Kilkieran Graveyard. Pt 4. The Osborne Family of Kilmacoliver, Annsborough and Atlantic City.

The former mausoleum belonging to the Osborne family of Kilmacoliver and Annsborough, county Kilkenny had been in a state of collapse and has been reduced to a raised platform of stone and slate which measures 25 feet, 6 inches by 14 feet, 4 inches. Inset flat into the top of this platform are three headstones.  One is a badly damaged slate stone, with beautiful carving and ornate decoration; sadly a section is missing from the centre but this former headstone reads "Erected by Mary Nowlan of Ba.....w... (section missing including the name of the person to whom the stone has been erected but presumably Mary's father or husband)…..this life 1835 aged 66 years. Requiescat in pace".     The whole stone is within a frame with cockleshells in each corner, plus diamond shaped decorations and has a Gloria scroll.  Both the cockleshells and diamond shapes have Christian connotations; additionally there is an IHS in the centre of a corona.  This is obviously a Catholic stone and is not related to the Osborne family; it has presumably be placed here to preserve it from any further damage.
On either side of the above memorial are two Osborne stones which from their design must have once adorned the walls of the mausoleum.; we assume previously inside this edifice.    Both stones are similar in design with pediments tops and side supporters.  The first memorial reads "Sacred to the memory of Daniel Osborne Esq., Kilmacoliver in the county of Kilkenny who departed this life 17th May 1837".

Memorial to Daniel Osborne Esq., of Kilmacoliver  who died in May 1837

The second memorial reads "Sacred to the memory of Simon Osborne of Ansborough, Esq., who was born AD 1750 and died the 17th June 1792. His remains with those of his children and a number of his ancestors and Family are interred beneath this tomb(stone?) which as a tribute of respect is erected in this burial ground enclosed, by his only surviving son Richard Boyse Osborne born 22nd of Augst 1791".  

Memorial to Simon Osborne of Ansborough who died in  1792 and erected by his only surviving son Richard Boyse Osborne born in 1791. 

This damaged but formerly high class memorial is signed Smyth Sculpt. March 1816. This Irish sculptor is John Smyth (c1773-1840), son of the famous Irish sculptor Edward Smyth(1749-1812). He was a prolific sculptor of church memorials which are often far more ornate than this Osborne memorial.  He worked on the figures of Hibernia, Mercury and Fidelity which adorn the top of Dublin's famous GPO building.

The signature of John Smyth (Smyth Sculp), on the memorial to Simon Osborne who died in 1792

The beautifully carved date of March 1816 on the above stone.  This date relates to the date the stone was carved and is an impressive 24 years after the date of the death for the person it commemorates.  

There are two men with the name Richard Boyse Osborne.  The first one and the one who erected the above memorial to his father Simon Osborne was quite a character and his name appears in many a lawsuit.  His mother was Elizabeth Carr (died 1830).  At one stage he owned an estate with over 900 acres in Tipperary and over 600 acres in Kilkenny but he lost this property which was sold in 1851.  His history does not make edifying reading.  He married in July 1813 Lucinda Caulfeild Humfrey daughter of John Humfrey of Killerig, county Carlow but this marriage was not a successful nor a happy one.  Lucinda brought 5000 pounds to the marriage, 3000 paid at the time of the marriage and 2000 to be paid subsequently.  Lucinda was well connected and related to Arundel Caulfeild Best who had estates in Clone, Rathbeagh and Acregar in Kilkenny and who had left a small inheritance to John Humfrey which was remaindered to Lucinda and her heirs: this sum amounted to 393 pounds.  In 1844 Richard Boyce Osborne, now calling himself Carr Osborne Boyce, challenged Lucindas's right to inherit this money and claimed, as her husband to be entitled to it.   He claimed his wife and he had been separated for many years; she had alienated the children of the marriage from him and prevented him from seeing them. He believed she had 400 pounds a year from her father's estate and he had never received the 5000 pounds promised in the marriage settlement and said to be her fortune.   Mrs Osborne's affidavit of 5th December 1844 told a very different story.  She admitted the separation assigning the cause to gross impropriety and criminal conduct on behalf of her husband in October 1829 in addition to general violent and unkind treatment.   Having previously carried off her eldest daughter,  he had come to her lodgings again in January 1830, violently seized her and locked her up and confined her, with the connivance of one Mary Hayes with whom he had what in those days was called criminal connections, and they had both carried off the remainder of the children, leaving her destitute and in debt.  The children subsequently fled back to her in consequence of his violent and neglectful treatment of them and that ever since she had supported and maintained them and herself on a small income of 180 pounds per annum which she received under her late father's Will.  There were five children of the marriage, 2 boys and 3 girls.  She further stated that the 3000 pounds of her fortune had been paid to her husband on their marriage. The bond for the further 2000 pounds was cancelled by her husband after her father had advanced him far more than that amount.   The judge established that Richard Boyce Osborne's behaviour had made the separation inevitable and he found that for 14 years during which Osborne had an income of 400 - 900 pounds per annum that he had never made any provision for his wife and children. The judge decided in her favour stating that her affidavit established a case for cruelty and misconduct on behalf of her husband; the judge awarded her every shilling of the total due to her (Cases in Equity 1845).  There are other non edifying legal cases to be found online involving Richard Boyce Osborne/Carr Osborne Boyce.  He  died in 1853.

