It is accessed across a working farmyard, and then a field where there may be horses loose. The approach after that is along a grassed boreen, with a small river flowing on the right and leading to a venerable holy well; this is known as St Columkille's Well which lies besides the ruined church.
The spelling of Columkille/Columbcille varies greatly. The local people gathered still here at the beginning of the 20th century to drink the water and to beseech the intervention of the patron saint of the site. It is almost a vertical site which makes work hazardous on occasions when it can be difficult to get a firm and safe foot hold; Carrigan (History of the Diocese of Ossory.1904) described the site as "rugged". The graveyard is usually very overgrown but had been partly cleared in early summer of 2015 and totally cleared by 2018.
The clearance of the undergrowth exposed a Flood vault not previously recorded amongst other things.
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| The Flood Vault. These Floods were from Paulstown Castle. According to local tradition Henry Flood's hunting jacket was hung on the memorial until it rotted away. Henry Flood died in 1840. |
We hoped to find a second War Graves Commission headstone which a local farmer told us stood just beyond the memorial erected by Patrick Ring of Brooklyn (No 4): this part of the graveyard was overgrown,but is now cleared but this second War Grave Commission stone has not been located.. He also reported a stone lying in the river with writing on it; we did not find this stone either. Two stones recorded in an earlier survey done by Joe Doyle in the 1970s have now totally disappeared, either removed, or broken into bits or totally submerged undergound; they have been included in this current survey for completeness .On the other hand we have found many more stones than listed in the original survey mainly because the site had been cleared of undergrowth and for which we are grateful.
Both Protestants and Catholics are buried here, but predominantly Catholics. At the entrance to the old graveyard gate (whose original and magnificent piers are lying against the interior wall) and where the remains of the old church are to be found is the following memorial: A prayer for those in purgatory. May the meek and the festive countenance of Christ Jesus appear to thee that he might give thee a place amongst those who are to stand before Him forever.
The parish and the church of Columbkille were appropriated to the Priory of Inistioge by Thomas FitxAnthomy in the early 13th century. The patron saint of the earliest church that stood here was St Columba, Abbot of Iona. Carrigan reports that in the local Irish language, Columbkille would have been pronounced and sounded like Columba. Carrigan also reports that this graveyard was known as "Collumbkille (sic), otherwise Kilgriffen in 1631". He states that St Columbkille's first name in Irish was Crihen or Criffen and by corruption Griffen; hence Kilgriffen and the church of St Columbkille though appearing to be differ are one and the same thing.
The townlands of the parish of Columbkille (in 1905) are:- Ballyroe, Blessington, Carrickmournia, Dangan, Jackstown, Kilcullen, Kiljames Lower, Kiljames Upper, Kilmurry, Knockanroe, Mungmacody and Ruppa; you can expect the people from these townlands to be buried in this graveyard.
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| Ancient stone style set into the wall in the north east corner |
There are two ancient stone styles crossing the enclosing stone walls at differing places, indicating pathways or walk ways across the fields used by people for centuries either to reach the graveyard or to attend Mass in the church.
In all 64 stones or memorials of importance have been recorded or listed. As stated there are two stones listed in an earlier recording which we have not located. This is an ancient burial site and of the memorials recorded by us we have found 6 dating from the period 1773-1795 and another 20 stones from the period 1800-1849. We have counted over 300 visible stone markers which have been placed to record the burial site of a loved one but these markers have no names or dates; in addition there must be thousands of unrecorded burials here with no markers at all. A local landowner refers to an adjacent field just behind the holy well, as formerly a burial site but there are no memorials there, although the ground in uneven in places and undulates. We have drawn out a very detailed map of the old graveyard. And also have amassed genealogical information on some of the families buried here.
