St Canice’s Old Graveyard

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Rectangular graveyard adjoining Roemill Road on the site of the pre 1836 Roman Catholic Church. Memorials mainly from 19th and early 20th centuries. A group of four at the entrance are inscribed along the back ‘Pray for Dr O’Brien who died 4th Sept 1908’ he is inscribed as builder of the tower of St Mary’s Church (HB02/13/001) on Irish Green Street. In one corner of the graveyard is a well maintained cast iron memorial: ‘Erected to the memory of Hugh Caulfield who died 5 September 1887 aged 57 years The latest date is for his grandson in 1907.

The space is bounded by a rubble stone wall to the north west along Roemill Road, by a concrete block wall to the north east and rubble stone along the other sides. The entrance on the north west wall is through a rendered archway. The arch is gothic with gabled kneeler stones and a clover leaf cross on top of the sloping barge. A white marble plaque reads ‘St Canice’s Graveyard’. It has cast iron gates with spear head finials rising slowly to the centre.

Historical information

Site of Roman Catholic Chapel from 1783 to 1836. Described in Ordnance Survey Memoirs of 1833-35 as: ‘Roe Mill Roman Catholic Chapel,’ erected in the year 1783 by subscription, as is shown by a stone tablet over the principal door “This chapel was got erected by the Revd John Mackane annodom 1782”. The supposed cost is 400 pounds. It is built in the form of the letter ‘T’, the horizontal arm measuring 57 feet and the upright arm 21 feet long by 24 feet broad, measured inside. There are no pews, excepting an elevated one for singers; long forms supply their places which will accommodate 500 persons. Many of the congregation have to remain kneeling on the outside from want of space within… The interior has a rude appearance from the rafters not being covered and the floor not being boarded or paved.’ Foundation stone of St Mary’s (HB02/13/001) was laid in 1836 and the roof put on in 1844. It was reported that Sunday Mass was held inside the walls of the new church under a canopy during the construction. Because of pressures of numbers the Roe Mill Chapel was probably abandoned soon after construction of the new building. It would have been demolished to provide space for graves. No building indicated on 1848 Ordnance Survey Map

References:

1848 Ordnance Survey Memoirs of Ireland Vol. 9 p. 49.
Rev Philip Donnelly The Great Church of the Roe by p.157.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

A picturesque graveyard with memorials of historical significance to Limavady. Its appearance and prominence to the town is enhanced by the stone boundary wall and the Gothic entrance gate.