Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

On the N side of Walkin St, at the SW edge of a triangular green, within an almost square graveyard (dims. c. 30m NE-SW x c. 28m NW-SE). According to Hogan (1883, vol. 3, 15, 23-4), St Rock's or Rioc's parish church (KK019-025001-) was here before the foundation of the walled town of Kilkenny, but fell into disuse. The graveyard is mentioned in an Inquisition of 1623 and in 1633 Edmond Grace paid the Corporation 6 shillings for a garden at the corner of "St. Roch's churchyard" (Carrigan 1905, vol. 3, 192-3). Carrigan (ibid.) notes that, 'Portion of the graveyard was enclosed by the present substantial wall, in 1828, as appears from the following inscription on one of the piers of the entrance gate: St. Rock's, 1828. Built by Public Subscription'. The graveyard appears to have extended further southward beneath the public road. This is evidenced by Hogan (1858-9, 471-2) who mentions a row of houses, demolished in the early 19th century, which stood along the S edge of the graveyard, and had manure pits in front of them, on the line of the present road, which had skeletal material projecting from the sides of the pits. A patron to St Rioc was held here on the first Sunday in August until 1830 when it was discontinued by the Bishop of Ossory (Hogan 1883, vol. 3, 24; O'Carroll 1974, 57). Any trace of the church at ground level had disappeared by the 19th century. There is a sculpture to the Trinity (KK019-025005-) within the graveyard. Carrigan (ibid.) notes that the oldest tombstone dates from 1757, however, a number of the headstones appear to be reused architectural fragments, probably from the church (Farrelly et al. 1993, 105).

Compiled by: Jean Farrelly

Date of upload: 28 September 2020

References

Hogan, J. 1883 Enquiry respecting the history of three of the ancient parish churches of Kilkenny known as St. Patrick's, St. Maul's and St. Rocks. Transactions of the Ossory Archaeological Society 3, part 1, 16-34.

Hogan, J. 1858-9 Topographical illustrations of the southern and western suburbs of Kilkenny. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquarians of Ireland 5, 470-72.

O'Carroll, J. 1974 St. Rioch's churchyard. Old Kilkenny Review 6, no. 1, 57-8.

Farrelly, J., O'Reilly, B., and Loughran, A. 1993 Urban archaeological survey - county Kilkenny (2 vols.). Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

Carrigan, Rev. W. 1905 (Reprint 1981) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, 4 vols. Kilkenny. Roberts Books and Wellbrook Press.