Donaghrisk Old Graveyard, Tullywiggan Road

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

This is a stone walled circular graveyard that appears to date from the seventeenth century. The graveyard is still in use in 2006. There are remains of a mausoleum located to the centre. There are a series of overgrown memorials and tombs throughout the graveyard. There is a Friars well located to the North East of the graveyard, beyond the circular walls. The graveyard and Friars well are both accessed via a gated laneway from Tullywiggan Road.

The entrance to the circular graveyard is to the North. It has tall stone pillars with sharp stones set in concrete to the top. There are painted cast-iron gates to the entrance. The circular wall is rubble stone with additional sharp stones to the top surrounding the graveyard.

The memorials are largely cut and carved stone. Some are set on stone plinths. Some have fallen and some are set on the ground. Some have Victorian styled wrought-iron railings enclosures.
Names and dates depicted are recognised as follows;
‘STEWART MOORHEAD, FEBRUARY 2nd 1796, AGED 20 YEARS’
‘HER LIETH THE BODY OF JANE BOYD WHO DIED JULY 28TH 1780, AGED 11 YEARS’
‘HERE LYETH THE BODY OF ELIZABETH PEARRY WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE AUGUST THE 10TH 1793 AGED 57 YEARS’
‘IN MEMORY OF ROBERY ANDERSON WHO DIED 22ND OF DECENBER 1885’
‘MR. JAMES HADDEN THE GREAT-GRANSDON OF….WHO DEPARTED…ABOUT THE YEAR 1646…’

There is a further tomb near the centre of the graveyard, which is square in plan with a projecting entrance bay. The entrance is sunken and accessed via steps down. The door is pointed arched with a brick surround. The door has been concreted closed.

The Friar’s well located to the North East of the graveyard, beyond the circular walls, is accessed off the laneway. It has a cut stone base with a large circular stone dressed hole set within the ground. There is a wrought-iron entrance enclosure surrounding the well. It has a pointed arched entrance door. There is a curved central supporting rail stretching from the ground to the top of the arch. This in turn supports adjoining curved railings. There is a fence surrounding the plot of land enclosing well.

The graveyard is accessed via a long lane from Tullywiggan Road. The access gates have rubble stone pillars with pyramidal stone caps. The gates are wrought-iron with a pointed arch to the top, and a trellis effect to bottom. The lane is bound by a low rubble stone wall to the South and a timber fence to the North.
There is a memorial plaque to the road entrance set on a stone boulder. The plaque notes ‘THIS PLAQUE WAS ERECTED IN MEMORY OF ALL THOSE BURIED WITHIN DONAGHRISK OLD GRAVEYARD. ERECTED BY COOKSTWON DISTRICT COUNCIL TO MARK THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND FRIARS WELL’.

Historical information

Shown as ‘Burial Ground’ on the OS map of 1833-34 and all other thereafter, with the ‘Friars well’. This site has been identified with St. Patrick, and also with a priory said to have been founded in 1294 by the O’Hagan family, but no reliable evidence to prove either of these beliefs. According to Lewis, writing in 1837, the ‘tomb’ was mutilated in the 1641 Rebellion ‘and covered over, in which condition it remained until 1819, when, in sinking a vault, it was discovered’. It may have been shortly after this date that the present gothick style gate was put in place at the head of the lane leading to the site from the road.

References- Primary sources
1 PRONI OS/6/6/38/1 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 38, 1833-34
2 Lewis, Samuel, ‘A topographical dictionary of Ireland…’ vol.1, (London, 1837), p.426
3 PRONI OS/6/6/38/2 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 38, 1857
4 PRONI OS/6/6/39/3 OS map, Co. Tyrone sheet 39, c.1905
5 EHS OS map Co. Tyrone sheet 39 (1942)

Secondary sources
1 EHS SM7/TYR38:14, 15 Files relating to ‘Burial Ground’ and ‘Friars Well’, Donaghrisk TD.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed
Not listed

Evaluation

This is a 17th century walled enclosure with a series of overgrown memorials and tombs throughout the graveyard. Its circular layout is of some interest but its importance is as an historic monument and record of life in the parish, rather than in any architectural sense. Internally many of the memorials have fallen in to disrepair, although the structures are still largely intact. The Friars well is of interest also.