Aharney Graveyard
Plaque to Rev. Delany, 1726
You can also find some articles relevant to parish history if you go to the History Projects section and follow the link to Local History.
The parish of Lisdowney is made up of
The parish of Aharney was formerly known as Aghteyr. The church of Aghteyr was Barony Church in Ballyconra.
The church in Aharney was called St. Brigid’s church. It was built about the 16th century. The oldest tombstone there, is dated 1726.
St. Brigid’s Well was about 200 metres from the church. Pilgrimages were held there up to 200 years ago.
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Aharney Graveyard
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Plaque to Rev. Delany, 1726
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Barony Church was once the parish church of Aghteyr. It dates back to at least the 13th century. The oldest tombstone there is dated 1635. It was the church of the Barony of Galmoy.
Many people believe that the last Mass said there was for soldiers leaving for the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
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Barony Churchyard, Ballyconra.
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Grave slab at Barony Church.
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There was once a church in Archerstown. The field where it stood was called “Kilkennybeg”. This means the “little church of St. Canice”. There is no trace of the church now.
There was a tiny island in the Nore in Ballyconra. On the island there was a small cell or church and a little graveyard. It is believed that a hermit or anchorite once lived there.
There is a beautiful story about this hermit doing penance by standing in the river.
There was once a church at Killeen in Seskin. It was probably replaced by the church at Aharney. People were still buried there up to about 200 years ago.
The parish of Grangemacomb was made up of the old parishes of Ardaloo, Kilcolman and Grangemacomb. The parish once belonged to Jerpoint Abbey. There is a small graveyard beside the church. Most of the church ruins were removed in the 1840’s. This was to build a tomb for the Stannard-Lanigan family.
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Grange Church.
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Tomb at Grange.
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The church of Rathbeagh was the Church of St. Catherine. It is believed that there was a monastery there before the church. The church was knocked about 300 years ago. It was replaced by a Protestant church. The Protestant church is in ruins for about 150 years. There are tombstones dating back to 1613.
Near the church is “Poll Leabhair”. There is a story that the Holy Book from the church was thrown into Poll Leabhair when the church was knocked.
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Rathbeagh Church and Graveyard.
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Archway at Rathbeagh
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St. Catherine’s Well is near Rathbeagh church. A Pattern was held there on June 24th each year. The Pattern ended in the early 1800s.
The church of Sheffin stood on the hill between Clontubrid and Tifeaghna. There is no trace of it left now. The graveyard was used to bury unbaptised children in the early 1800s.
The ancient church of Clontubrid was just below the present churchyard. The patron saint was St. Fiachra. There was a holy well here and a Well House over it. Most of the Well House was destroyed in the early 1800s. It was reconstructed by Fr. Dowling in the 1920s.
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Well House at Clontubrid, early
19th Century.
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Well House at Clontubrid as
it is today.
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Tifeaghna means the house or church of Fiachra. The church probably replaced the ancient church of Sheffin. The ruins of Tifeaghna church have disappeared. Tombstones in the graveyard date back to 1722.
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Tifeaghna Cemetery.
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There was once a church in Balleen. It was near the castle and was probably a chapel for the castle. There was no graveyard with the church.
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Ruins of Balleen Church, near
the Castle.
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The church of Coolcashin is mentioned in the ancient Annals as early as 844. The church was supposed to have been raided and burnt in that year. The Graveyard contained slabs inscribed with crosses that date back to the 13th century.
There was a holy well near the church. The patron saint of the church was St. Mainchin (or St.Munchin?)
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Graveyard at Coolcashin.
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Well near the Graveyard.
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100 years ago there were schools at Clone, Balleen, Creenkill, Lisdowney and Ballyconra.
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Pupils of Creenkill N.S., 1930.
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Pupils of Balleen N.S., 1928.
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Lisdowney church was opened about 1840. It replaced a chapel which stood where the present church gate is.
There was an earlier chapel about 300 metres up the Knockmannon road. The field is still called the “Priest’s Garden”. The chapel closed about 1790.
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St. Brigid's Church, Lisdowney.
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St, Brigid's Church, Lisdowney,
1980.
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Clontubrid Church was opened about 1841. It replaced a thatched chapel about 200 metres north of the present church.
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St. Fiachra's Church, Clontubrid.
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St. Fiachra's Church in the
1960's.
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Gathabawn church was opened about 1839. It replaced an older chapel and was built beside it.
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St. Munchin's Church, Gathabawn.
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Inside of St. Munchin's Church.
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Sunset on the Second Millennium |