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Ireland (Historical Counties) => Ireland => Offaly (Kings) => Topic started by: poppyo on Tuesday 31 October 06 20:52 GMT (UK)
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Hello. In a letter of 1926 my great uncle in Rathfeston, Geashill, townland Gorteenkeel, is telling my great aunt in America about their mother's death, 27th January, 1926, and he has attached a cutting about the funeral and the family burial mound in the Island.
In a previous letter of 1908 re his father's death he writes
"he buried him where he told us in the Welsh / Walsh Island about two miles from here", July 14th, 1908
Could somebody identify this graveyard?
Thank you
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Hi Poppyo:
Here is link to the Offaly Historical and Archaeological Society. There might be something in here or you could contact them. I would imagine they would be interested.
http://www.offalyhistory.com/index.html
Good luck,
Pat
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Thank you Pat, I tried that site but I couldn't find a contact for the Society and I know that the Midland Ancestry charge for research, but perhaps I'll get their estimate as I want to know.
Best wishes
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Hello Poppy,
I do realise that you posted this request an awful long time ago but hopefully I will be able to answer your question.
I happened to be in Offaly last night and today at a function with my OH and decided to have a hunt for you..
I asked in our hotel and was sent to two graveyards called the Island... Finding the right one eventually after a short tour of the county ;D
Walsh Island is a tiny village off the Tullamore to Portarlington road. It is quite small and I drove through it twice before realising I was past it !!!!!!!
I did find the old graveyard ( the new one only opened in 1953) but there sadly is no grave stones for your family I did go all around and checked them all. I went into the church attached to the graveyard and lit a candle for your reles on your behalf.
I called to the local parish priest and spoke to his housekeeper whose husband luckily looks after the graveyards and he was able to help me a lot.
Burial mounds was the norm but about 40 years ago the parish priest of the day decided to level the graveyard and grass it over with only those with headstones or markers having those replaced in the correct spot.
I took some photos for you and hope that you find them interesting. I also got the PP's telephone number (he wasn't there) and I will ring him later (I have just arrived home and still have to unpack etc) to see if he can hunt through his records and see if he can come up with any info..
Best wishes
Mo
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first photo is of the church at Walsh Island with surrounding grave yard.
second and third are of the interior and fourth and fifth are of the actual graveyard hope you like them
Best wishes
Mo
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as above..
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the graveyard at walsh island
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Hello Mo. That is absolutely brilliant of you! The kindness of strangers amazes me. The photos are beautiful and will be added to my history.
I managed to find the PP of the Walsh Island, a Father Gaynor, spoke to him on the phone and he wrote as well, but he could find nothing, not even anything in the death register. He said that he would speak to Jim Duffy who seems to be a kind of sexton, with no luck. Father Gaynor actually copied pages from his records, handwritten! but none applied to me. I thought he was lovely, unlike the PP Father O'Byrne of Daingean who didn't even acknowledge my letters
I've attached a bit of my great uncle's letter talking about a palm tree that he had planted when his father died in 1908 but I suppose that went 40 years ago too
One day I hope to go back to Ireland, I used to spend all the summer holidays with my grandmother in Daingean
Thank you so much for all the trouble that you have taken and for lighting a candle, it brought a lump to my throat
If you find anything else I would be delighted!
Very best wishes, Barbara
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That's not the right cutting. Hopefully this is.
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Hello Poppy,
You are welcome.
Fr Gaynor still there it was him I was going to ring.... and Jim was the chap that walked the graveyard with me.... so back to square one....
I have one more possible check that I can do.. no point in promising you anything yet but I will keep trying.
I took angles of the graveyard ( will post the others) sadly no palm tree.... you are probably right taken with the removal of the mounds..
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These are the last of todays photos...
I am glad you are pleased.
What wonderful letters to have. I would love to own something like that....
I will keep 'on the job' and let you know what I find out even if its not good news
Best wishes
Mo
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Mo:
What a wonderful thing to do! Poppy, I can understand why you got a lump in your throat.
God bless you Mo.
Pat
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Those are brilliant photos, Mo.
You should set up a website called Mo's Irish Monuments.
People could have a look for pictures of the headstones of their ancestors.
I was going to suggest Mo's Monuments but added Irish as otherwise you
might be travelling all over the world. Of course people could send you pics
from around the world for inclusion in the site 8)
Chris
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Can't set up a website Chris.... still working on my own and failing miserably but thanks for the idea... maybe one day...
Best wishes
Mo
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No connection to this topic, but I have been through Walsh's Island, and had to look at these photo's : brilliant ! And what a well-kept graveyard...unlike some places I've come across. Credit to the photographer, and the parish !
M.
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No connection with this topic either but just had to add how impressed I am with the amount of trouble Moscan has gone to to answer this query.
And what a treasure those photos are -especially for anyone with connections to Walsh`s Island.
Great to read of the priest`s and sacristan`s kindness too!
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Hi if you are still on this trail try a search in an area called Lemanaghan.My Granmother originated from the Tullamore area & she would often refer to the Island about people that lived near the Island but she mainly referred to the Island as a very holy place in a religious way.somewhere at the back of my brain ,I think she told me her sisters child was laid to rest at the Island graveyard if that is a true fact or not but if it is true that meant the Island graveyard was still in use in the 1920s.In the 1950s I recall my mother & I going to look for her cousins grave-if we found the grave I can not remember all I remember is a very old graveyard & it did not look like anyone had been laid to rest there in years.If you are still on the trail do try to checking it out you never know this may be the place you are looking for.I must add I love the photos Mo sent.
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Thank you for your message. I think I have found out everything possible now. The graveyard and church has all been 'modernised', there are no old graves now, but I love the photos and will treasure them.
Thank you for your interest, Barbara
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I visit this graveyard most weekends as my father is buried in the new graveyard across the road. There are many old headstones in the church grounds that date back to the late 1800s. The information you are after can only be found in the church in daingean as all the old records are kept there. I was trying to locate my fathers best friends grave who died at the age of 19, he was buried over 60yrs ago and as there was no headstone i finally found out where he was buried through the old records in daingean's church. Its the only place you will get this information you need.
I hope this helps you in your quest.