Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

O'Brennan graveyard is depicted as a small square-shaped graveyard (approx. dims. 35m N-S x 43m E-W) on 1841 ed. OSi 6-inch map with farmhouse 44m to E. Graveyard was extended to W in 19th century and present remains consists of a rectangular-shaped area (dims. 51.5m N-S x 69m E-W) enclosed by a post-1700 stone wall with round corners with entrance at SE corner. O'Brennan House lies 40m to E, farm buildings associated with this house have been built up against E wall of graveyard as visible on Digital Globe orthoimage taken between 2011-13. No surface remains visible of any church site (KE030-018003-) within graveyard.
In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'O’Brennan / O Braonainn translates as Uaimh Bhreannán or Brendan’s Cave, that was named after St. Brendan the patron saint of Kerry. Boundary walls of this small rectangular graveyard are constructed with rubble limestone built to courses and bedded in mortar and capped with ‘soldiers’ and are in excellent condition. The walls are 1.2m high internally. The W and N boundary walls are almost entirely covered in ivy but otherwise in good condition although a whitethorn tree encroaches mid way along the west boundary wall. Entry into the graveyard is gained through a pair of modern green painted iron gates set between three square piers of coursed squared limestone blocks capped with soldiers and contemporaneous with the boundary walls. There were nineteen named tombs recorded, largely in a good state of preservation. The majority are ‘strong-box’ type and there is a very fine rectangular chest tomb also, built with ashlar limestone. Fifteen unnamed tombs were recorded in very poor states of preservation. A total of 82 named headstones were recorded in O’Brennan graveyard. Nine unnamed headstones, of unhewn local stone were recorded within the graveyard'.

See attached plan and photographs courtesy of Laurence Dunne

Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of upload: 3 June 2022

References

O'Hare, P. 2000 Holy wells and other sites of pilgrimage within a portion of East Kerry. Journal of the Kerry Archaeological and Historical Society 29, 55-98.

Dunne, L. 2010 Archaeological Survey, O'Braonainn Graveyard, Tralee, Co. Kerry. Unpublished report for The Heritage Office, Kerry County Council (SMR file).