Aug
02
2023
Headstones in Oldcourt graveyard, Doneraile, Co. Cork
This graveyard is in the townland of Oldcourt, in the parish of Doneraile in the Barony of Fermoy.
It is located north east of Doneraile town, on the south side of the R522, the road from Doneraile to Buttevant. It overlooks the Bregoge River, a tributary of the Awbeg River, which flows through Doneraile.
The graveyard can be divided in two, in that the older section is to the south, with the newer memorials to the north. In the older section there is no evidence of a church, though records suggest that there was a chapel-at-ease from the early 1600’s and recorded as being in ruin by 1615. The oldest memorials date to 1774,1779, 1795 and 1799, but earlier 18th century inscriptions were recorded by Buckley (1907). Against the south boundary there is a low rectangular stone enclosure, measuring 22m (e-w), 5m (n-s), with graves within.
A total of 115 memorials have been recorded in 2020.
Surnames include Nunan, Roche, Sheehan, Duggan, Gould, Crone, O’Callaghan and Deedy.
Interesting Facts
A chapel-at-ease is a church other than a parish church, built within the bounds of the parish for the attendance of those who found it difficult to travel to the parish church.
The oldest headstone recorded was that of Hanora Shea, who died in 1774 aged 68, (Memorial no. 103). Another early headstone is in memory of Catherine O’Brien who died May 26th 1777 aged 50 (Memorial no. 108). Two other early headstones are to John O’Nail ? who died in 1779, (Memorial no. 104) and William Knight who died in 1795, aged 62 (Memorial no. 83).
On the east side of the main path there is a memorial to John Ryan who died on 3rd June 1915. He was a rifleman with the 7th Battalion of the Royal Irish Rifles, serving in World War 1.
Close to the eastern boundary of the graveyard there is a limestone headstone, unusual in that the inscription is in Gaelic script. It is in memory of Denis Donovan who died 12th October 1868 aged 97, and his wife Ellen who died 16th July 1884, aged 86.
This post was researched and written as part of a grassroots heritage tourism project (www.incultum.eu). The stories were initially gathered during community survey of the graveyard. They form part of the Historic Graves Project Destination for Ballyhoura (https://historicgraves.com/destination/ballyhoura).
