Friday 1 July 2016

Knockmoylan Graveyard, Parish of Ballyhale, county Kilkenny

Knockmoylan, in the catholic parish of Ballyhale, lies on the old Kilkenny to Waterford Road midway between Ballyhale itself and Mullinavat.  This is strong Walsh territory edging as it does on to the area known as the Walsh Mountains. At one time the entire townland of Knockmoylan belonged to the Walsh family.   The church at the centre of this well maintained graveyard was built in 1812 and is known as All Saints Catholic Church. The graveyard is still in use.   Despite the 1812 date for the church the earliest memorials in the graveyard date from 1832 and 1833; there are 7 memorials dating from the 1840s and another 7 dating from the 1850s.


There is evidence of very fine stone engraving and carving dating from this early period.  In all there were 84 memorials, or memorial plots, in the graveyard which was surveyed in 2010.   Knockmoylan can be spelt as Knockmoilan and Knockmoyland.  The spelling of place names on the memorials can be very inconsistent such as Crobally, Crolybally and Crowbally  And as per as usual here in Kilkenny there is at least one stone, erected by an exile in a foreign land, as a memorial to parents and family at the traditional family burial place.  Also evidence of the useful practice (for family historians) of recording on a headstone those members of the family who have died overseas.

Table top tomb erected by Mr Richard Aylward of Knockmoyland to his son Rev. Patrick Aylward who died in 1859 aged 24 years.  


Index of names
Aylward, Anderson, Bowe, Brenen, Cain, Cantwell, Cashin, Cass, Cassin, Coady, Collins, Dalton, Darmody, Darmedy, Dermody, Dempsey, Doherty, Doody, Doyle, Dunphy, Drennan, Dywer, Fitzgerald, Fitzpatrick, Fleming, Grannan, Grant, Hanrahan, Healy, Hogan, Holden, Holehan, Holohan, Hurley, Jones, Kearns, Kelly, Kenneally, Lawlor, Mackey, Madden, Maher, Malone, Mason, McBride, McCarthy, McDonald, McGrath, Moloney, Morrisey, Morton, Murphy, O'Brien, O'Dwyer, O'Neill, O'Shea, O'Sullivan, Phelan ,Power,  Raftice, Reade, Reid, Reilly, Rocket, Ryan, Sullivan, Walsh, Walshe, Wemyss, Whelan.
Index of places mentioned on the memorials
America, Australia, Ballinabola, Ballybray, Ballybrushen, Ballytarsna, Ballytarsney, Barnsley, Brighton. California, Castlebanny, Castlegannon, Chicago, Clanassy, Cooleraheen, Coolmean, Coolmeen, Coolroemore, Cor......(illegible), Cottierstown, Cotterstown, Crobally, Crolybally, Cross Gates, Crowbally, Derrylackey, Dunboyne Establishment, Glendonnell, Gorrue, Kilcready,  Kilkeasy, Kilkenny, Kilkenny county, Kill, Kiltorcan, Knockmore, Knockmoylan, Knockmoyland, Knocktopher, Legan, Liverpool, Lukeswell, Maynooth, Mullinakill, Mullinavat, Newchapel, New Zealand, Rosboultra, Sacremento, St Kyran's College, South Australia, Sussex, Thomas St, Thomastown, USA, Waterford, Waterford city, Waterford county, Yorkshire.
Index of Stonemasons
Being so near Waterford city it is not surprising that some people erecting memorials have looked towards Waterford rather than Kilkenny for their stonemasons.  These Waterford masons  are:-  Flynn of Waterford,   Patk Kenny of New Street, Waterford,   O'Donnell,  Phillip St, Waterford,   O'Keeffe and Sons, Michael Street, Waterford. Other masons are Molloy, Molloy of Callan and  O'Shea of Castlebanny. 
Knockmoylan graveyard has several examples of older upright stones with what might be described as small "supporter" stones immediately to the left and right of the main stone.  These side "supporter" stones are usually just carved with a cross and the initials of the erector of the main headstone.  It is reminiscent of "supporters" used either side of a heraldic device.  This style of "supporters" to the main memorial seems to become popular in the 1840s and does not survive much beyond the 1850s and is evident elsewhere around the area in catholic graveyards such as at Hugginstown;  it does not seem to be practiced by those of the Protestant faith.   Having such "supporters" would have added expense to the erection of the main headstone.    No 39 on our list "Erected by John Fleming of Ballybrushen in loving memory of his beloved wife Elizabeth Fleming alias Phelan who depd (departed) this life Aug 25th 1842 aged 45 years" has just such "supporters" to the left and right of the main stone and marked simply  "JF".
No 30 on our list above, a beautiful old and lichen encrusted stone "Erected by the Widow Aylward of Lukeswell in memory of her husband John Aylward who departed this life December 17th 1849 aged 71 years". Her sons Thomas Aylward and Edmond Aylward are also mentioned on the stone but there are two "supporters" on either side of the headstone simply marked WA (standing for Widow Aylward).    This is a rare example of a woman erecting "supporters" as usually we have found they are erected by a man.    Such "supporters"  which have become separated from their main headstone, for example during a burial when things get moved around,  can confuse people into thinking they are independent headstones but this is unlikely to be the case.
Another such headstone with "supporters"on either side simply marked on each supporter JM, is No 5 on our list which reads "Erected by James Murphy of the city of Waterford in memory of his father John Murphy of Ballinabola who departed this life 25th June 1841 aged 60 years".