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| Centre of this picture is the box/table type tomb of the Duigan family.. They were recorded as farmers from Kiljames. One son converted to the Church of Ireland on 19th April 1776 and made a Protestant marriage the next day on 20th April in St James, Dublin. He did not remain long in the Protestant Church for all his children, 9 of them, were baptised in the Catholic Church of Thomastown. We have an extensive genealogy for this family many of whom entered the medical profession.. |
Indexes to names recorded on memorials
Barron 19
Blanchfield 23
Bolger 57
Bowers 13
Brennan 17
Bruce 56
Burris 33
Byrne 6,7,43Cashin 30
Cloney 2
Conway 38
Cullen 50
Culloten 44
Deane 47
Devereaux 39
Doyle 38
Dray 25
Drea 26
Duigan 47
Fitzpatrick 40,42
fleming 55
Flood 5
Foristal 25
Forristal 8, 12
Galway 44
Gaul 13
Gorman 35
Hade 63 (not located)
Hanrahan 14, 15, 44, 46, 48, 50, 51
Hille 26
Hogan 29,30
Hughes 28
Johnson 64 (not located)
Kennedy 45, 46, 54
Lahart 24 (posible)
Lanigan 24 (possible)
Matthews 3
McCarty 20, 21
McDonell 24
Minogue 16, 52, 53
Moore 1, 13
Morris 15
Muldowny 43
Murphy 45
N (stone marked with initials only TN) 49
Naddy 37
Neil 27
O'Keeffe 14. 18
Quirk 40
Reid 38
Reily30
Reilly 34Riely 29
Ring 4, 27(possible)
Walsh 9, 14, 41
Index to places recorded on the memorials
Balivole 32
Ballyjamesduff 14
Ballymagill 31
Barretstown 2
Blessington 14, 50
Brooklyn 4
Castlefield 18
Castlegarden 44Collumkill 38
Columbcille 8
Columbkill 12
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| John Riely 1795 |
Columbkill Cross 1
Columbkille 13Coppena 52
Homeland 14
Jackstown 42
Jerpoint West 16
Kilcross 48
Kilbline 24
Kilfane 21
Kilkenny county 4
Kiljames 14,15,35,47
Kilmacshane 25
Mong 6,7,41,47
Mongmacody 7
Moonteen 19,20
Mung 43
New York 4
Ohio 8
Oldtown 9
Paulstown 5
Paulstown Castle 5
Pleberstown 45
Smithstown 27,29,30,34
Smythstown 28
Strone (on Hade stone but stone not located) 63
The Rower 50
Thomastown 23, 26
Thostown 2
Tullowherin 4
Index of Masons of Blacksmiths who have created memorials in the graveyard
W. Brophy, Kilkenny 44
J. Nolan, Ballon 12
John Kearney, maker 25
Michael Kearney 43
Mullen 48
Mullen, Kilkenny 1
Power, Seanie (blacksmith)19, 20,21,22
Index of Occupations (not always listed on the memorial but information from elsewhere)
Actor 56
Huntsman 5
Military 3, 16
Miller 33, 64
Priest 13, 50, 51
Tinsmith 20
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| Reflections in St Columkille's Holy Well |
Looking for information on the burial place of my great-grandparents, Philip and Catherine Martin, Dunningstown Kilkenny. Catherine Martin nee Finn died in 1904. Date of Philip Martin' is unknown. Anecdotally their graves are said to be in Thornback Cemetery, Keatingstown Kilkenny. I would be delighted if this could be confirmed.
ReplyDeleteHello Nicholas
ReplyDeleteThis is not a graveyard we have surveyed but it is freely available on the Kilkenny Archaeological Society Website. Look at Research and then list of graveyards. This was surveyed in 1972. I have checked this for you. The only Martin is "Here lies the body of Ellinor Martin alias Murphy who died September 10th 1810 aged 26. Obviously not the one you are looking for. However it is in a modern railed area together with another Murphy stone dates 1764/1788 and 3 Dowling stones also dating from the mid to late 18th century. These are too early but it is the erection of what is termed a "modern" railed area around these headstone that might be if interest.
Mary and Bernie.
We can see Elizabeth Martin married Nicholas Fennelly at St Canices on the 12th Feb 1923. This Elizabeth was born to Philip Martin and Catherine Finn on 19th Sept 1885. Thomas was born 24th July 1887. Edward was born on the 14th Nov 1889.
DeletePhilip Martin and Catherine Finn married in Danesfort on the 29th July 1884. Catherine Finn was born 22nd Nov 1851 to Parents Edmund Finn and Mary Griffin. Catherine's older sister Mary was born 29th March 1849. Her brother Michael was born 10th June 1854. Patrick was born 3rd April 1857. Her father Edmund Finn died 12 October 1881 aged 66yrs. Her mother Mary Finn died 31st Aug 1886 aged 66 yrs. Marys roots are clearly in Danesfort and there are many Martin families here also. Bonnettstown where Philip and Catherine farmed is on the Tullaroan side of Kilkenny. perhaps you have all this information. Mary and Bernie
Thank you for your wonderful work. I have an interest in a Mathews family who lived in Kilkenny during the mid-1600s through mid-1800s, included an MP and mayors, and was associated with Bonnetstown. I am interested in your latest post that lists a Matthews(3) with a military connection, and an earlier post from March 2017 that lists Matthews (194). Any assistance is much appreciated.
