CO-KSNG-0142

This is the burial tomb of the O Mullane family of Brittas,Lombardstown and Daniel O Connells mother, Catherine O Mullane, is buried here. Her father ,John, was born in Brittas in 1710 .The family lost most of their estate there in the Cromwellian confiscations as they fought against Cromwells forces in Ireland at the Battle of Knocknanuss in 1647. The Lombard family of Lombardstown acquired most of their estate ,about 1,500 acres, however, James Og  Lombard, in his will in 1683 handed back most of it to the O Mullanes at a cost  and urged his successors to be kind to the O Mullanes. Unfortunately they lost it again in the mid 1700's through borrowings. and  moved to Whitecurch where Catherine was born.She married Morgan O Connell from Carhen near Cahirciveen on 16/4/1771 and it was there that Daniel was born in 1775. Daniel later inherited Derrynane from his uncle. In about the late 1820's  Daniel O Connell purchased back much of the original property for  the O Mullane  family and the O Mullanes continued to live in the locality until the mid 1900's when the name died out in Brittas and Glantane.
How Catherine happened to be buried in Kilshannig is open to conjecture,but it is possible ,being a widow,that she wished to be buried with her clan relatives. In those days widows often found themselves isolated and were occasionally refused burial in their  husbands plot. Some of the  inscription is in Latin and the more recent addition is in English.The writing  is very faded but hopefully it will eventually be  deciphered. A latin scholar indicated the latin on the tomb was that used in church services in the 16th century but failed to read most of it.