Layd Church & Graveyard, Cushendall, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland
Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Antrim Index
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Contributed by: Yvonne Russell yvrussell@gmail.com
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LAYD CHURCH & GRAVEYARD, CUSHENDALL, COUNTY ANTRIM, N. IRELAND
Nos. 001 - 042


Photo No.001
Tourist Sign - LAYD CHURCH

Photo No.002
LAYD CHURCH and Grave Yard, Cushendall.    Was already an established
Parish Church by 1306 and continued in use until 1790 when it was
replaced by a new building in Cushendall.  The Grave Yard contains a
number of memorials to a branch of the MacDONNELL family.

Photo No.003
Tourist Information - LAYD CHURCH, Cushendall.
(Information details refer to numbers 004 & 005)

Photo No.004
Information top part of number 003:  (LAYD CHURCH)
History:  LAYD was the parish church of the Cushendall area from the
Middle Ages to the late 18th Century. Traditionally its patron was St.
Kieran, and in 1306 the church was valued at 20 shillings for tax
purposes, but the claimed association with the Franciscans is not
documented.  The last two Clergy to serve the Old Church were the Rev.
JOHN McARTHUR who died in 1746 and his son, the Rev. DENIS McARTHUR
(died 1796), both buried here. In its last years the church was thatched
roof in this bright green hollow must have been a striking sight. The
church was finally abandoned in about 1790. Its ruin stands in a steep
sided valley, beside the fast-flowing stream which reaches the sea at
Port Obe. The Scottish coast is often visible in the distance.

Photo No.005
Information on bottom part of number 003:  (LAYD CHURCH)
The Burials:  Burials have altered the appearance of the church a great
deal. There is a big stone and brick MACAULAY vault in the chancel and
the level inside is raised at least a metre by burials, explaining why
the windows and cupboards are almost at present ground level. The large
upright slabs in the chancel tell the MACAULAY family history, and
outside the west end are several memorials to the McDONNELLS of Kilmore,
Glenariff, a branch of the family which built so many castles round the
Antrim Coast. The unusual cross with a hole through the centre near the
gate is earlier than the inscription on its shaft. The memorials at LAYD
tell of death in battle and drowning at sea, but this graveyard, sloping
down to the sea, is a particularly beautiful and peaceful place.

Photo No.006
McDONNELL Burial Place
(Inscription details on headstone refer to number 007)
(This unusual Headstone with a hole in the centre was referred to in
"The Burials" information - see number 005)

Photo No.007
Inscription on number 006:  FRANK McDONNELL | formerly of | Legg | died
8th June | 1861

Photo No.008
1857 | Erected | by DANIEL McCLARTY | Laid to the Memory of his |
children MARY. Also DANIEL and ROSE who died young | Also the above
named | Also the above named | (Rest of inscription damaged)

Photo No.009
Here lieth the | body of HENERY | McAULAY of Lube | tavish who de |
parted this life the 23rd | of April in the year of owr (sic) Lord 1820
aged 27 | years

Photo No.010
HIS | Erected | by DANIEL McAULAY of | Balyvolley To the Memory of | his
sister SALLY who | departed this life 21st Augt. | 1839 aged 36 years.
Also his | father HENERY McAULAY | died 12th May 1841 aged 66 | years.
Also his mother | ROSE McAULAY who died the 20th | of Decr. 1846 aged 70
years

Photo No.011
Erected | by Mrs ELLEN KEARNEY In Memory of DANL. O'MULLAN of Laney who
| departed this life Decr. 17th 1863 aged | 74 years. Also her beloved
husband | JAMES KEARNEY who departed this life | April 20th 1867, aged
64 years | "May they rest in peace" Amen.

Photo No.012
McILWAINE | In Loving Memory of | our dear parents | JAMES, died 7th
Feb. 1958 | MARY ANN, died 10th Feb. 1972 | Their infant son THOMAS. |
Also a loved husband | father and Grandfather | DAVID, died 12th Jan.
2006.

Photo No.013
Erected | by | DANIEL McELHERAN | In Memory of | his father JOHN
McELHERAN | who died 25th Aug. 1887, aged 84 years | Also his brother
JOHN | who died at Quebec 18th June 1875 | aged 28 years | Also his
sister ANNIE | who died 18th Feb. 1896 aged 44 years | His mother SARAH
McELHERAN | who died 7th Dec. 1896 aged 82 years | and his son JOHN |
who died (-) Aug. 1900 aged 10 years | (Rest of inscription damaged)

Photo No.014
Erected | by DANIEL McKILLOP of | Glough To the Memory of his | father
DANIEL McKILLOP who | departed this life the 1st of February | 1859 aged
56 years

Photo No.015
In Memory of the late | MICHAEL ARCHIE McAULEY | Tavnaghown | died 8th
Nov. 1965 | Also his parents. | His brothers and sister | R.I.P. |
(Tablet is located on wall inside Church)

Photo No.016
Interior view within the Ruin of LAYD CHURCH, Cushendall.

