Cemetery:  Killeigh Churchyard & Lynally Parish

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Offaly (Kings) Index
Copyright

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File contributed by:  C.Hunt and M. Taylor

 KILLEIGH CHURCHYARD & LYNALLY PARISH
    [From Lord Walter Fitzgerald, F.R.S.A.]

Killeigh Churchyard
'The churchyard of Kileigh (pronounced Killy) lies four 
miles to the south of Tullamore; some portions of the abbey 
are still standing, a part of it is incorporated in the 
dwelling- house of Mr. John W. TARLETON and some vaulted 
portions are used as turf shed, etc. in the haggard; any 
cut-stone work in connection with the old abbey is carefully 
preserved by Mrs. TARLETON who is a member of the R.S.A.I.

'The churchyard is a small one, but must at one time have 
been far more extensive and of considerable importance, as 
it contained among other vaults that of O'Connors FALY, now 
represented by the O'CONNOR-MORRIS family of Gortnamona.

'A large flat sandstone slab rests above this vault, but 
owing to the frail quality of the stone the inscription is 
only partially legible;  it commences:-

			"HIC JACET HEROUM CLARO STEMMATE NATUS 
			DONATUS PATRIAE CURA DOLORQUE SUAE"

'[Then comes a coat-of-arms in bold relief, after which the 
inscription continues]' :-
			
			"UNA SEPULTA JACET TUMOLO DONATI PARENTUM
			CASTA, PUDICA, PIA, HAEC MAYERQUE
			JOHANNIS NECNON DONATI MATER", etc.
				____________________

'Near the O'CONNOR vault is another large sandstone slab 
which bore an incised inscription in English, but it is now 
almost entirely illegible; a coat-of-arms in relief appear 
at the head of the slab, as well as a helmet and a crest (a 
tree);  the shield bears and eagle displayed.

The tradition is, that a Charles O'DUNNE [O'DUANE] of 
Ballybrittas, in the Queen's County, was returning home 
wounded after the Battle of Aughrim in 1690 and died and was 
buried in Killeigh; his family coat-of-arms are:-'  Azure, 
an eagle displayed on"  And the crest is - "On a mount and 
oak tree, in front thereof a newt, all proper"

'About the middle of the graveyard is a very large flat 
slab, which was discovered by Mrs. TARLETON some 3 feet 
under ground when she was about to plant a tree at the spot; 
she had it raised to the surface where it now lies.  At the 
top is a large shield with a coat-of-arms in relief (ermine, 
a fret gules) and below it is incised' :-

"Sarah wife of John McCVLLAGH [McCULLAGH] is here laid by 3 
of her children. She dyed 28 December 1704 and left with her 
husband and 4 sons and 4 daughters"

'At the foot of the slab is a skull and cross bones, and 
beside it "Memento Mori"

'The next inscription is copied from a large flat slab' :-

"HERE LYETH THE BODY OF MAXIMILIAN O'DEMPSEY LORD VISCT OF 
CLANMALIERE &C. WHO DEPARTED THE 30TH OF NOVEMBER ANNO 
DOMINI 1690"

'This Maximilian O'DEMPSY was the 3rd Viscount Clanmaliere, 
a title granted to his great grandfather, Sir Terence 
O'DEMPSEY in 1631.  Maximilian was Lord Lieutenant of the 
Queen's County; he married Anne, daughter and co-heir of 
Walter BERMINGHAM of Dunfert in the Co. Kildare, but by her 
(who died 27th June, 1708) he had no issue and the title 
became extinct.'

'In low relief is inscribed on another tombstone' :-

"Pray for the soul of Alexander WALSH who depd. Jany. 29 
1790 aged 65 years; his son Willm. is here interred 
(incised). Erected by Margaret his wife"

-----------------------

Lynally Parish - Lynally Old Church, Now In Ruins
[from the Reverend George T. STOKES, D.D.]
 
'This church was used until the beginning of this century.  
I visited it in 1893. when I copied the following 
inscriptions' :-

			"HIC JACET JOHANNES FORTH DE SILVA-
			RUBRA, MILES, ET VIR JUSTITIA, PIETATE
			ET HOSPITALITATE CELEBRIS OBIIT JUL.
			A.D. 1680 SUAE AETATIS 41"

'The crest is three lions rampant and an ash tree. 
Silva-rubra or Red-wood was formerly part of Charleville 
demesne; it was a separate holding but is now absorbed in 
the demesne.  Fort seems to have succeeded by an Edward 
CROFTON of Red-wood, gent., whose name appears in the list 
of  Protestants attainted by James II'

			"THIS MONUMENT WAS MADE FOR THOMAS COFFEY 
			CLARK AND HIS DEARLY BELOVED WIFE ANNE, AND
			THEIR POSTERITY A.D. 1684"

'On one of the inner walls is the following, evidently just 
over where the family pew stood':-

"This seat was built by Andrew BRISCOE, Esq. The ground 
whereon said pue [sic] is erected was granted to him & his 
posterity for ever, May 21, 1768"

			Motto - "Per virtutem curro"
'The BRISCOE family have long been resident in this parish'

'Near Lynally is Ballycowan Castle with the following 
inscription on the door' :-

	"BY GOD OF MIGHT I HOLD MY RIGHT"

'Above this a coat-of-arms and the inscription' :-

"This house was built by Sir Jasper HERBERT & his wife, Lady 
Mary Jane FINGLAS" 

'Ballycowan Castle was one of the castles erected after the 
conquest of the O'CONNORS by Philip and Mary, followed by 
the colonisation under Elizabeth.  Sir Jasper HERBERT was a 
settler in the early days of Queen Elizabeth.'


SOURCE: 
Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the 
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland: 1897 - FHL # 1279285