Stones marking the King of Leinster's sons burial places

 

The Capstone of the King of Leinster or Knockaunrilaghin (pictured) is relatively well known locally and a part of mythology around the Graves of the Leinstermen.

However as anyone ever heard of these that I just came across recorded by Maurice Lenihan in 1869?

"In this district also are pointed out Leachtnagrass, about a mile from Killaloe, near Boher, where Leachtna, another son of the king of Leinster was slain ; Keillan, near Bushfield, and Quilla, towards Shallee, where two others, sons of the Lagenian king were also killed.

Tipperary Vindicator June 8, 1868.

Was Lenihan spun some tall tales or was there folklore relating to this in the locality in the early 1800s? 

Brian Boru's Fingerstone

Anyone in the Ballina area of Tipperary ever hear of "Brian Boru's Fingerstone"?

It is mentioned by historian Maurice Lenihan in his notes from the 1860s.

"A large stone opposite Craggs Mountain at the Tipperary side of the river, is shown as "Brian Boru's fingerstone", which the legend attests he threw from one side of the shannon to the other".

Copyright Limerick City Council

The hand writing is hard to read, I'm not sure what the last two words in it say?

Craggs Mountain is clearly shown on the map (I've highlighted it blue) so I wonder would the fingerstone be somewhere in the area I highlighted on the Tipp side of the Shannon.

Copyright OSI 

I've included a sketch of St. Patricks Fingers from approximately 12km away at Patrickswell. It may have been a stone with some kind of markings on it.

St Patricks Fingers - Copyright Duchas.ie

Edit 

Local info suggests that there is a large rock near the shore in and around this area. 

A possible lost Sean Na Gig at Monsea outside Nenagh

Monsea church outside Nenagh.

Dermot Gleeson in NMAJ mentions some features of note;

"Outside the south door is a stone that came up with cleaning. It has embossed a panel about 1in. square bearing rosette, four quatre foils and the initials "T.B" and "S.B". The Tudor Rose and initials apparently refer to the Butler family." He earlier mentions in the same paper that the lands here were part of the manor of Ballyartela owned by the Earl and Countess of Ormond up to the 18th Century.

There is a small stone immediately outside the south door but I'm not sure if it is the one referred to.

Another interesting feature is a possible "Sean na Gig" or maybe some kind of folk art.

"There is another stone (broken) of a rudely calved nude man. This is apparently of comparatively modern date (perhaps 18 cent) and may be a sportive effort of a local mason".

I've included a sketch of a "sean na gig" from another location. There is no sign of this around, does anyone have any information on its whereabouts?

Some lost medieval graveslabs in Tipperary

 

I was reminded to reread Sheahans "Nenagh and its Neighbourhood" recently and its amazing what you come across when you go back to a book. I came across a few missing medieval graveslabs mentioned in it of great importance.

One was at Knigh graveyard and is mentioned on pg 42 as follows.

"one of the O'Fogarty family whose tombstone bears an inscription in Irish".

I've checked the Ormond Histoical Society survey of the graveyard and there is no mention in it.
Anyone ever come across it? As far as I know inscriptions in Irish from that period are rare in North Tipperary.

Another missing Gaelic graveslab, this time at Templechally, Ballina, Co. Tipp. Unlikely to be found again but just interesting to known it may have existed.

Sheehan in Nenagh and its Neighbourhood has this to say about it

"Tombstone of Doctor James Hickie (Medicinae Doctor Peritissimus). Died 1648. Who forfeited in 1641 among the' Irish Papists' of those times. This family were body physician's to the O'Briens of Thomond and the McIbriens Ara. The name is a Dalcassian one."

 

Another missing Gaelic Medieval graveslab, this time at Burgesbeg graveyard.

From Gleeson Churches in the Deanery of Ormond (1951) as following; 'close to the east end of the south wall is a tombstone (broken) of the Uí Briain family partly in black letter. It is inscribed "Hic jacet Donatus Dermitius als Bryn de Gortmore'.

