Kilkeasy Graveyard, Parish of Aghavillar, county Kilkenny

Kilkeasy Graveyard lies down a back road between Hugginstown and Ballyhale.   It is beautifully situated on slightly higher ground than the surroundings and even when there is not a breathe of air down on the roadway, there always seemed to be a little breeze within the graveyard to blow away all the miasmas.  There is one elderly tree in the graveyard, a sycamore, which always seemed to be rustling its leaves at us when Bernie and I surveyed this graveyard in June 2014.

Kilkeasy can be spelt in various ways including Kilkasy, Kilkeasy, Kilcasey, Kilcacy, Kilceacy and Kilkeacy.   The graveyard is enclosed by a stone wall and has a ruined church which dates from prior to the 12th century. There are exactly 40 inscribed stones or distinct memorials.  This is an ancient burial place with inscribed  stones dating from the 18th century;  the earliest stone dates from 1735, others from 1769, 1775, 1786, 1789, 1792, and 1798.  A further 10 memorials date from between 1802- 1822.   There is one fairly modern stone which reads "Pray for the soul of Thomas Phelan who was killed at the Battle of Carrickshock 14th Dec 1831. Rest in peace".    In addition there are about 90 unnamed stone grave markers.  This is a Catholic graveyard.  Kilkeasy had 612 inhabitants in 1837.

Index to names



Aylward, Bomers, Bowers, Brennan, Brophy, Burke, Carroll, Costelloe, Costelo, Dalton, Dugan, Dugin, Egan, Farel, Farrel, Farrell, Fleming, Fitzpatrick, Gee, Hayden, Holden, Kealy, Lawlor, Mackey, Maher, Mason, McGrath, Murphy, Phelan, Power, O (just initials M.O), O'Farrell, Roche, Shachy, Walsh.






Index to place names recorded on memorials

Ballinaraha, Ballybray, Ballybrishen, Ballyflough, Ballyknock, Ballylock (possibly Ballyflock), Ballynacooly, Blackditches, Boolyglass, Boullaglass, Carrick-on-Suir, Carrickshock  (Battle of),  Corbally, Cottierstown, Goodwinsgarden, Harristown ,Hugginstown, Kilcacy, Kilcasey, Kilceacy, Kilkeasy, Kilkenny, Kilkenny county, Killahy, Knockmoylan,  Knocktopher,  Lacken, Melbourne, New Park, Pleberstown, Upper Patrick St.








Index to names of the mason inscribed on memorials

Wilm Kearney,   Molloy of Callan,  Molloy of Callan and Dun(garvan),  Molloy of Callan and Tullaroan. 

Stone No 27 is a collapsed altar stone now standing on raised pillars which are placed lengthways and not upright.  It was very difficult to read with a lengthy and flowery eulogy taking up most of the entire top of the stone "Beneath are interred the remains of Mrs Bridget Walsh alias Hayden in whose memory this monument has been erected by her husband Mr Wm Walsh of Kilkacy.  In the character of this truly amiable woman was combined those brilliant and attractive qualities of heart and intellect that never failed to impress her acquaintances with a sense of her superior merit and eminent virtue. Nature that endowed her with a penetrating and comprehensive a mind which industry improved and enriched by acquisition of a considerable fund of useful and ornamental knowledge.  It is too little to say of her, that this wife, parent, neighbour and in all virtuous (possibly various?)  relations of life she endeared herself with a blameless image.  She possessed a suavity (possibly surety?) of manner and goodness of heart and a benevolence of disposition that merit more exotic praise. She passed from this life to a better life on 18th Nov 1822 aged 45 years, accompanied by the acclaim of good works, lauded with the benediction of numbers whom her charity relieved and succoured, lamented by friends who her departure filled with sorrow and affliction.    Also the body of Will Walsh who died the 20th day of Jany AD 1858 in the 81st year of his age.  A husband worthy of such a wife"




There is quite a lot to say about this memorial.  First of all it was a very expensive memorial to erect and to have incised with such a long eulogy. This couple were comfortably off and quite keen to have their affluence displayed and acknowledged by the erection of such a memorial.  Their comfortable position in life is confirmed by the good works and charity dispensed by Bridget.  This memorial shows that they considered they had a certain privileged role in the society in which they moved and certainly William wanted to ensure this was recorded for posterity.  The use of the titles Mrs Bridget Walsh and Mr Wm Walsh (rather than just Bridget Walsh and William Walsh) indicates these were people of some substance and who took their position seriously.   Both husband William Walsh of Kilkacy and his wife Bridget Hayden were born in the same year 1777 but William survived Bridget by 36 years.    Presumably he did not marry again as there does not appear to be mention of a second wife but someone must have cared for him into his old age - one presumes a daughter or daughter-in-law.   The "penetrating and comprehensive mind which industry improved and enriched by acquisition of a considerable fund of useful and ornamental knowledge" and "superior merit" plus "blameless image" make this lady an absolute paragon of virtue.   The illuminating line however is the very last sentence which records William's death   "A husband worthy of such a wife".  In other words William was not outshone by his wife and she was worthy of him.  It is fairly unusual to find such a lengthy eulogy on a Catholic stone.  A descendant of this couple tells us that Bridget was a Hayden of Cahirleaske, a hugely respected Catholic family in the area. 
There are a further 9 memorials to Walsh here including three which have been erected by other Walsh of Kilkeasy.    These are "Erected by John Walsh in memory of his father David Walsh of Kilkacy departed this life 28th April 1786 aged 79 yrs" (therefore born 1707).   "Erected in memory of Mr John Walsh of Kilkeacy who departed this life Nov 22nd 1833 aged 86 yrs" (therefore born 1747) and a headstone to David Walsh of Kilkeasy died 25th June 1865 aged 90 years (therefore born 1778).  A nearby Walsh stone records "Edmd (Edmond) Walsh who died Nov 1735 aged 55 yrs (therefore born 1680).  This does not say of Kilkeasy but I suspect that Edmond Walsh was of this same Kilkeasy family.  In fact this is a very interesting family and worthy of more research.  For the sake of clarity I have not quoted the full transcription for these 4 Walsh stones but can check if you think these are your family.




There is another very damaged and broken Altar tomb which was really very difficult to read and gave us considerable trouble.




Trying to decipher the top of this stone using a torch to reflect the carving of the letters

It is split right across the centre. "Beneath this tomb (erected by?) James Farrell of Killahy are deposited the mortal remains of his beloved son Edmond Farrell of Killahy who departed this life the third day of December one thousand, eight (?) hundred and twenty six in the thirtieth year of his age". There follows four short lines of poem but this is almost impossible to decipher "He whom no help or prayers could save, From certain death or fear, May by piety of his life, Have all his........"   Here also lie the remains of Bridget Farrel (sic) of Harristown who departed this life February 11th 1818 aged 19 (?) years.
Finally just to amuse you,  a quote about the Mill at Kilkeasy (the mill at Cill Cess in Osraighibh) "it will not grind on the Lord's day except for guests, and will not grind even a handful that has been stolen; and women dare not to come into it".  (From Carrigan's History of the Antiquities in the Diocese of Ossory 1905. Vol IV page 6.)