Clonmore Parish.

[From the Revd T. Bryan.]

TOMBSTONES.

“REVD ------ DOOGAN, died 28^th January 1767 .

“PATRICK ROSSITER, died 1771.

Erected by MORGAN DOYLE, in memory of his Father,
DARBY DOYLE, who departed this life
Jan. 31, 1769 , aged 67 years.”  

‘Two crosses – on the glebe one, and one in ruin in old/ churchyard.
‘There is a font, or holy-water stoup, oblong in form.’

JPMD, Vol V, Issue 1901 - 1903, CARLOW, Page 305.  

Clonmore Churchyard .

(From Lord Walter Fitzgerald)

     'Clonmore, so interesting for it’s ancient remains, lies between Tullow and Hacklestown, 8 miles to the north east of the former.  To distinguish it from other Clonmores (“the big meadow”) it was known in ancient times as Clonmore – Mouge after it’s patron saint –St. Mouge, venerated on 11^th April. ‘Within a distance of half a mile, in an east- to –west direction, the following objects  of archeogical interest are to be met with.

1. Pagan asphilchrul Most
2.  The old churchyard, and shaft of and head of a High Cross.
3. “St Mogues Cross” ringed but not peforated , and undivided into panels.
4. “St. Mogues Cross” now neglected.
5.  A triple bullan stone.
6. The extensive ruins of a castle.

     'The churchyard contains no ruins of the old church.  About the middle of the ground, stands the broken shaft of a cross, 6 feet 2 inches high inserted in a square base; the sides of teh shaft measure 18 by 12 inches; a perch to the south of it, half sunk in the ground, lies it’s ringed head, sculptured but not perforated.  Several granite slabs and boulders, which stand or lie sucumbent among the graves, bear in relief either a ringed or plain cross.

     'In the south-east corner of the church yard, near a large sycamore tree, there is a granite slab set up on it’s side sunk in the ground measuring 4 foot in length, and averaging 7 inches in thickness; in the middle of it an oblong hole, 9 inches by 6inches, which appears to be intended as a socket for the dowel of a cross.

JPMD, Vol IX, Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 223

     'The inscribed sepulchral monuments are not of an old date, nore are they of much interest.
     'The earliest dated stones now visible bear the following inscriptions':—
     'On a headstone at the west side of the burial-ground':—

†
I.H.S.
Here lieth y^y Body of y^y Rev^d.
Patrick Roffeter who died 9^th
Aug^t 1771 Aged 52 years.
May he rest in peace Amen.
______

     'Alongside the above':—

†
I.H.S.
Here lieth the Body of
the Reverend Nicholas
Doogan who departed
this life y^e 28th Ian^y 1767
Aged 40 y^rs.  May he rest
in peace.  AMEN.

______

JPMD, Vol IX, Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 224    

     'A headstone':—

     'Headstone at the south-east end':—

      Here lieth the Body I of Patrick Murphy I Deceafed/ Auguft y^e I 7^th 1778 (?) Aged 67 y^rs I Lord have mercy/ on I his soul. I 

______

     'A badly fractured slab lying at the west end of the church-/ yard bears a coat-of-arms in relief at the top, viz.':—

     A chevron between two stars and a . . . (?) above it, and/ three hands below it.  In chief three lions rampant.

JPMD, Vol IX, Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 224

     'This coat-of-arms resembles nothing given in Burke's/ "General Armoury" either under Byrne or O'Byrne.

     'The inscription reads':

This Stone waf erected by Mr Char- 
lef Byrne of Sleat[ y in the] Queen's County 
May 1745.  H[ere lieth] the Body of Mr. 
Charles By[ rne of . . .] in the Queen's County 
who depar[ ted this life] the 21st of July 1768
 . . . . . . . Mr. Edmond Byrne/ . . . . . . . tomb.

     'Ryan in his History of the County Carlow (at p. 336) states that the following inscription is to be found on a tombstone in this churchyard':—

     HERE : LYETH : THE : BODY : OF : MR. : EDMOMD : M^cHUGH :/ GAUKAUNGH* : BYRN : AND : HIS : THREE : CHILDREN :/ MORTAGH : IOHN : AND : ANN : HE : WAS : Y^e : GREAT :/ GREAT : GRANDSON : OF : PHELIM : BUOY : —UG : DECEASED :/ OCT^r : THE : 20 : 1737 : AGED : — —
     'A very careful search for this tombstone failed to discover it.'

     'On the north side of the little Protestant Church, divided from/ the burial-ground by the public road, deep sunk in the ground, lies/ an undressed boulder-font, with a large rectangular bowl, now the/ receptacle for rain-water and miscellaneous rubbish.  An almost/ identically similar boulder-font, both in shape and size, lies near/ the high unsculptured cross in the church yard at Aghowle, a few/ miles off, in the County Wicklow. 
 
There are a few modern graves/ in the enclosure round this church.

JPMD, Vol IX, Issue 1916, CARLOW, page 225