The picture is one from 1771 in the same graveyard.

The last of my lost graveslabs / tombs for the time being. This is a sketch of the Mulryan chest tomb at Abbey Owney or Abington of one of last chiefs of the O'Mulryan / Ryan clan, William O'Mulryan.

The sketch is my drawing of a sketch by Dineley from 1681! It's amazing it exists.

Part of the tomb may have ended up at Glenstal Abbey. Is it possible that some more of it has been retained in the surrounding area?

A Barbarous Murder in Duharra - the Calib Minnit gravestone

"Here Lyeth The Body of Calib Minnit Who was Barbously Murdered By John Chery, Ann Parker, James McDowel and others, at Crannagh Duff in Dowharra, the 2nd day of April, Ano Domini 1707."

From Knigh Graveyard in North Tipp. A heck of a message to leave in stone when it is still being discussed 313 years later.

According to Daniel Grace's book on the area (Portrait of a Parish - Monsea & Killodiernan) - Calib Minnitt was a philanderer and may have gotten Miss Ann Parker pregnant and refused to marry her. She was probably a relative of Captain John Parker. She set up to meet him again at Crannagh Duff and gave him one last chance to agree to marry her. When he refused, she dropped her handkerchief and some of her father's tenants appeared and murdered him! It finishs by saying that the murderers were never prosecuted as Miss Parker had been dishonoured but the Minnits carved their names on his headstone for posterity. It also mentions that Minnit may have been charged previously for rape of another lady but got off of that for the lesser crime of fornication. 

A Medieval Inscription of the O'Meara Clan at Toomevara

 

The O'Meara Inscription on Toomevara Priory. I've made an attempt at highlighting it as best as I could in the picture attached. I've done it purely from the photo so there may be some errors.

Rev. John Gleeson in 1915 pg 469 gives the following which he says "A returned America, Mr. Michael O'Meara, late of Bawn, took a cast of the inscription, and submitted it to an expert, as follows :-
"Clara Meara dum Tamulo
Jacet haec progago,
Cui aether Precibus Paude,
Viator Iter Gulielmo
-Undecipherable-
Helene Burc Paude
Cruoris iter-illa via me
Ritis stravit sedes Terra er
Apcit marmor eu haec lec
Tor sit Tibi testis Or,
1664, Educet Malo"

I can make out a lot of it but the 1664 line at the end seems to be missing now?

From archaeology.ie, it is thought to translate as

"While the renowned offspring of O'Meara reposes in this tomb. To whom O Traveller happily open Heaven by thy prayer. To William. To Ellen Bourke open heaven. By the merits of his blood he made possible that path. He snatched thrones from earth. Let this marble be a witness to thee O reader, 1664 henceforth from Evil".

A burial vault of the Mac Egan Clan of Ormond

 

Recorded as being a tomb of the MacEgan clan (on archaeology.ie) of the nearby Aghnameadle Castle and thought to date to the 18th / 19th C. The MacEgans were hereditary Brehons of the O'Kennedys and had a great place of learning here.

There is no evidence of burials such as graveslabs within. The doorway is likely to have been built from a reused doorway from the nearby church ruins.

It is recorded in Toomevara, an Unbroken Chain pg 10

"The Mac Egan had a school there which was similar to a modern day university. The remains of their castle still stands as a monument to their greatness. They are buried in a stone vault in Aghnameadle graveyard. Lady Margaret Mac Egan who is reputed to have had her horse shod with silver shoes is buried here".

On pg 49 of the above it states

"The MacEgans were hereditary Brehons to the O'Kennedys of Ormond. They lived in Aghnameadle Court up until 1738 As when Howard MacEgan.,the owner at the time died. After that it passed into the hands of Denis O'Brien who was married to a Miss MaGrath, a grand-niece of Howard".

The OS maps seem to mark this building as Tinambraher which I would think translates as "Friars or monks House" so maybe it has had a few different uses.

A very interesting area full of history, the Ollatrim river runs right on the edge of the graveyard.