His eldest son Richard Boyse Osborne was born in London on 15th November 1815 and died in Glenside, Pennsylvania on November 28th 1899.   He became an outstanding railway and bridge engineer and one of the most eminent engineers in the United States.  At the age of 19 and mainly because of the ruinous behaviour of his father, he left Ireland for Canada and later moved to Chicago.  In 1838 he joined the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad and rapidly rose to become the Chief Engineer completing the mainline to Reading and building wharves, bridges, tunnels and stations. Whilst in America he developed the first railway bridge to use all iron trusses constructed on the Howe principle.  Howe was the patentee in America but Osborne arranged with him to take out the patent for these iron trusses in Ireland and brought with him on his return to Ireland a 10ft long model which demonstrated the 200 ft span of the Howe truss.  This model almost certainly inspired the bridge over the Nore at Thomastown built in 1846/50 for the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway. He was appointed engineer for the Waterford and Limerick Railway and during the next five years was responsible for the design of several iron bridges on this line, the largest being the skew bridge at Ballysimon. Limerick.  He became a life member of the Institute of Civil Engineers in Ireland but left Ireland again in 1850 for Panama.  His stay in Panama was brief and he returned to the States where he worked for the rest of his life as a engineer and railway promotor.  In 1853 he became the Chief Engineer for the Camden and Atlantic Railroad for whom he planned and designed the entirely new holiday destination of Atlantic City which was to be at the end of the railroad line.   His design for Atlantic City was on a grid system and from the first intended to accommodate large numbers of people. The company purchased land which they sold off in building lots.  Atlantic City was laid out with parallel avenues named after the world's oceans and the intersecting street named after America's States.  He predicted that Atlantic City would not only become successful but that it would also become the most popular holiday resort on the East coast of America.  In this he was absolutely accurate. By 1870 Atlantic City had nearly 300 houses with over 1000 permanent residents, plus accommodation for 10,000 summer holiday-makers in hotels and boarding houses.  In 1879, 25 years after the foundation of Atlantic City, he had the pleasure to address 5000 people about this outstanding engineering and building enterprise.  The company also erected a light house which started operating in 1857, which became a popular tourist attraction providing spectacular views of the Jersey coastline. He married Eliza (died 1896), daughter of Bartholomew Graves of Philadelphia; they had seven children but only five survived, four boys and one girl.   He worked with his brother John Humfrey Osborne (1818-1894) who was also an engineer.  His diary covering the years 1834-1886 (MSS 7888-7895) together with a portrait is in the National Library of Ireland, Dublin. In this he gives an account of his Boyse and Carr family of Wexford.  Anna Maria, the eldest sister of Richard Boyse Osborne married Robert Gahan, 4th son of Beresford Gahan and had two sons, namely Beresford and Melmoth.  Her husband Robert Gahan died of a wound received at an engagement at Moodkee in India in 1845 (Kilkenny has another son who perished from a wound received at Moodkee but this time in 1831.  See our posting of St Mary's Gowran No 215 for Lieutenant Thomas Staples).  Through this marriage Richard Boyse Osborne was related to Marianne Gahan (died 1853) who married William Tighe of Woodstock, Inistioge in 1793.
This is the last blog in a series of recent blogs about Ahenny and Kilkeiran graveyards. We spent many happy hours working on recording the memorials and surveying these sites.  These graveyards were once monastic sites and still reflect the essence and ambiance of their original purpose.  As they are also physically distant from constant traffic or the hectic pace of modern life it is still possible to imbibe the peacefulness that our ancestors were once able to take for granted.  They are both very special places.

