Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Esker ridge which has been used as a graveyard for the town of Portlaoise, known locally as the 'Ridge Grave Yard'. Described in 1907 as 'an ancient graveyard occupied the site of the 'ridge' near the town, but no trace of a former church now remains on the spot (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, 192). According to local tradition there was a church in the immediate vicinity , viz. At the back of Mr Brown's shop on the Ridge Road (O'Dooley n.d., 5-6) This is the graveyard on the outskirts of Portlaoise town marked on the OS 6-inch maps as the 'Ridge Grave yd.'. The Urban Survey recorded that 'the date of the cemetery is unknown. It is possible that it represents a pre-plantation church site (LA013-102----), perhaps even the church of the Newtown of Leys' (Bradley et. al. 1986, 54). Present remains consist of a narrow long rectangular shaped graveyard (int. dims. 34m N-S; 145m E-W) enclosed by a stone wall of post-medieval date as indicated on current ed. OS 6-inch map. Graveyard contains 18th and 19th century memorials. According to a plaque on the wall of the graveyard this burial ground ceased to be used for burials in 1897 when a new cemetery dedicated to Ss. Peter and Paul in the town of Portlaoise.

Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien

Date of revised upload: 14 May 2015

References

Bradley, J., Halpin, A. and King, H.A. 1986 Urban archaeological survey - county Laois. Unpublished report commissioned by the Office of Public Works, Dublin.

O'Hanlon, Rev. J. and O'Leary, Rev. E. 1907 (Reprint 1981) History of the Queen's county, vol. 1. Kilkenny. Roberts Books Ltd.

O'Dooley, J. (n.d.) Ancient parishes of Portlaoise. Typescript of articles in Leinster Express (Newspaper). Portlaoise. Laois County Library.