ReplyDeleteMarion
Thank you for visitng our blog.
DeleteJust to give you the detail from recently published...The Kilkenny War Dead by War Historian Tom Burnell..Matthews Thomas; Private. Regiment;or service: Labour corp. Unit 4th Battalion. /service Number; 174810. Date of Death; 15/06/1920. Notes; Formerly he was with the 4th Battalion Royal Irish Regiment where his number was 11534.
Grave Memorial or Memorial Reference; Colmcille Old Graveyard Co Kilkenny
Kilkenny Families in the Great War again recent publicationby Niall Brannigan and John Kirwan..lists Thomas Matthews ...disembarked in an unknown War theatre sometime after January 1916..wounded or invalided..transferred to the Labour Corp.
There is listed also of Sgt John Matthews from Callan and a Patrick Matthews possibly from Gowran.
Haven't visited the Columbkille Cemetary in a long time and it was almost impossible to definitively identify ancestors when we were there. Am so glad it has been surveyed. My family (Hanrahan) dates back to 1800 from records from the Church of the Assumption and presumably lived in the Gowran area. Have researched a lot over the years and traced them from Thomastown to the US fairly successfully.
ReplyDeleteEarliest records are for an Edmund born June 5, 1800 in Castlegarden to a James and Hanrahan and Mary (Murphy) Hanrahan. Sisters were Mary born July 1, 1802 and Bridget born in 1811 (no month).
Edmund married a Ellen Gooley (or Gowley) Oct 18, 1832 in the Church of the Assumption. They also apparently lived in Castelgarden. Six children all baptized at the church: James (Sept 3, 1833), Patrick (May 27, 1835), Thomas (June 25, 1837), Peter (Jan 26, 1844), Edmund (Feb 11, 1847) and Bridget (Dec 11, 1849). We know nothiing about their lives and deaths other than Patrick, who is my great-great-grandfather.
He married a Mary Hanrahan (yes, same last name) on Sept 5, 1853 at the Church of the Assumption. They listed their residences as Castlekosker, and then lived in Dangan where they apparently had a farm and bore 7 children. From our contacts duriing our research in Ireland people thought the farm may have been near the cemetary, but we could no substantiate this.
The children were all baptized at the Church of the Assumption, sometimes with no month identified: Anna (1856), Edward (1858), Lawrence (Dec 21, 1860), Mary (May 24, 1862), Margaret (Feb 17, 1864), Johanna (June 13, 1866), and Elizabeth (July 31, 1868).
The family emigrated to the United States sometime between 1868 and 1870 (we think) but we have never found their immigration records. They were recorded on the 1870 census living in Massachusetts and all died in the U.S.
Other than Patrick and Mary and family we have not tried to track the others and presumably they lived and died in Ireland.
Would be interesting to know if any of these match the Hanrahans in the cemetery or if there is any other information about their lives in Kilkenny that might be interesting.
JJ, One of the Hanrahan headstones does appear to be relevant to your direct line. This is stone 44. Erected by Edward Hanrahan of Castlegarden in memory of his father James Hanrahan who died January 6th 1829 aged 60 years. Also his brother Patrick Hanrahan who died Sept 1844 aged 40 years. Also his sister Mary Galway who died February 1841 aged 34 years and his sister Anastatia Culloten who died May 1869 aged 71 yrs. Also his daughter Mary who died young. Stone has swag and white carving of Lamb of God. Stone signed by the mason W. Brophy of Kilkenny. You should be able to get hold of a civil death certificate for Anastatia Culloten who died in 1869. This might help you unravel a bit more family history. Did you record all the sponsors when you took out all the revelant Hanrahan entries from the parish register. These are important as nearly always relations; this too might help you get a bit further back or plump out the family tree, especially if you get locations. Thank you for visiting the blog and we are glad it has been helpful to you.
ReplyDeleteKind regards
Bernie and Mary
Hoping to visit this graveyard in May when we are planning to stay a few days in Kilkenny. Do you know which of the Floods are mentioned on the memorials?
