Gravestone of Daniel Ryan of Inch in Holycross Abbey

 

By Derek Ryan

I always thought I read somewhere that there was a gravestone of a Ryan of Inch in Holycross Abbey. 

I had been to the Abbey but never noticed it and also there is no mention of it in the Tipperary Studies lists of burials at this link 

https://tipperarystudies.ie/digitisation-project/gravestone-inscriptions/

I came across a reference to a book by William Hayes recording burials in Holycross Abbey from the 1970s, however I wasn't able to request a copy from any library to loan or find a copy online. There was however a copy for reference only review in the Thurles Local Studies area. 

Recently I got a chance to go and check out this wonderful book from 1970 and it confirmed that there was a gravestone - 

28 - Daniel Ryan, Inch House, 1767. His wife, 1768. 

In Hayes's book, he gives a detailed of where all the gravestones are located inside the abbey. Looking at it the vast majority are not there anymore! 

This is explained by the restoration of the Abbey that started in the late 1970s. Prior to this the Abbey was roof-less and like many other old Abbeys or Churches in Ireland, its floor was covered with gravestones and graveslabs. 

My understanding, as part of the restoration, the majority of the gravestones were moved out of the floor of the Abbey and to what is now called the Old Cemetery. The floor seems to have refloored with flagstones and ceramic tiles.

However there are a few gravestones that remain within the Abbey, many from the 1600s such as this Kearney gravestone below. 

By Derek Ryan

On my recent visit I was lucky that the Abbey was quiet and I had a good look around and yes, Daniel Ryan's graveslab is still in place. 

Its inscription reads 

"Underneath lieth the body of Daniel Ryan of Inch Esq, Who Departed the life the 20th of October 1767 Aged ? Years

And Mrs Elizabeth Ryan ? His Wife Who Departed ? October 1768."

Other members of the Ryans of Inch family are thought to be buried in a vault at Inch Graveyard near their main residence. 

https://thetipperaryantiquarian.blogspot.com/2024/10/ryans-of-inch-burial-place.html

So this bit of research highlights a few interesting things. 

1 - The inscriptions included on the Tipperary Studies website for Holycross Abbey is incomplete. It does not include the gravestones that remained inside the Abbey.  

2 - The amazing work that was done in restoring the Abbey from a roofless ruin to today. 

3 - It is likely that under the Abbey floor are a number of burials. 

The book is well worth a reprint as there may be vital genealogical information in it for some people. I haven't done a full comparison between it and the burial records on Tipp Studies but I believe there are a number of differences and it also has interesting records such as 

Pg 34 

"50 - Unmarked grave. This is probably part of the Ryan plot of The Green and Clohane, which stretches under the archway, across to the south of the wall of the south aisle. See plots, 69, 68, 85, 157." 

The plan of where each grave was located is also of vital importance as often the location of one family next to other may be an indication of some kind of relationship in life.