Photo No.017
Erected | by | HENRY McBRIDE | Cushendall | In Memory of his father |
HENRY McBRIDE | Also his Grandfather | NEAL McBRIDE | Also the first
named | HENRY McBRIDE | who died 23rd Octr. 1895 | aged 82 years | "May
they rest in Peace | in the Lord"

Photo No.018
Erected | by DUNCAN McKEEGAN of Falmacri- | lly In Memory of his mother
MARY Mc | AULEY who died 16 September 1843, aged | 75 years | Also his
father HUGH McKEEGAN who | died 4th August 1852, aged 75 years | Also
his Nephew JOHN DARRAGH who | died 17th July 1854, aged 21 years | And
his sister SARAH who died 28th | May 1883, aged 79 years. | DUNCAN
McKEEGAN died 10th Sep. 1975 | His wife MARY died 20th April 1977 | And
his daughter MARY MARGARET | died 29th Dec. 1989 | R.I.P.

Photo No.019
Erected | by | HENRY CHARD In Memory of | his mother SARAH ANN CHARD |
who departed this life 29th May 1858 | aged 38 years. Also her sons, |
EDWARD who died 7th May 1852, | aged 1 year & 3 months | BENJAMIN who
died 3rd July 1859 | aged 4 years & 9 months | "Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord"

Photo No.020
Family Burying Ground | of | RANDALL McAULEY | High Street, Cushendall |
Obiit 1867 | R.I.P. | (Tablet on Interior Wall of Church)

Photo No.021
Interior of LAYD Church, Cushendall - on either side of the centre door
are Headstones/Tablets for the MACAULAY family.
(Inscription details see numbers 022 & 023)

Photo No.022
Inscription on Headstone/Tablet right side of Arch of number 021:  In
the Scotch | Army of CHARLES 1st in Ulster was | Major ALEXR. MACAULAY |
from Ardincaple Dumbarton Shire | He married ALICE STEWART of |
Ballintoy they had one son | ALEXANDER who married MILDRED | daughter of
Revd. ADAM REID | They had one son ALEXR. MACAULAY | Kings Council &
Member of the | House of Commons. | He married MARGARET daughter | of
HUGH BOYD of Ballycastle | Their eldest son ALEXANDER was | High Sheriff
of Co. Antrim for 1766 | He married | JULIA HENRIETTA | daughter of Sir
ARCHD. ACHESON | Bart. (Afterwards Vist. GOSFORD) | He died 18th June
1817. She 28th May 1829. Both in their 83d year | and here buried. |
ALEXANDER MACAULAY and MARIA MAR- | TIN who died 19th November 1880 |
aged 32 years.

Photo No.023
Inscription on Headstone left side of Arch of number 021:  Issue of
ALEXD MACAULAY | and L. H. ACHESON, | ALEXANDER born 30th January 1768 |
ARCHIBALD Major Capt. 44th Regt | died aged 74 and here buried. | HUGH
Captain of an Indian Chinese | Ship foundered with him at Sea. | MARY
wife of Major JAS. HIGGINSON | she is here buried | and LOUISA her Sons
wife. | GEORGE Captain 17th Foot and here | buried. He married JAN
daughter | of GEORGE HILL Larne. They left | four daughters and one son.
| ARTHUR JOHN Lieut. 68th Regt | died at sea aged 24. | HARRIET wife of
Rev. R. S. DOBBS | they are here buried & three | children. | ANNE died
Jany. 30th 1870 aged 86, | ALEX MACAULAY Junr only son of | GEORGE and
JANE. Born 14th February 1819. | He married MARIA MARTIN They had | one
son ALEX. Born 22 Augt. 1849 | to the great affliction of his survivors
| he died of consumption 4th Decr. 1849. | He is buried in the North
East corner. | His eldest Uncle | Revd. ALEX MACAULAY who survived | him
died on the 8th Feby. 1855 aged 87

Photo No.024
Sacred | To the Memory of | JAMES STEWART of Mullarts | who departed
this life 3rd of Feb. 1862 | aged 85 years | His eldest son WILLIAM
STEWART, | who lost his life on board the "Clarendon" | West Indiaman,
in Chale Bay | Isle of Wight on the 11th Oct. 1836 | aged 20 years. His
remains are | interred in Chale Churchyard | And JAMES STEWART, who died
of | Scarlateina on his passage to | Australia 25th October 1852 | aged
16 years. And ALEXR STEWART | who died in infancy | ANN STEWART died
11th February 1876.

