Cemetery: Donaghcomper Churchyard & Duneany Churchyard

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Kildare Index
Copyright

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File contributed by: C.Hunt & M. Taylor

CEMETERY: DONAGHCOMPER CHURCHYARD
[From Lord Walter FITZGERALD]

'The churchyard of Donaghcomper lies by the roadside,
half a mile from the town of Celbridge in the Leixlip
direction.  The ruins of the church, a large portion of
which is still standing show that it consisted of a nave
and chancel; the east window of the latter is a small
double- lighted trefoil-headed one: the west gable end
was topped by a belfry; and the doorway in the  south
wall has a porch to it.

On the north side of the chancel was attached a
mortuary chapel which judging by the remains of the
tracery in the large window, in its north wall, was a very
handsome one.  This mortuary chapel contains a vault,
the opening to which is covered by a large granite slab
bearing the following nearly illegible, incised
inscription':-

     [This] Sepulchre is the [Buri]al Place of The
     [Fa]mily of ALENS of ALEN[S Court ...]
     *This portion is now illegible.

'The ALEN family after the suppression of the
monasteries in the sixteenth century, acquired  amongst
other possession the Priory of St. Wolstan's, the ruins of
which stand on the east bank  of the Liffey, half a mile
from the Donaghcumper churchyard; this priory was
founded by Adam de HEREFORD in honour of St.
Wolstan, Bishop of Worcester, for canons of the order of
St. Victor,  A.D. 1212.  When in possession of St.
Wolstan's, the ALENS changed the name to ALEN'S Court
and such as it was known for many years: it is now in the
possession of the CANE family and known under its
former name.
______________________________________

'On a flat slab lying near the east window of the chancel
(of Donaghcomper Church) is incised:-

HERE LYETH THE BODY OF NICHOLAS WALSH
WHO DIED FEB'RY THE 11'TH 1711 BEING BROTHER TO
PETER WALSH OF DUNAUGHCOMP** BY WHOM THIS
STONE HAS BEEN LAID FOR HIMSELF AND HIS
POSTERITYHERE ALSO THE LYETH THE BODY OF THE
AFORESADE PETER [SIC] WHO DYED THE 24TH DAY OF
FEBRY [SIC] 1720 AGED .. YEARS

     'The remainder of the inscriptions here given are
copied from headstones' :-
____________________________________________________

            +
           IHS
Here lyeth ye Body of Mich'l SANDERS
who died in 1756 Aged 12 years. Also Laghlen SANDE'rs
Aged ..
                    (the remainder is buried)
____________________________________________

    This Stone & Burial Place belongeth to Simon
MONAGHAN and his Posterity 1773
_____________________________________________

This Stone & Burial Place belongeth to
Christopher LOCK and his posterity, he departed This
Life 91 years of age and in the year of our Lord 1745
_____________________________________________

     +
      IHS
     Erected by Stephen COYLE to the Memory of his
Posterity.
     Here lieth his Father George COYLE who
departed this Life May the 18th 1790 Aged 75 years
Also his brother, Thomas COYLE who departed May 21st
1793 aged 36 years,  Here lieth his Dear Mother Anne
COYLE who departed this Life Feb. the 15th 1797  aged
85 years
     Step'h COYLE dep'd 30th Jan 1809 Js COYLE dep'd
26 Feb 1818
     George COYLE Dept'd March 4th 1818 Aged 64
years
     'This inscription is from a mural slab outside the
east window of the ALEN Mortuary chapel.'
______________________________________________

CEMETERY: DUNEANY CHURCHYARD
     [From Lord Walter FITZGERALD]

'In this old burial-ground are the ruinous remains of a
church consisting of a nave and chancel;  the east
window of the latter consisting of two high, narrow
openings splaying widely inside the  upper portions of
which have fallen: inside the ruins is the bowl of a rude,
square granite font, measuring 2 feet by 2-1/2 feet;  the
perforation is in the centre.  What still exists of the
walls are quite featureless, with no cut-stone work.

     'The oldest inscriptions now visible appear to be
the following' :-
          +
          IHS
          As you are now so Wance was I. I am now
yow (sic) will be, all good christians pray for me.
Here lyeth the Body of Thomas O'NALE who departed this Life
Septemb'r  9 1777 in the 25th year of his Age.
     ________________________________________

       +
      IHS
     Here lieth the Body of James MURPHY who
departed this Life July the 15th 1761 aged 15 years
This stone was erected by Margaret COLLINS
____________________________________________

    This is erected by Thomas HOLAGAN in memory
of his Father Will'm HOLAGAN deceas'd Feb'ry  aged 93
yrs Also his wife Judith TOOLE Deceas'd Sept'r 1770
Aged 72 y'rs  May they rest in peace Amen

Source
Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland Vol. 6. 1904, (FHL #
0258795)