ReplyDeleteHello Neville. Thank you for visiting our site. The Flood Vault memorial reads " This monument was raised in the loving memory of Henry Flood of Paulstown Castle who died 16th November 1840 and his wife Anna Maria Flood who died 5th January 1852 by their daughter Henrietta Flood. And of her two brothers Charles Flood who died 15th July 1848 and William Flood who died 30th January 1885". The side of the memorial reads "to the loved memory of Henrietta eldest daughter of Henry Flood Esq of Paulstown Castle born Feb 1823 who fell asleep in Jesus November 15th and was buried November 19th 1901". These are members of the same Flood family of Farmley - see Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland 1912 under the entry Solly-Flood of Ballynaslaney House. Henrietta has a younger sister, Isabella who married in 1853 her cousin Henry Flood of Rutland Square, Dublin. She died 8th Dec 1895 leaving issue.
Deletewith kind regards Mary and Bernie
Reference is made in this article to "an extensive genealogy of the Duigan Family". I wonder if I can be put in touch with the record holder to see if they are my missing Duigans....some of whose children ( Michael John, Elizabeth, John Joseph and Henry) migrated Australia in the early mid 1800s. Would be great to finally link them to their home family...Mike Shone - mjshone@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHello Mike. Here is the total inscription on the Duigan stone.
ReplyDelete:- Sacred to the memory of Michael Duigan Esq who departed this life on the 10th day of Mar 1805. He was the friend and protector of the widow, father to the orphan, benefactor to the poor and died with the respectable character of an honest man. Also to the memory of his wife Catherine who left this world for a better one the 27th May 1808 aged 47 years. *The respect and maternal care, duties of daughter wife mother she discharged with tenderness and affection. She bore a long and painful illness with resignation and Christian fortitude and gave up her life in peace to Him who gave her life. This tomb has been erected by their afflicted orphans as a monument of their filial gratitude and affection. **How loved how honoured once with thee not to whom related or by whom begot, heap of dust is all remains with thee, tis all thou art and is all thy happiness shall be. Here also are deposited the remains of Michael and Catherine Duigan parents of Michael Duigan. May they rest in peace. (The Index to the Prerogative Wills of Ireland lists Wills for Michael Duigan, Thomastown as 1805 and Catherine Duigan as 1808. Michael Duigan of Mong, county Kilkenny converted to the Protestant religion in Dublin on 19th April 1776 {List of Convert rolls held by the IGRS, London}. He married the next day, 20th April at St James, Dublin, Catherine Deane, spinster; in this marriage licence he is described as of Kiljames, county Kilkenny, and a tailor. He began life as the son of a farmer in Kiljames but by 1769 he is described as servant man to Francis Marsh, councillor-at-law in Dublin and heir to Rev. Jeremy Marsh. 1n the 1788 Lucas Directory, he is described as a draper. The Marsh family had acquired property in Thomastown and employed Duigan to manage it for them, but he soon supplanted his patrons. Duigan and his family might best be described as upwardly mobile. See: Merchants and Shopkeepers; an historical Anthropology of an Irish Market town 1200-1991 by P.H.Gulliver and Marilyn Silverman . Toronto. 1995. Michael Duigan appears to have had at least 5 children with Catherine. James Duigan, his eldest son, formerly a Lieutenant in the 90th regiment and latterly described as a “Dublin merchant”, Thomas Duigan, 3rd son, to whom Catherine left everything in her Will on the proviso that he pay £800 each to his brothers Samuel and Francis and £1000 to his sister Margaret. Catherine had already demised to her eldest son James, Poulbeg Mill and its lands for 41 years at just over £113 per year. (**This is a quote from Alexander Pope 1688-1744 (a catholic). And taken from his Elergy to the Memory of an Unfortunate Lady which is much longer than the quote “How loved, how honoured once avails thee not, To whom related or by whom begot; a heap of dust alone remains of thee; Tis all thou art and all the proud shall be”)
Michael appears to have married twice so we must suppose his first and protestant wife died early. His second wife was Catherine Ryan and catholic and mother of all his children. As far as we can ascertain Samuel Duigan, one of the sons of the above (baptised RC 25th April 1796 in Thomastown) became a surgeon and doctor and died in the home of his son Dr Charles Duigan 30th Aug 1854 in Mullingar. Charles had a son Henry, who attended Trinity College, Dublin, born 1828 in Kilbeggan, Westmeath. He died in Dec 1897 in Victoria Australia. He seems to have studied to be a barrister in Australia and married twice. 1st Marie Beamish 12th Sept 1853 and had Charles Beamish Duigan and 2nd Marion McLeod, aka Mrs Black, a widow with six children 6th April 1874. They had Henry McLeod Duigan born 24th Dec 1875 and died 1931. Another of Samuel's son Richard Joseph was a RC priest born county Meath circa 1837/38 and died in Yass, New South Wales July 3rd 1870.