There is one First World War memorial which is in the burial plot of the Ryans of Castlegannon (No 29).  This is to 160891 Sapper P Ryan, Royal Engineers, who died 6th November 1918.

14 comments:

  1. Mary.
    i loves the work you have done, thank you. Can I ask for your advice please. I research my own and my wife's family. There is a McGrath headstone in Loughmore Graveyard in Co. Tipperary that is beside another more recent headstone that my wife Sue's people are on.....the one to it's left is a McGrath headstone as well but I cab't make it out. Sue's mom is 87 and it would be great to get that info off it...can you advise me on the best way to discover the information written on it.....i don't wish to dabble and end up damaging it in any way. Thank you. Stephen

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  2. Stephen and Sue
    Thank you for visiting our blog
    I am assuming these headstones are facing east.. you need to be out early in the morning light, you find that the sunlight behind you brings to light oldest inscription and iconography, which by about 11 am fade and dissapear.
    After a shower of rain the inscription that you could not read can suddenly reveal itself.
    Your eyes too adjust the more attention you give to the task...get down to eye level with the detail... Mary and I have read stones one letter at a time tracing each letter with fingers. Shining the light of a torch obliquely across the stone and into the incised letters creates shadows which can illuminate the carved detail...covering your head and shoulders with a dark rug can make this even more effective.
    Enjoy your research let us know how you get on.
    regards
    Mary and Bernie

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  3. Kat Fitzpatrick12 May 2018 at 18:34

    Mary and Bernie,
    This is My Father and Mother's Resting place in the top photo . My mother was buried here just a few weeks ago .
    Katriona Fitzpatrick , Newchapel , Knockmoylan

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    1. Katriona may we offer you and your family our sincere sympathy on the recent loss of your mother. We have now removed this image from the site as a mark of respect. When you feel again that you would like us to replace the image just let us know. We have further information to add to the history here. Thank you for getting in touch with us.
      Kind regards Mary and Bernie

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    2. Hi Bernie ,
      Please feel free to replace the image, together with any further information to add to the history you may have. Richard Aylward was our great-great-great grandfather and many of our ancestors are interred here , along with our parents.
      Eamonn Fitzpatrick

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  4. Dear Mary and Bernie, Thanks for all the work you have done. I believe that several members of my family on my father's side are buried in this cemetery. They would include my grandfather, Godfrey Ryan, my great grandfather, John Ryan and my great great grandfather, also John Ryan. Before I visit, would you be so kind as to have a look at your records and see do any of their names show up? Many thanks, Godfrey.

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  5. Straight off Godfrey,
    We have a Common Wealth War Grave at Knockmoylan/ Castlegannnon Graveyard
    Richard Ryan Special Signal Company, Royal Engineers
    Service Number;160891
    Rank; Sapper
    Died; 6/11/1918
    He enlisted in Kilikenny March/April 1916 and was appointed as a Telegraphist to the Royal Engineer office near Bletchley England
    Ref; Kilkenny Families in the Great War ..Niall Brannigan and Joyhn Kirwan
    The Kilkenny War Dead Tom Burnell
    Further information later
    Godfrey Thanks for vising our blog

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  6. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Bernie. Thanks so much for your help. These are the newspaper cuttings from 1908 that lead me to believe that my ancestors' burial plot is in this graveyard. It reports on the funeral of John Ryan, my great grandfather. One of the chief mourners is my grandfather, Godfrey Ryan (misspelled as Geoffrey). Thanks again, and I hope to hear further from you. With best wishes, Godfrey.

      https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yHaEcIKvP5dts9GAiZCuGcG7YyGy5nTZ

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    2. Godfrey,
      Our recording at Knockmoylan Ryan Castlegannon
      In loving memory of John Ryan, Castlegannon died 8th July 1908 aged 64 yrs, his daughter Bridget (Sister Catherine) died 14th Sept 1893 aged 19 years, and his granddaughter Angela who died young. His son Richard died 6th Nov 1912 aged 34 years, His wife Catherine died 26th June 1940 aged 89 years. Her sons Daniel died 28th Oct 1954, Godfrey died 8th Dec 1961, and John died 27th Nov 1966. Her daughters Mary died 25th May 1955 and Sr Angela died 15th Feb 1963, her daughter-in-law Agnes Ryan died 26th July 1965. Annie Whelan died 15th April 1975 aged 87yrs.
      War Memorial Sapper R Ryan 160891. Royal Engineers 6th Nov 1918
      Regards Mary and Bernie

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    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    4. That's really great information, Mary and Bernie. Many thanks for all the work you put into it. It will be a great help to my own son, Richard when I pass all the family records over to him. I really appreciate what you have done for us. I will visit the cemetery soon. I think it can easily be accessed from the Dublin-Waterford motorway. Best regards, Godfrey Ryan.

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    5. Godfrey,
      Thank you If you think other Ryan families in Ballyhale area relevant to yours we could share further details with you.
      Mary and Bernie

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  7. Hi. My grandmother was Ellen Collins of Kiltorcan. Ballyhale. Born 1897. Her father was William Collins and mother Mary Collins

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