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

Kilkenny Board of Health Registers of Internments

Tucked away in the Kilkenny Archives at John Street, Kilkenny city are some very valuable resources for the Kilkenny family historian.  Amongst the most interesting for this blog are a series of civil burial registers which mainly commence in the early 1940s; some end in the 1970s but others go right through to 2005/2006.   These are NOT part of the church records but are civil internment records kept by Kilkenny County Council.  If you are seeking a burial within the relevant dates and in a graveyards which is listed below, it would be advisable to consult these registers, especially if you are not finding the name you seek on a headstone or memorial. We have found that people listed in these Registers of Interment are not always to be found recorded on a headstone in the relevant graveyard, which is why these registers are so important.  These registers are not available anywhere online, probably because much of the information is fairly recent and could be regarded as sensitive.  The information recorded in these registers is as follows:- Christian and surname of the deceased, sex, age, religion, occupation, whether married, single, widow or widower or a child, the last place of residence, date of death, date of interment and signature of the caretaker and registrar.  The information has been entered in ink and by hand on pre-printed register pages. 
The last place of residence is usually the townland of the family home but may include such locations as  Dublin, London, England, or New Jersey USA indicating that whilst people may have died overseas they were often shipped home to Ireland for burial in the family plot.


Accompanying these Registers of Interment is a one page Kilkenny County Council document entitled "Duties of Registrars of Burial Grounds; approved on 6th March 1947".  These duties are based on the Rules and Regulations for the Regulation of Burial Grounds dated 6th July 1888, 23rd December 1919 and 12th March 1929.   Most of these rules and regulations concern being present at burials, ensuring correct procedures are followed and to demand and receive fees where these are chargeable and of course keeping the Register of Interments.   All of that is to be expected but what is very interesting is we learn that the Registrar is also expected "to keep in his custody a map of the burial ground showing the divisions of the burial ground into grave spaces" and "to keep records showing ownership of each grave and available accommodation therein".   Sadly these last records, which would be so very valuable to us all, do not seem to have survived; in any event they are not in the Kilkenny Archives in John Street.  We are still looking for where these maps and ownership lists might be.


 

Kilkenny Board of Health and Public Assistance: List of Registers of Interments:-

1. Aghavillar 1944-2005
2. Ballygurrin 1941-1995
3. Baunfada 1946-1972
4. Brownsbarn 1942-1975
5. Clonamery 1946-1978
6. Clonmatagh Lower 1941-1990
7. Coolagh 1941-1984
8. Danesfort 1942-1961
9. Danganmore 1954-1995
10. Derrynahinch 1941-2006
11. Donoghmore 1941-2002
12. Donoghmore Upper 1942-1979
13. Dungarvan 1954-1977
14. Grange 1944-2005
15. Grange Upper  1948-1961 ( but no burials recorded in register)
16. Kells 1949-1985
17. Kilbeacon 1946-1972
18. Kilkieran 1941-2003
19. Killaloe 1941-2005
20. Kilmocar 194?-2006
21. Kilmakevoge 1945-1981
22. Kilree 1941-1992
23. Kyle 1945-1959
24. Kyleballykeefe 1945-1970
25. Newtown 1941-1972
26. Powerstown 1942-1979
27. Rathcusack or Rathcorrig 1941-1999
28. Rosconnell 1941-1983
29. Shanbogh 1941/2-2002
30. Shraleagh 1942-1958
31. Smithstown 1941-1971
32. Stonecarthy 1948-1975
33. Threecastles 1945?-1963
34. Troyswood 1941-2005
35. Urlingford 1941-1988

A view of Stonecarthy graveyard with one of our helpers