Further reading
1. Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland. 1958.
2. Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940. Seen online 26/11/2018 at http://dia.ie/architects/
3. Grace's Guide to British Industrial History. See online 26/11/2018 at www.gracesguide.co.uk/Richard_Boyse_Osborne. 
4. O'Hart,.  John Irish Pedigrees. Volume 1. 1892.
5. Potterton, Homan. Irish Church Monuments 1570-1880. Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. 1975.
6. Treese, Lorett. Railroads of New Jersey: Fragments of the Past in the Garden State Landscape. 2006
7. Winpenny, Thomas R. The Engineer as Promoter: Richard B Osborne, The Camden and Atlantic Railroad and the Creation of Atlantic City. See online 26/11/2018 at www.ebhsoc.org/journal 

Kilkieran Graveyard. Part 3: Walsh of Belline, Piltown

The magnificent sarcophagus erected to the Walsh family of Fanningstown which is in Kilkieran graveyard leads us on to write about one of their most famous members of the same family,  Peter Walsh of Belline.   Peter Walsh was born about 1740 and died 1819,  the son of  John Walsh (born 1710) of Fanningstown and his first wife Katherine Butler of Knocktopher who died 1760 (see also post on Fiddown dated 7th October 2017).  He has been described in The Houses of Ireland as an eccentric but that is really very far from the truth.  He became the Agent for Lord Bessborough and a zealous and knowledgeable antiquary and lover of the arts, as well as a JP for county Kilkenny.  He came from a Catholic family but he may have converted to the Protestant religion. Some of his family remained strong Catholics but as was the way in those days, some also made Protestant marriages. Peter Walsh is recorded as giving a donation  of £1.1.0 to the Protestant British and Foreign Bible Society in 1806.  Whatever his religious outlook he was the complete gentleman and scholar building a beautiful property called Belline at Fiddown circa 1786; this was later sold to Lord Bessborough circa 1800.  The connection with Lord Bessborough who had his seat Bessborough House nearby is important.  Bessborough House contained a fine collection of paintings and its architect, Francis Bindon  had studied in Italy and on his return to Ireland worked as a portrait painter as well as architect.  These influences must have affected was happened here in this corner of Ireland when in the late 18th century there was an enormous flowering of both art, Irish poetry and Irish literature around the area of Piltown, county Kilkenny.   It was quite extraordinary and quite different to anything else happening elsewhere in the country and largely due to the patronage of Peter Walsh.  You can read about the support for the ancient Irish language and the collection of manuscripts from this corner of the country during the 18th and early 19th century in our post of 2nd October 2018 about Ahenny graveyard.   But here is a report lauding Peter Walsh, written some 40 years after his death, which appeared in The Tipperary Vindicator 28th March 1849 and described the blossoming of  the decorative arts around Fiddown:-   "Some 70 years ago Peter Walsh was entrusted by William, then Earl of Bessborough with the superintendence of his extensive possessions on the north bank of the Suir in county Kilkenny.  Peter Walsh was a good and faithful agent. ……….the country lads were instructed at his expense in literature, music and the refined arts......a studio was erected at Belline and numerous musicians and painters of the Italian School from Venice, Genoa, Florence and Rome were employed by him to train the sons of the villagers in accomplishments till then little known by them.  That the benevolent agent's attempts were crowned with success no one can doubt who is acquainted with the locality.  Many of the pupils who trained under Peter Walsh's patronage are now artists of eminence, one of them is curator of the picture gallery at Hampton Court.  Others who "the thrust of high enterprise"  lured them away from their homes are scattered over America, Germany, France and Italy, whilst only a few remain to show the results of his teaching and example".  This newspaper report appeared as the then Earl of Bessborough in 1849 was trying to break the leases to the tenants as set up by Peter Walsh seventy years earlier.  