ME-ARCH-0170

Record Date: 
19 November 2020
Graveyard: 
Ardcath
Exact wording of epitaph: 

AGNUS DEI

ERECTED
to the memory of the 
RevD ANDREW MAGUIRE
who departed this life on the 25th of June 1869
Aged 80 years. 
May he rest in peace

Memorial Type: 
Headstone
Grave location
County: 
Meath
Latitude: 
53.607238888889
Longitude: 
-6.3937583333333
Additional details
Inscription legible: 
Yes
Number of people commemorated: 
1
People commemorated: 
Title: 
Reverend
Name: 
Andrew
Surname: 
Maguire
Date of death - day: 
25
Date of death - month: 
June
Date of death - year: 
1869
Age: 
80
Notes: 
Reverend Andrew Maguire served the Diocese of Meath as a curate for many years before becoming the Parish Priest of Ardcath and Clonalvy. Here is a summary of his clerical appointments:
  • He was a curate in the diocese for several years before his appointment as parish priest.
  • He became the Parish Priest (P.P.) of the united parishes of Ardcath and Clonalvy (also referred to as Clonalvy and Ardcath).
  • He served in this role until his death on June 25, 1869, at the age of 80. His burial in the local cemetery at Ardcath confirms his long-standing connection to the community he served. 
  • During the tenure of Reverend Andrew Maguire as Parish Priest for Ardcath and Clonalvy, a new Catholic church was built in the town of Ardcath.
    Key Events & Context
    • Penal Laws Aftermath: Rev Maguire ministered during a time of increased confidence for the Catholic Church following the repeal of the Penal Laws in 1829, which allowed for new church building projects across Ireland.
    • New Church Construction: The present St. Mary's Catholic Church  in Ardcath was constructed during this period. 
    • Building Timeline: While specific dates for Ardcath are scarce in the records found, other churches in the Diocese of Meath and surrounding areas were being built or rebuilt rapidly in the 1830s and 1840s, following Catholic Emancipation.
    • Community Life: As the parish priest, he would have been a central figure in the local community, involved in all major life events (marriages, christenings, funerals) and a key figure in community engagement and local initiatives, as was typical for priests of that era.
Records from that era often trace the succession of pastors through gravestones and other local commemorations when official registries are incomplete