Graveyards

transcribed at

Graveyards  [duchas:4607551]

I live in the Parish of Boyounagh. There are two graveyeards in my Parish namely the Boyounagh Graveyard and the Glenamaddy Graveyard.

The Boyounagh graveyard is situated in the townland of Boyounagh. It stands on a high hill and there are a few trees growing on the side of the hill. Long ago when St. Patrick came to Ireland he passed by that hill and he built a small church of timber on top of the hill and that was the first church that was built in the Parish. 

After a few years this church was condemed and a church of stones was built instead of it in Glenamaddy. About a century ago a few monks came to the Parish and builded a monaster on the ruins of the church. The monastery was made of stones and morther. The blood of animals was

Graveyards  [duchas:4607552]

also mixed through the morther. When the monks were a few years in the monastery a pair of shoes was taken one night. They got up next day and they could not find the shoes. One of the monks send word to the Priest and he came and he started praying, after a while they heard a person laughing on the cross beam of the room and they looked up and they saw the shoes left on the cross beam. It is said that it was the devil that that hid them in order to set the monks quarrling. 

When the monks died the monastery fell and only one bit of the wall was left standing and it is standing there yet. When the monastery fell the graveyard was established there. There is a tomb in the graveyard and the McDonnells are buried in it. 

When the tans came to Ireland they opened the tomb and searched it to see if there was any

Graveyards  [duchas:4607553]

money hidden in it. 

There are a few graveyards in this Parish in which unbaptised children are buried. There is one in Martin Connors field in Esker and one in Mary Hurleys field in Glenamaddy. There is also one in Edward Comers field in Little Castle. Usually a heap of stones is thrown near the graveyard. 
Long ago there was a "boirtin"from Lisheenaheilta to Middle Town and one day four men were carrying a coffin from Lisheenaheilta to the Boyounagh graveyard and the coffin got broken and the corps fell on the ground about four hundred yards fto the south west of the graveyard and they buried him there and every person that passed by the grave threw a stone on it and there is a big heap of stones there now. People do throw any stones on it now. 
There is a stone wall round the Boyounagh graveyard and the land round it is called "the church park"

Graveyards  [duchas:4607554]

The Glenamaddy graveyard is level and there are paths made through it. It is siutated to the north east of the church.