The account of the art school can only be regarded as quite extraordinary; presumably the painters and artists from Italy were initially employed to work on beautifying Belline House or other grand houses in the area.  Hampton Court is a Royal Palace just south of London.  That one of Peter's pupils would end up there as the curator of the picture gallery indicates just how well these "county lads" had been trained and educated in the fine arts.  It is impossible to say how true this story is or if the Fiddown man was really the curator or employed in a lesser post, but it was reported in 1849 so not long after the event. Sadly the report does not name him.   Hampton Court had since 1760 and still has, a number of Grace and Favour residences; that is a number of apartments that are made available rent free by the crown to a chosen few courtiers, military widows or former employees in need of accommodation.  The story has some sort of ring of truth to it.  A Mrs Annie Walsh was resident on one of these apartments in 1771 but nothing else is known about her so she may not be related to Peter Walsh BUT Caroline, Countess of Bessborough resided there in the mid 18th century, so there does appear to be a south Kilkenny link with Hampton Court.  Brett Dolman, the current Collections Curator says there was a curious collection of important art works at Hampton Court together with unfashionable paintings not wanted elsewhere,  with devotional art works hung side by side with bawdy Dutch scenes of everyday life.
James Norris Brewer in his book Beauties of Ireland (1825) reported that Peter Walsh had established a detached gallery at his house Belline, that was known as the Drawing School.  Brewer reported this was in fact an academy for students of the arts and several children of the peasantry in the neighbourhood having evinced a considerable degree of genius for drawing were taken under the protection of Mr Walsh and supported by him in the pursuit of the art to which they aspired.
The Liverpool Daily Post (as reported in the Limerick Reporter of 5th Jan 1868) 15th Jan 1868 carried the following article "Peter Walsh was a magnificent patron of the arts.  The agent and friend of Lord Bessborough he enjoyed a large share of the cultivated taste and appreciation of artists for which the noble Earl was famous; and in addition to all this he sent not a few lads to Rome to perfect themselves in art.  One of these whose name was Bresnahan was engaged some years afterwards by a well known picture dealer in Waterford in painting copies after Moreland and others (Moreland painted very romantic and idealistic scenes of country life in the 18th century).  To these the dealer was accustomed to impart an aged tinge by subjecting them to a process of which only he knew the secret. And these were brought forward at periodic sales and disposed of to the highest bidder.  Poor Bresnahan was a lover of art but I can not add that his skill was remuneratively rewarded by his knowing employer.  He lived in a garret in Arundel Square and supported his wife and 5 or 6 children on the slender weekly proceeds of his palette.  Peter Walsh possessed a very fine collection of his own and Belline was ever open to those who wished to feast their eyes on the art treasures with which it was crowded".  
The entry in Lewis (1837) for Carrick on Suir refers to the erection of a new RC chapel in 1804, St Nicholas,  and a painting of the Crucifixion scene which hung above the altar, the work of a "native artist" of that town. Of course the native artist is not named but it seems highly probable that he was a product of Peter Walsh's Drawing School.  The 1804 church was replaced in 1879 by a new building and so far we have not traced the whereabout of the painting nor the identity of the painter but we would very much like to find both......
Peter Walsh was quite a learned scholar.  The London and Paris Observer (Paris 1825) states he was a man of great research and superior understanding. One of the mysteries he applied himself to was the discovery of the identity of the man in the iron mask.  The author of this article about Peter Walsh was General Cockburn of Her Majesty's Service, Paris,  who states that Peter Walsh had given him most of his papers on this subject and that he had printed an abridged copy of Peter Walsh's research about the man in the iron mask and circulated it amongst his friends.