Is this your Duigan family? There do not appear to be any other Australian links.
Mary Casteleyn
Belated thanks for all your excellent information Mary and Im so glad that Wendy of NZ (where I also live) seems to have made a wonderful connection with Bernie. Seems however these are unfortunately not "my Duigans" (unless my "Duigan"has been spinning an identity year!! My Michael John Duigan was Baptised in Dublin in 1839 (although in Australia he said it was in 1843?) and was apparently the son of a John Joseph Duigan who was married to Judith Mulhall (and who likely did not come from Dublin). They also had 2 sons John Joseph and Henry who migrated to and died in Australia and they also had a sister Elizabeth Mary who seems to have been born in 1840 and who also migrated to Australia and married into the DÁrcy family. My challenge is to find anything at all about John Joseph Duigan and his wife Judith Mulhall who seemed to have remained in Ireland during the famine years and who have been born in the 1810s??. Declan Brady of Swords Historical Society and Carmel Gilbride of Eneclann have got me this far but seems only newly available Church records will move me ahead. The Duigans records once they arrived in Australia are readily available and it is from these that the information about the names of Michael John Duigan and Judith Mulhall is noted on the death certificates of the first of "my Duigan" migrants. Ironically the Duigans who migrated to NZ migrated about the same time and among the Duigan "first names"there are many similarities. Any new ideas you come across would be most welcome. Kind regards Mike Shone - mjshone@gmail.com
DeleteGreetings from Wales. I may have located a connection to one of the people mentioned in your note - Samuel Duigan had a daughter called Kate Mary who married Robert Heenan, an engineer. He worked on the Indian railways as superintendent engineer, dying in the Punjab in 1873. Here's a piece I wrote about him and his wife https://heenan.one-name.net/heenans-a-z-kate-mary-heenan-from-ireland-to-india/
DeleteReading this informations indicates that my husband is the great,great,great,great grandson of Michael Duigan. We are currently in Ireland and on Wednesday will be travelling from Cork to Dublin. We're very keen to locate this graveyard. It would be even more special if we were able to meet up with you. Is this possible? Regards
ReplyDeleteWe are following the branch if the family that moved to New Zealand.
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy, Welcome to Ireland, It would be lovely to meet you and take you to this graveyard. If you can share your email we can plan this. Its exciting after all this time to meet the descendents of Michael Duigan returning to Columcille
ReplyDeleteRegards Mary and Bernie
Wendy, We realise posting your email isnt a good idea. if you have an approximate time of arrival in Thomastown co Kilkenny on Wednesday next, that will be ok. Just let me know and we will meet you on the seat outside Old St Marys Church at the top of Market Street.
ReplyDeleteRegards Mary and Bernie
Hi Mary and Bernie
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to use wazwalton2@gmail.com
It would be really great to meet with you. This is exciting.
We can arrange the time to meet via email. Thanks
We've worked out that it will take us about 4 hours. We'll get to Thomastown between 1 and 1.30pm. Does that suit you?
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your work on this site! I have Walsh ancestors buried there and would be interested in knowing if you would have further information on the Walsh/Reily families. I have not yet found the connection with the Reilly's other than Mary but have quite a bit of information on the Walsh descendants. My James Walsh m. Mary Reilly and they had 8 children. Their second oldest, John, had son James who is buried there alone with his wife Mary and two sons Jack and Peter. Peter was the last to pass on and is not noted on the stone. Mary Beth
ReplyDeleteHello and thank you so much for this wonderful blog. My great great grandparents are from this area and we are wondering if they, or any of their children might be buried in the old cemetery you mention. Their names are Edmund/Edmond/Edward Brennan born 1840 in Pleberstown, died 1923. And Margaret Brennan born 1842 and possibly died 1915. The children's names were Mary b.1865, Michael b.1873, Patrick b.1875, Joseph b.1876, Bryan b1890. Would greatly appreciate any info if you have seen anything about these Brennans. Edmond and Margaret were recorded on the 1911 census living their final years in nearby Lower Kiljames.
ReplyDelete