Sites and Monuments Record · Ireland
Graveyard
Friarsground, County Mayo, Ireland
The record
- Townland
- Friarsground
- County
- Mayo
- Country
- Ireland
- First-edition OS map
- Grave Yard
- Latest-edition OS map
- Not indicated
- Coordinates
- 53.76231, -8.76227
- SMR number
- MA093-063004-
Slide toward Today to fade the historical sheet and see the modern map underneath.
David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford LibrariesDavid Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries
4 historical maps cover this location, the earliest the 1753 map "Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae" (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries).
Historical maps covering this location
- 1753 · Mappa geographica Regni Hiberniae (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1790 · Composite: Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1869 · Ireland. (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
- 1891 · Ireland 16 (David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries)
This record in the National Monuments Service's Historic Environment Viewer ↗
The National Monuments Service's description
Occupies elevated ground, immediately S of Ballyhaunis friary church (MA093-063002-).
L-shaped area (c. 70m N−S; c. 81m E−W at N; c. 45m E-W at S) bordered at E and S by field fences and a line of trees, and at W by a steep scarp which drops to the entrance avenue to the abbey. The N portion of the graveyard encompasses relatively level ground but the S third slopes steeply down to S. The graveyard is grass-covered, with a network of gravel paths winding through it.
There is high density of graves. The majority are marked by inscribed headstones in a variety of styles, including ‘Celtic crosses’, dating to the period 18th to 20th century. Some grave plots are bordered by a low concrete surround, and a few have metal railings. There are a several ledgers in the E part of the graveyard. Interspersed amidst the formal headstones are a few small uninscribed stone gravemarkers, roughly-shaped to the form of a cross, and occasional simple metal crosses.
Knox (1911, 334-336) postulated that the graveyard overlies or incorporates earthworks (MA093-063001-) that might pre-date the friary.
Attached images:
MA093-063004-_01.JPG Graveyard viewed form SE
MA093-063004-_02.JPG Simple stone cross gravemarker
MA093-063004-_03.JPG Steep S slope of graveyard
MA093-063004-_04.JPG Ledgers in the E part of the graveyard
Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy
Date of upload: 7 December 2022
References
Knox, H.T. 1911 The Croghans and Some Connacht Raths and Cashels. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 41, 93-116, 205-40, 301-42.
Nearby in the register
- Earthworkunder 1 mi
- Religious house - Augustinian friarsunder 1 mi
- House - indeterminate dateunder 1 mi
- Crossunder 1 mi
Other entries of the same register within about three miles of this one, by straight line.