Cullawn Church Graveyard, Kilcullen, parish of Thomastown, county Kilkenny

Cullawn Church graveyard lies in the townland of Kilcullen and on a back road from Inistioge to Thomastown.   The site is not apparent from the road and can be difficult to locate; parking on the road is not easy.  Access is via a gate marked with a cross and through a field where the graveyard is to be found on the left in a walled and gated area. The Kilkenny Graveyard Mapping Project records this graveyard ID as 314 if you need to locate it on their interactive map. There may be cattle in the field. Carrigan in his History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory records the church ruins as very ancient and dating from before the Anglo Norman invasion; most of the church walls are now nearly down to the ground with the exception of the east gable. Stones are scattered all over the site and it is very uneven underfoot; there appear to be many markers but it is impossible to tell which stones might have been specially placed to record a burial.  It may have been used as a Killeen.  All the burials appear to be Catholic and as there are only 5 headstones, 4 with inscriptions, we have transcribed and copied inscriptions here in full.  Carrigan says that Kilcullen belonged to the Dobbyn family until the Cromwellian confiscations.  We accessed and recorded this graveyard in June 2015.




1. Kerbed plot.  In loving memory of the Dobbyn Family Chapel Hill. Richard Dobbyn, Woodstock died 5^th April 1957.  His wife Mary died 12^th June 1988. Their daughter Margaret Kavanagh late of Leicester died 5^th March 1993 aged 63. Rest in Peace Amen. O’Donnell. Waterford.




2. Broken Celtic Cross.  On base: On whose souls Sacred Heart of Jesus Have Mercy.  2 broken parts of the Celtic Cross are leaning again the wall of the church: the long shaft of the cross is finely decorated and marked Thy Kingdom Come; the circular part of the cross has a Sacred Heart with cross insert.  The part of the stone with the names of those buried is missing.




3. Finely carved upright tombstone.  Gloria scroll, sunburst and wreath/garland around top of stone and sunburst, IHS and 2 ciboria in lancet type windows.  Erected by Richd Hearn in memory of his sister in law Mary Heartley who depd this life March 22^nd 1817 aged 30 years. Also her sister Catherine Heartley who depd this life March 23^rd 1819




4. In loving memory of Daniel White, Kilkieran died 11^th March 1976. Erected by Danny McDonald. WHITE.




5.Celtic Cross on pediment base with A, X with a long tailed P through it, O on top of cross, a decorated ribbon down shaft of cross with In Hoc Signo Vinces on ribbon.  On front: a small Maltese cross – Erected by his children to the memory of our dear beloved father Morgan Kavanagh, Rossroe who died June 17^th 1925 aged 78 years. Also his wife Bridget Kavanagh and his son John Kavanagh who died young. And his daughter Mary (Ciss) Kavanagh died August 23^rd 1949. Sacred Heart of Jesus have mercy on their souls. Gargan. Kilkenny.  On left hand side: His son Bryan died June 13^th 1953 aged 74 years. RIP. His wife Mary died Aug 20 1949. Statia White Kilkieran died July 4 1972.   On right side : His son Michael Kavanagh died 7^th Dec 1959.


Index of Names on the stones
Dobbyn 1,
Hearn 3
Heartley 3
Kavanagh 1,5
McDonald 4
White 4,5


Index of Places recorded on the stones
Chapel Hill 1
Kilkieran 4,5
Leicester 1
Rossroe 5
Woodstock 1


Index of Masons who signed the stones they carved
Gargan, Kilkenny 5
O'Donnell, Waterford 1