A cherub from Piltown

This passion for the arts around this area spilled over to the proprietor of the local Piltown village inn; its owner, Mr Redmond Anthony ( 1768-1848) was an avid collector of paintings, antiquities, archaeological and geological materials.  He was reported to have had a collection of paintings that included pieces by Rubens, Vandyck and Tintoretto.  Mr Anthony also had a custom made bog oak cabinet fitted with two trays full of Bronze age gold ornaments and including items of medieval jewelry which he bought either from jewellers to whom they had been sold by people who had found them or from people who had literally dug them out of the ground.  Mr Anthony called this collection "my museum" and allowed visitors to view his collection of art and artefacts for a donation,  the benefits of which were used for the Fever Museum, Carrick on Suir, county Tipperary.  Lewis (1837) states the proceeds of the small charge to view his collection averaged about £40 per year. His collection was put up for sale in Sotheby's  London in 1848 and the sale catalogue described this as "A Valuable Assemblage of Irish Antiquities, Armour and Curiosities".    The next year one of his sons, William Anthony who was working in London as an art restorer, sold a number of gold, silver and bronze antiquities to the British Museum.  The quality of Redmond Anthony's collection must have been very impressive indeed.
The pedigree for Walsh of Fanningstown is printed in Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland 1912.  Peter Walsh married Eliza, daughter of Matthew Hughes of Drinagh, Wexford but they had no children.  She died 20th January 1830 as reported in the Dublin Morning Register.  His brother Philip Walsh of Fiddown married Mary Smith and had at least 5 children.   Peter's father John Walsh (1710-1793)  of Fanningstown married secondly Katherine Connell and had a further two sons by this second wife.  Burke's Landed Gentry only list one of these sons - Thomas Walsh of Fanningstown (1760-1827) from whom the John Walsh who is buried in Kilkieran descends. The second son remains unlisted but we have now found him, John Walsh (1764-1812) and his wife Mary (1762-1833)  in the graveyard at Aghaviller, county Kilkenny.  At Aghaviller there is a worn altar tomb whose flat top is very faded in parts but it reads:-    "DEO OPTIMO MAXIMO. Gloria.  This monument is erected to the memory of Mr John Walsh of Belline who departed this life on May the 15th 1812 aged 48 years.  This sincere Christian highly respected during his life and deeply regretted in death was eminently distinguished for his strict probity, extensive charity and kind and endearing manners.  Also his wife Mrs Mary Walsh who departed this life on the 5th February 1833 aged 71 years. Requiescant in Pace." (We thank Stephen Cassin of the Aghaviller Historical and Cultural Society for his co-operation over this).  This is obviously a Catholic burial.  There remains a mysterious Patrick Walsh Esq.,of Belline whose death aged 48 years is reported  in the Waterford Chronicle dated 7th January 1843 but also reported in The Tipperary Free Press of 31st December 1842 as dying at his residence Belline, aged 50 years!  This paper also reported "his spirit was truly enshrined in the love of a happy tenantry - Mr Walsh had been appointed in early life to the office of under-agent to Lord Duncannon, an office he had  up to his demise.  Duncannon is a Bessborough title so there is clearly a connection but where this Patrick Walsh (1795-1842) fits into the pedigree is almost impossible to say with any accuracy.

A cherub from Piltown

Further reading
1. Aghaviller Historical and Cultural Society,  Aghaviller Graveyard Inscriptions. 2007.
1. Cahill, Mary.  Mr Anthony's Bog Oak Case of Gold Antiquities in Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy: Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature. 1994.
2. Brian de Breffny and Rosemary ffolliott. The Houses of Ireland.  Thames and Hudson, 1992. 
3. Lewis, S.  Topographical Dictionary of Ireland. 1837. 
3. Parker, Sarah.  All in Grace and Favour: a handbook of who lived where at Hampton court Palace. 1750-1950. Historic royal palaces 2005. Seen online 22nd Nov 2018.

Kilkieran Graveyard: Part 2. The Walsh Family of Fanningstown

One of the most impressive memorials in Kilkieran graveyard is a large sarcophagus type memorial enclosed in heavy substantial iron railings, which stands quite close to the ancient West Cross  Unfortunately neither the sarcophagus not the railings have yielded up a maker.

The sarcophagus has the following inscription along the side "Sacred to the memory of John Walsh Esq., of Fanningstown, JP for the counties of Kilkenny and Waterford, who died 29th April 1872 aged 74 years. And his wife Eliza Walsh nee Power who died 1 March 1870 aged 74 years. Requiescant in Pace. This tomb is erected as a tribute of affection by his cousin Peter Walsh of Fanningstown".  An additional plaque has been placed on the top of the sarcophagus which reads "In loving memory of Peter Francis Walsh, Ballycastlane, Carrick on Suir died 24 Sept 1947(?) aged 77.  His wife Catherine O'Neill died 9 Feb 1937(?)(no age given).  Their sons John died March 1919(?), Patrick died  Aug 1977 aged 72, Peter, Piltown died 2 Jan 1987 aged 68.  Bridget Walsh nee O'Dwyer, wife of the above Patrick, died 7 Feb 1995 aged 89. Also Ethel Moran nee Walsh, Rossenarra, daughter of the above Peter and Catherine who died 22 Feb 1999 aged 77".  There are other small memorials place inside the iron railings which also commemorate later members of this family. The end of the mausoleum has a carved coat of arms for the Walsh family. This is exactly the same coat of arms used by the ennobled Walsh family of Chateau de Serrant, the Loire, France. John Walsh died in Dublin as reported in the Freeman's Journal on 2nd May 1872.  As well as being a magistrate grand juror for the county of Kilkenny had been for 25 years the Agent for the extensive Ormonde estates in Kilkenny and Tipperary.

