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Notes to accompany the Burial Ground Survey

Catholic parishes in Co. Roscommon

There are 33 Parishes or parts thereof in the county and are shared by 5 Diocese, namely; Achonry (A), Ardagh & Clonmacnoise (A&C), Clonfert (C), Elphin (E), Tuam (T).

• Aghanagh (E)
• Ardcarne (E)
• Athleague (E)
• Athlone (E)
• Aughrim (E)
• Ballinameen (E)
• Ballintubber (E)
• Ballaghaderreen (A)
• Ballyforan (E)
• Boyle (E)
• Castlerea (E)
• Creagh (C)
• Croghan (E)
• Elphin (E)
• Fairymount (E)
• Frenchpark (E)
• Geevagh (E)
• Kilbegnet (E)
• Kilbride (E)
• Kilgefin (E)
• Kilglass (E)
• Kilronan (A & C)
• Kiltoom & Cam (E)
• Kiltullagh (T)
• Knockcroghery (E)
• Loughglynn (E)
• Moore (T)
• Oran (E)
• Roscommon (E)
• Strokestown (E)
• Taghmaconnell (C)
• Tarmonbarry (E)
• Tulsk (E)

The survey was conducted using current Catholic Parish boundaries.

The distribution of parishes within each Diocese is as follows:

Achonry: 1 Parish. Ardagh & Clonmacnoise: 1 Parish. Clonfert: 2 Parishes. Elphin: 27 Parishes and Tuam: 2 Parishes. Total 33.

The total number of graveyards in the survey is 287. The total is made up as follows:

• Children’s burial grounds 77
• Church of Ireland 23
• Quaker 1
• Catholic 186

The following abbreviations are used in the survey and maps:

BG

Burial Ground.

CBG

Children's Burial Ground.

GY

Graveyard.

C of I

Church of Ireland.

RCB

Representative Church Body.

RCC

Roscommon County Council.

The main sources used as reference for this survey were Recorded Monuments Map and manual of Co. Roscommon published by the Office of Public Works.

A preliminary report on monuments of Archaeological interest in County Roscommon by Ann Gannon- O’Reilly published by An Foras Forbartha Teoranta (1975).

The Archaeology of Children’s Burial Grounds by Ann Ridge 1996.

Various books of local history were consulted and assistance was also given by local historians and members of the public throughout the county.

Until the 1870s many of the old graveyards in the county were in the ownership of the Established Church. A report of the Commissioners of Church Temporalities in Ireland for the period 1869-80 listed a schedule of burial grounds vested by the commissioners in various Burial Boards throughout the country. The modern day successors to the Burial Boards are the relevant Local Authorities. Since Disestablishment a number of other graveyards have been transferred to the ownership of the relevant Local Authorities.

The Irish Church Disestablishment Act was the United Kingdom legislation whereby William Gladstone's administration disestablished the Church of Ireland, disassociating it from the state and as such removing the rule that tithes had to be paid to a church that commanded the adherence of a minority of the population of Ireland.

Twenty five per cent of the total surveyed were Children's Burial Grounds (CBG). They are nearly always listed on ordnance survey maps as Cillin/ Killeen, Lios/Lisheen, Caltragh, Teampaillin, or simply as Children's Burial Ground. The custom of setting apart a special place for the burial of very young or unbaptised children was common practice from early medieval times until very recently. Many of these are situated in forts or early ecclesiastical sites. Children were also buried in such places a haggards, boundary fences, under a lone bush or outside a graveyard wall.

There are 48 Catholic churches in the county where Parish Priests, Curates and other religious from the Parish are buried in the church grounds or in vaults inside the church.

There are 23 Church of Ireland graveyards, many with churches attached. Dwindling numbers attending some of these churches mean that regular services are no longer held. In such cases the fabric of the church and graveyards are looked after by the Select Vestry. The Select Vestry is a number of persons chosen to represent and manage the concerns of the Parish.

There is one Quaker graveyard in the County at Killea, Knockcroghery.

The parish of Creagh in south Roscommon has its main burial ground in the Townland of Creagh which is administered by Galway County Council but is included in this survey because of its importance.

Thanks are due to Thomas Garvey for his assistance in downloading photographs on to the database and burning CDs.

This survey has been compiled for the Heritage Department of Roscommon County Council by James Ganly.

All information was correct as of March 2006. Some facts will have changed since then. Roscommon County Council is not responsible for errors or omissions. The records here are provided for research and information purposes only and come with no guarantees.

March 2006