GA-SRMY-0060

Record Date: 
12 November 2016
Graveyard: 
An Sean Reilig, Moycullen
Exact wording of epitaph: 

IHS

O Lord have mercy
on the soul of Mathias
Donohoe who died august
the 11th 1837 Aged 72 years
his wife Honora Donoho
alias Devily died
      aged    years
This tomb is erected by 
Their sons Michal ꙋ William

Memorial Type: 
Ledger Slab
Grave location
County: 
Galway
Latitude: 
53.342271388889
Longitude: 
-9.1568947222222
Additional details
Stonecutter/monumental sculptor: 
N/A
Inscription legible: 
Yes
Number of people commemorated: 
2
People commemorated: 
Name: 
Mathias
Surname: 
Donohoe
Date of birth - year: 
1765
Date of death - day: 
11
Date of death - month: 
August
Date of death - year: 
1837
Age: 
72
Name: 
Honora
Surname: 
Devily
Relationship with first person: 
Wife
Notes: 

The square top limestone slab measures 6ft x 3ft3in x 4in and has roman style incised script.  It contains many Brachiopod fossils and all script on the stone is east facing. 

There is a christogram with cross and heart at the top of the stone, carved in relief under a sunburst arc. At the bottom of the stone there is a simply incised plough indicating Mathias Donohoe was a farmer.

Masons sometimes appear to have been economical with space for lettering, ie using abbreviations - in this case Michael with no e and a superscript 1, William has a superscript m and instead of spelling the full word 'and', the mason just uses a symbol which resembles a V. 

No date of death is inscribed for Honora.  This could be an example of a cost saving exercise, inscription ahead of need, ie on the death of Mathias, his spouse’s name was inscribed in advance of her demise leaving just the date and age to be inserted at the appropriate time.  It remaining blank in this instance could have been for reasons such as the possibility that she outlived her family or maybe even remarried.

Whilst address of deceased is not marked on memorial, we know from Church record that Mathias and Honora were both from the townland of Clooniff, Moycullen.  Whilst their death dates are not shown in the church register, their marriage is noted.  They married in Moycullen church on 16 May 1793, both giving their address as Clooniff.  They were cousins, the degree of consanguation noted in the marriage register is that the groom had 3 generations and the bride 4 generations of separation from a common ancestor.

See adjacent grave GA-SRMY-0059 for details of the death of their son Mathias Jnr.