Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Located on a hillock at the SE end of Kinvarra town. On the 1838 and 1922 editions of the OS 6-inch maps, this roughly rectangular graveyard (c. 60m NE-SW; c. 47m NW-SE) appears to surround St Coman’s medieval church (GA113-139----), which is centrally located within it. The later development of the town enclosed the site, with houses and businesses ringing the base of the hillock. The rear gardens of many of these properties have encroached upon the graveyard with the gardens to the S running right up to the S wall of the church (Carey 2008, 22-30). Graveslabs were previously recorded in one of these gardens (SMR file). Access is difficult as no public right of way survives. Between 2004 and 2007, as a result of Heritage Council funding, a detailed survey of the church was undertaken and all the graveslabs were also recorded (Carey 2008, 22-30). The latter were found to the W, N and E of the church, with the greatest concentration on the E side and within the church itself, where 50 were uncovered following the removal of an estimated 2.2 tons of refuse from it. All were photographed and, where legible, all the inscriptions were transcribed. Most comprised flat graveslabs and headstones and almost all dated to the 18th and 19th centuries. One table tomb and what appeared to be a collapsed chest tomb were noted in the church as well as three graveslabs (see GA113-139002-, GA113-139003- and GA113-139004-) that possible date to the 16th century and a 17th-century wall monument (GA113-139006-)(ibid., 24, 26). (Korff and O'Connell 1985; Carey and Coady 2005, 2006, 2007)

Compiled by: Olive Alcock

Date of upload: 14 August 2023

Carey, A. and Coady, M. 2005 Saint Coman's Church, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Drawn and photographic survey. Unpublished report, The Heritage Council.

Carey, A. and Coady, M. 2006 Saint Coman's Church, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Excavation of interior. Unpublished report, The Heritage Council.

Carey, A. and Coady, M. 2007 Saint Coman's Church, Kinvara, Co. Galway. Drawn and photographic survey of graveyard. Unpublished report, The Heritage Council.

References

Carey, A. 2008 St. Coman's Church, Kinvara. Journal of the Galway Archaeological and Historical Society 60, 22-31.

Korff, A. and O'Connell, J. 1985 Kinvara: a rambler's map and guide. Kinvarra.

SMR file - Sites and monuments record files in the National Monuments Service, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.