The Walsh Coat of Arms and crest over the entrance gate to the Chateau de Serrant, France; from our collection. These Walsh are said to come from South Kilkenny and played a prominent part in the1745 uprising and invasion of Bonnie Prince Charlie into Scotland and England. This ended disastrously with complete defeat at the Battle of Culloden,

The Walsh coat of arms and crest from the Walsh of Fanningstown sarcophagus at Kilkieran.  Note that both have the swan pierces through the neck with an arrow.

The following report of Mrs Walsh's funeral on the 7th of March 1870 was found in The Tipperary Vindicator for 15th March 1870.  It is interesting on several counts: She died on the 3rd March and was buried 4 days later.   The coffin plate reported her age as 73, whilst the sarcophagus that was eventually erected gives her age on death as 74.  Obviously it was a very large and important funeral well attended by the tenants from the Walsh estate.   The report indicates that the mourners had white hatbands and scarfs which seems unusual.   It also seems quite evident that most of the mourners who started out at 6am from Garryricken and Killamery were uncertain as to where the actual burial was going to take place, although they seemed to know the time of the burial 10.30am   The fact that the procession turned into Kilkeiran graveyard seems to come as a surprise to many.  Mrs Walsh, who had been proactive in restoring the ancient High Crosses at Kilkieran in 1858, had expressed the desire to be buried by the most beautiful Cross.   And the report tells us that in 1870 the graveyard was almost in disuse.   The report also establishes which branch of the Power family she belonged to and where the traditional burial place of those Powers was - Rathcormack, county Waterford.

Monday the 7th inst., was the day appointed for the funeral of this much-regretted lady (the wife of John Walsh, Esq., J.P,  Fanningstown. county Kilkenny, and sister of the late Lorenso Power, Esq, Bonmahon Lodge, County Waterford). The coffin had been previously removed from Fanningstown to the Chapel of Owning, and after the religious services, which were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Maher, and were attended a large concourse of people, amongst whom the Kilcash and Garryricken tenants were numerously represented, the melancholy procession was formed to proceed to the place of interment at half-past 10 o'clock a.m., and preceded by the clergymen, in white surplices and stoles, chanting the service peculiar to the occasion, and amidst the sobs and tears and prayers of many, the coffin was borne forth to the hearse. It was a massive sarcophagus, covered with black velvet, highly mounted, and bearing on the breast plate the simple inscription   “Eliza Walsh, died March 3rd, 1870, aged 73 years”.  It was followed by Mr. Walsh and several other sorrowing relatives, as chief mourners, draped in the accustomed mourning- costume.   Amongst the clergymen present were Rev. Mr. Maher, P.P., Owning;  Rev. Mr. Power, R.C.C., Owning; Rev. Wm. Maher, PP, Windgap; Rev. Dr. Fitzgerald, PP, Carrick-on-Suir;  etc.,  Amongst the carriages and vehicles of the local gentry in the procession were those of Mr Lalor, D.L., Cregg House; Mr. Clement Sadlier; Mr Malcomson, county Waterford; Captain Slacke, R.M., Carrick-on-Suir; Dr. O’Ryan, Carrick; Mr Briscoe, Tinvane; Mr. Weld, J.P., Coolaughmore;  Dr Ryan, Callan;  Mr Monck, the Castle Office, Kilkenny;   Mr Macnamara, Windgap;   and Mr  O’Donnell, Kilcash.   Officers under the noble House of Ormonde, were also in the procession, whilst Mr. Walsh’s own tenants supplied a large contingent. Many declared they had never witnessed a longer line of vehicles of every description, the occupants of which, of both sexes, having come from the neighbouring districts of “the three counties” namely, Kilkenny, Tipperary, and Waterford, and were all most respectably attired. The immense profusion of scarfs and hatbands, under the meridian rays of vernal sun, imparted to the procession a striking and impressive appearance, suggesting the idea of moving mass being thickly snow-flaked from beginning to end— that is, from Owning (recte Sgeach), a distance of two miles.  The wealthiest portion of the Ormonde tenantry, from Garryricken, Kilcash and Killamory estates, had vehicles of their own; but those who were not provided with such conveyances had engaged special cars at Callan, Nine-mile-house, etc., Uncertain as whether we should have to go to a distant cemetery of “The Walshes of the Mountains" or to the burial-place of the deceased lady’s Branch the Powers "Rathcormack, county Waterford” , we started from Garryricken gate, and Killamery at 6 o’clock, a.m., determined to go beyond the Comeraghs if necessary, in order to pay the last tribute of respect at the grave of good Mrs Walsh; but we were mistaken; the lady was interred in the ancient church yard at Kilkeiran, county Kilkenny, alias Sgaugh, situate on Mr Walsh’s property. It appears that having visited this interesting spot some few years since, in the company of her husband, she then expressed an earnest wish to be buried at the foot of the most remarkable of the three ancient stone crosses in the secluded cemetery, which is now almost disused. Her “last resting place,"  at the eastern base of this majestic chantry to the right, now almost hidden from exterior view by an exuberant covering of ivy. This choice of grave—mutually made, is said—excited the liveliest interest, and the popular tradition of the origin of “the seven crosses" was discussed in different parts of the graveyard. The repairing, or rather securing, of two the crosses at Kilkieran some years since, by the direction the deceased lady, was referred to on all hands by those who bore witness to her kindly disposition. Her Christian charities, and annual distribution of winter clothing has endeared her to her dependents and the local poor the vicinity of Fanningstown.  The fervent hope of all was that she had gone to receive her reward in the home of the blessed, where joy is unmixed and sorrow unknown   (From the Correspondent  of the Kilkenny Moderator).  Mrs Walsh resided in Carrick-on-Suir before her marriage, and was always held in the highest respect by everyone to whom her many amiable qualities endeared her. 

