What is recorded here

Burial Ground, outlined is an empty square south of a ruined church in County Limerick, marked only on an old map and stripped of every stone. It belonged to Dysert Aenghusa, a monastery named for St. Aonghas, whose life moved between Laois and Tallaght while his name stayed fixed in this quiet Limerick field. The wall that once enclosed the place has vanished, leaving behind a void where death should have accumulated. What remains is not a graveyard but the memory of one, a boundary drawn in ink rather than stone.

Dysert Aenghusa (Diseart Aonghasa) was a monastery belonging to the 'Céile Dé' or 'Client of God' (Ó Carragáin 2010, 308). The monastery was dedicated to St. Aonghas who is also associated with Dyasrtenos (LA013-059001-), Co. Laois (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 383). In the year 1033 the Annals of the Four Masters recorded the death of ‘Conn, son of Maelpadraig, airchinnech [erenagh] of Mungairit [Mungret] and Disert-Oenghusa [Aonghasa]’ (O’Donovan 1856, 827). This reference links the monastery of Mungret (LI013-009001-), Co. Limerick located 13km to the NNE with Dysert-Aonghasa. This Aonghas appears to have been the Aonghas of Tallaght monastery (DU021-037002-) who wrote the metrical martyrology known as Féilire Aonghasa (Ó Riain 2011, 79). The preface added to the Féilire Aonghasa in the late twelfth century recorded details in his life which bring him from a church named after him at Dysert (Diseart Aonghasa), to Coolbanagher (Cúil Bheannchair) (LA008-014001-), a little north of Dysartenos (Diseart Aonghasa), in Laois, where he allegedly began his metrical martyrology, and finally to Tallaght, where he finished the Féilire Aonghasa (ibid.). Aonghas was reputedly buried at Clonenagh (LA017-003001-), Co. Laois, after his death some time between 815-830, his feast day was the 11th of March (Stokes 1905, xxvi). Present remains consist of a multi-period church (LI030-018002-) with round tower (LI030-018004-) immediately to N with graveyard (LI030-018003-) to S of church as depicted on the 1st ed. OS 6-inch map. On this map the burial ground is depicted as a small square shaped area adjoining the S side of the church. In 1868 the burial ground was no longer in use and there was, 'no evidence of interments in or around the church. Some remains of the foundation of a massive wall (LI030-018001-) which once inclosed the precincts of the church and tower are still in existence' (Brash 1868, 60-1). Today there are no surface remains of any gravemarkers or headstones in area to S of church. Graveyard appears to have not been used as a place for burials after the first ed. OS 6-inch map. Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 24 April 2018

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