarthy, died 12 May 1908, aged 18 years, a pupil of Christian Brothers, also his sister Hannah died on 4 March 1892.

For the sake of record the following family modern plots I noted: Ball, Byrne, Crowley, Cunningham, Dilworth (see more on Fr. Dilworth next week), Donovans, Fitzgeralds, Harrington, Healy, Herlihy, McCarthy, Murphy, Murray, Noonan, Parker and Sheehan. The latest additions to the graveyard on my visit were Patrick Walsh, Berrings who died in August 2001 and Paddy Barrett of Lisladeen, Berrings who died in December 2001. 

More next week on North Kilmurray Church and graveyard

To be continued…

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