This Walsh family of Fanningstown is the same family of the well known and distinguished Peter Walsh of Belline, agent to Lord Bessborough who is the subject of a separate blog (see post Kilkieran Graveyard Part 3: Walsh of Belline, Piltown).      

Kilkieran Graveyard, Parish of Templeorum, county Kilkenny: Part 1.

Kilkieran graveyard is situated in the townland of Castletown; the old church here, now long gone, was called the church of Castlan, Casslan and sometimes Cassellan.   In Irish it is called Kill-Keerawin or the church of St Kieran of Ossory.  Others have suggested that this might have been founded by Ciaran of Clonmacnoise, or Ciaran of Saighir (SeirKieran in county Offaly) but as no records  of the foundation have survived it is almost impossible to tell.   The old church was apparently razed to the ground in 1780 and the materials used to build a school.  This exact history is slightly confusing as O'Curry mentions a little church which stood near the West Cross as existing in 1834 which appears to have been eventually converted into a mausoleum used by the Osborne family of Annefield and Kilmacoliver.   This school/little church in its turn became an unsightly ruin and has now been restored as a flat stone platform (measuring 25ft, 6 inches x 14ft, 4 inches) onto which 3 memorials(nos 26, 27, 28)  have been placed flat; at least two of these erected to the Osborne family must have been inside the mausoleum at one time.

General view of Kilkieran graveyard showing the railed in sarcophagus of the Walsh family, the West High Cross and the raised platform, formerly the Osborne mausoleum

The small walled graveyard, nestling under Kilmacoliver hill and overlooking the valley of the River Suir, is beautifully maintained with most of the memorials and monuments positioned to the south of the site.  In 1985 the local community wished to re-open part of the graveyard which appeared unused and given the antiquity of the site, archaeological excavations took place, within the walled area, to the north of the present old burial ground to ascertain if it were suitable for development as a graveyard or not.   So many archaeological remains were found in this apparently unused area that its development for modern burial purposes was deemed unsuitable.   7 trenches were dug and material found there included local medieval pottery and flint tools but importantly revealed the remains of part of a stone built monastic wall with associated habitation.   The Bullaun stones listed in our graveyard survey came from these excavations. (See the article by Maurice Hurley listed below if you would like to read more).

The Bullaun stones unearthed during the excavations in  1985

 Kilkieran graveyard, Kilkenny is only about one mile from what we are calling its sister site, Aheny which is in Tipperary.   Despite being in two different counties it is evident that the local people used both graveyard. For example people from Ballinacroony, Kilkenny are buried both here and in Ahenny.  Being so close to the Tipperary and Waterford borders means that you have to keep an open mind about all these connections and there is a fluidity of movement here between all three of these counties.
There are three ancient Celtic crosses in this graveyard known as the North, the East and the West Crosses.  The remnants of a fourth Cross are also found here;  the larger surviving fragment having been used as a door lintel into the now defunct Osborne family mausoleum.   The East and the West Cross have been damaged and were described in 1851 as smashed and prostate.   These damaged Crosses were repaired in 1858, under the patronage of Mrs John Walsh of Fanningtown House (see the next blog for more information about this family), by a blind artisan from Faugheen called Paddy Laurence, who had accidently lost his sight whilst engaged in the building of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London.