Photo No.025
The Great Grandson of NEIL McNEILL | of Killoquin Co. Antrim | and of
Macharahannishin, Argyle | Also ELIZABETH, his wife. Daughter of |
WILLIAM HAMILTON | of Clermont, Co. Derry | Also EDMUND ALEXANDER
McNEILL | his only son, who died May 29 1879. | Also ROSE, wife of
above, daughter of | ALEXANDER McNEILE (sic) | of Ballycastle, Co.
Antrim. Died 1868 | Also DANIEL ALEXANDER | 2nd son of | EDMUND
ALEXANDER McNEILL | of Cushendun, 15th M.N.I. East India Co. | Died Dec.
21 1901 | Also his wife ANNA eldest daughter of | Sir FRANCIS ASTLEY |
Bart of Everleigh, Wilts. Died April 17 1883. | Also | EDMUND ALEXANDER
Ch. de CRESPIGNY son of | PHILIP Ch. de CRESPIGNY. Lieut R.N. | and
Great Grandson of the above | EDMUND ALEXANDER McNEILL | Born 1890 Died
1905

Photo No.026
Erected In Memory of | HUGH McNEILL | died 9th March 1906 | His beloved
wife | CATHERINE McNEILL | died 1st Jan. 1916 aged 65 years | Also their
daughter | MARY | died 19th Feb. 1916 aged 40 years | Their sons |
DANIEL, JAMES, HUGH | and daughters | SARAH, MARGARET and ELIZABETH |
who died in America | And daughter | ROSETTA Rev. Mother St. BASIL | who
died in South Africa | JOHN died 17th April 1936 | Maghereeroy

Photo No.027
Here lieth | the body of ALEXR | FIFE who died Decr | the 25th 1775 aged
| 59 years. Done by or | der of his son JOHN | FIFE

Photo No.028
McKAY Burial Place
(Inscription details see number 029)

Photo No.029
Inscription on number 028:  Erected by | ALEXANDER McKAY of Layde | In
Memory of his father | HENRY McKAY who died 3rd July 1938. Also his
mother | MARGARET McKAY who died 7th Feb. 1943 | R.I.P.

Photo No.030
HIS | Erected | In Memory of | ALEX McKEEGAN, Falmacarilly | Also his
wife MARY | Their family | FRANCIS, TOM, PATRICK, | ALEX, JOHN, CHARLES
| ANNIE | ELLEN O'BOYLE | died 7th June 1932 | R.I.P.

Photo No.031
Sacred | To | the Memory of | MARY DUFFIN | who departed this life 13th
Feby. 1885 | "My God my father and my friend | do not forsake me in the
end" | Also her son | WILLIAM | who was Killed in the American War 1865
| aged 18 years | "In the midst of life we are in death" | This Tablet
is erected | In Loving Memory of HUGH DUFFIN, R.N. | son & brother.

Photo No.032
Sacred | To the Memory of | MARY ELIZABETH, | BLANCHE, JOSEPHINE and |
MARY FLORA, who died | in the year 1874 infant | children of Dr. CRONIN
| and FLORA his wife.

Photo No.033
In | Loving Memory of | HUGH McKEEGAN | died 7th April 1910, aged 60
years | His wife MARGARET | died 24th Jan. 1942, aged 85 years. | Their
sons JAMES and HUGH | and daughters ROSIE and KATIE

Photo No.034
IHS | Erected | In Memory of | JAMES SPEARS | who died 24th April 1879 |
aged 71 years | Also his wife MARY | who died 13th June 1888 | aged 73
years

Photo No.035
McKAY | MARGARET died 19 Dec. 1953 | Also her husband SANDY | died 29
April 1956

Photo No.036
MOORE | Clooghs | In Memory of | JOHN died 1923 | His wife MARGARET died
1933 | Their children JOHN died Sept. 1937 | DANIEL (DINTY) died 17th
March 1958 | Interred in America | MICHAEL died 9th Aug. 1955 | ANNIE
BORELAND died 24th Dec. 1972. | JAMES, PATRICK and MINNIE | Interred in
the Bay | Their Great Grandson | BUD C. J. PLATT, Wizard of Zighton | "I
see an Irish mountain road | In hearts where I roam | I long to climb
that rugged path | because it leads back home"

Photo No.037
McLARTY Burial Place
(Inscription details see number 038)

Photo No.038
Inscription on number 037:  Underneath | repose the remains of | DANIEL
McLARTY of Tavanagh who departed | this life (Rest of inscription
damaged)

Photo No.039
View within LAYD CHURCH Grave Yard, Cushendall - looking out to the
Irish Sea.

Photo No.040
Here lieth the body of | DANIEL McNEILL (?) | late of Drunagreach | who
departed this life | the 9th of August 1815 aged | 61 years

Photo No.041
Erected | by ELLEN McAULAY | To the Memory of her husband | JOHN SHARP
late of Cushendall | who departed this life the 8th | of Jany. 1836,
aged 39 years | Also his son DAVID who | died young.

Photo No.042
Erected | In | Memory of | ARCHIBALD McKILLOP, | of Cushendall | who
departed this life 15th August 1888, | aged 62 years | Also his daughter
| JANE, who died 4th Dec. 1906, aged 20 years | Also his wife | JANE,
who died 11th May 1918, aged 69 years | "May they rest in peace"











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