A 'special' event attended by huge crowd at cemetery in rural Kilkenny
More than 100 people attended, sharing memories they had of the old graveyard and of the Lower Street, Kilmacow, County Kilkenny
What a special night was had on Friday to mark St Senan’s Day with Fr Martin Tobin, Fr Aaron Tanko and Reverend George Cliffe who concelebrated an Ecumenical Service of Remembrance in the graveyard in the Lower Street, Kilmacow, County Kilkenny.
All three prayed for all who had been interred in the graveyard and asked that people would always remember them and respect this holy place of burial.
Lorraine Kennedy assisted with the Payers of the Faithful and after the service Fr Tanko and Reverend Cliffe blessed the graves.
Tomás Breathnach outlined the development of settlement in Kilmacow and referred to the influence of the River Blackwater, especially on the location of the 11 mills between Dangan and the Pill.
He spoke on the history of the St Mochua’s Church and graveyard and on the celebration of St Senan’s Day in Kilmacow.
A number of the families who were interred in the graves was the subject to a talk by Emma Bates, Secretary of the Graveyards Committee.
READ NEXT: 'The fight for the future of Irish farming is already underway' - Natasha Newsome Drennan TD
These included the Greene Family, the Brown family and the Brown Jephsons, Reverend Bourke, Reverend John Congreve, William Dix and his daughters, Reverend Manning and his sons, Reverend Dray, Reverend Cuffe, Father Fitzpatrick, Reverend Shortall, the Donovan Family Vault along with some information on various families who lived in Greenville House, including Major Arthur Fleming, the Bartolucci Family and the de la Poers.
Heritage Officer, Regina Fitzpatrick, thanked the group for this special event, which was in keeping with the theme for Heritage Week this year, Exploring Our Foundations.
She saluted the work of all the groups around the county who participated in Heritage Week and expressed the hope that they would engage with the Draft Heritage Strategy due for the next phase of public consultation in the coming weeks.
More than 100 people attended and it was lovely to see so many who stayed to talk afterwards and to share memories they had of the old graveyard and of the Lower Street.
Thanks went to all who helped make this happen including the Community Centre for the tables, chairs, cups; John Dunphy for the sound; Kevin and Rose Ryan for the electrics; Mairead Phelan for parking and Kathleen Kennedy for sharing her wonderful painting of Lower Kilmacow.