In all we counted 68 stones or memorials in this graveyard but this does include the Holy Well which is marked as St Kieran's Well and a large Bullaun stone next to the Holy Well used for holding water from the well and marked "Cure for Headaches".   We have used it ourselves and can vouch for its efficacity!

The Holy Water Font full of water taken from the adjacent Holy Well - an efficacious cure for the headache!

We have surveyed the graveyard into 15 rows or sections. Carrigan(1905) says of this graveyard that there are about a dozen headstones dating from 1750 onwards; it is difficult to know exactly what he meant but we found 19 headstones or memorials with dates prior to 1850.  This includes one stone dated 1715 (No 20 erected to commemorate William and Mary Lacy who both died in August 1715) and another dated 1741 (No 46 erected for Piearse Butler and wife Catherin Shay both of whom died in the same year and both aged 60 yrs - all spellings as on the headstone).  There are 11 headstones with dates between 1750-1799 and a further headstones with dates between 1800-1850.   There is a modern stone (No 15) which is marked as "Strangers Corner"; this is to the immediate right as you enter the graveyard.  Bernie has taken all the pictures.

A very strange and pagan phallic shaped stone; there are no designs or markings on it.

Stone No 49 belongs to the Barry family, of Annsboro Mills and includes a WWII reference to Gerard (Garry) Barry who is interred in Milsbeek War Cemetery, Limburg Holland and who died on 21st February 1945 aged 36 years.   He was a guardsman in the 3rd Batt. Irish Guards and his family is recorded as being from Carrick on Suir, Tipperary.
Index of names listed on the memorials
Barry 49
Boyse 34
Butler 46
Casey 17
Clancy 52
Clear 55
Crowley 21
Cunningham 31
Cunigham 30
Daniel 34, 37
Dooly 53
Doren 50
Dwyer 6, 10
Ellis 38, 60
Gleeson 3
Honney 33
Kennedy 38, 40, 41, 57, 60
Lacy 20
Lonergan 4, 21
Mackey 42
Maher 35
McDonnell 39
Moran 24
Nowlan 27
O'Dwyer 7,8,9,24
O'Neale 3
O'Neill 24
Osborne 26,28
Phelan 9, 42,45,47
Power 24
Shay 46
Stuart 21
Villiers Stuart 56
Walsh 21, 24, 39
Whelan 56

Indexes of places listed on the memorials
Annsboro Mills 49
Ansborough 28
Ballinacroney 6,9
Ballycastlane 24,25
Ballycastle? 34
Ba..y..w.  (This is possibly Ballygown, Fiddown) 27
Ballyhenebry 41
Ballyhennebry 33
California 30
Carrick-on-Suir 24
Castletown 10,40,53
Cottrlestown 30
England 57
Holland 49
Fanningstown 24
Kilkenny county 26
Kilkieran 40,57,60
Kilmacoliver 26
Main Street 24
Newtown 42
Piltown 24, 57
Rossenara 24
San Francisco 30
Skough 21
USA 30

Index of masons who have signed memorials
Gargan, Kilkenny 57
Molloy Callan 10, 24 (top plaque only), 30, 38. 40
O'Donnell, Waterford 49
O'Keeffe and Sons, Michael Street, Waterford 9
Smith (Sculpt March 1816) 28
M.White, Carrick, 53*
* Michael White of Fair Green, Carrick on Suir is listed under Stone Masons and Stone Cutters in the 1846 Slater's Directory of Ireland.

Index of occupations or positions noted on the memorials
Irish Guards 49
J.P. 24
Nurse 49.

Decorated fragment of an ancient cross now standing near the raised platform which was once the Osborne Mausoleum. Note the typical Celtic spiral designs.

Further Reading
1. Carrigan, Rev. William. The History and Antiquities of the Diocese of Ossory. Vol IV. 1905.
2. Crawford, Henry S. The Crosses at Kilkieran and Ahenny in Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland. Fifth Series. Vol 39. No 3.(Sept 30 1909). pp 256-260.
3. Hurley, Maurice F.  Excavations at an Early Ecclesiastical Enlosure at Kilkieran, county Kilkenny in Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquities of Ireland. Vol 118 (1988) pp 124-134.
4. Roe, Helen M. High Crosses of Western Ossory.  Kilkenny Archaeological Society. 1962.

Horses and riders on the eastern base of  the West Cross at Kilkieran carved sometime in the 8th or 9th century.