ME-ARCH-0144

Record Date: 
24 June 2021
Graveyard: 
Ardcath
Exact wording of epitaph: 

Erected by Revd Christopher
Halligan in memory of his Father
Patk, Halligan who departed this
life 20th Feb. 1809. Alfo of his
mother Catherine Halligan alias
Walfh, who exchanged time for
eternity 6th Sept. 1789. Here
likewife lie the remains of his
two Sifters Jane & Mary & of his
Brother Patk, for whom his ardent
wifhes are.  

Requiescat in Pace

Memorial Type: 
Headstone
Grave location
County: 
Meath
Latitude: 
53.60735
Longitude: 
-6.3940111111111
Additional details
Inscription legible: 
Yes
Number of people commemorated: 
5
People commemorated: 
Name: 
Patrick
Surname: 
Halligan
Date of death - day: 
20
Date of death - month: 
February
Date of death - year: 
1809
Name: 
Catherine
Surname: 
Halligan (nee Walsh)
Date of death - day: 
6
Date of death - month: 
September
Date of death - year: 
1789
Relationship with first person: 
wife
Name: 
Jane
Surname: 
Halligan
Relationship with first person: 
Daughter
Name: 
Mary
Surname: 
Halligan
Relationship with first person: 
Daughter
Name: 
Patrick
Surname: 
Halligan
Relationship with first person: 
Son
Notes: 

Headstone erected by Reverend Christopher Halligan, parish priest of Skreen who studied in France.

Ref for checking: Source, Coogan: THE BISHOPS OF MEATH FAILURE OF REFORMATION. all the ... Patrick Halligan, present pastor, was born in the parish of Ardcath, studied in .............. He died, universally regretted, on the 6th of February, 1809, and was buried in the ...

It is possible that Rev. Patrick Halligan, having died in 1809, was one of the many émigré priests educated abroad who later returned to minister in Ireland. The missing inscription on his headstone would almost certainly have named one of these institutions. Many of these continental colleges were confiscated or closed during the French Revolution in the 1790s, leading to the urgent need for a national seminary in Ireland and the subsequent founding of Maynooth College. 

The valuable three-volume work 
The Diocese of Meath, Ancient and Modern  by Rev. Anthony Cogan, published in the late 19th century, gathered extensive information from diverse sources, including headstones, chalice inscriptions, and fragmented registries to fill the gaps in the history of Meath's pastors. It is highly likely that Cogan's detailed history contains the complete inscription or documentation of where Rev. Halligan studied.