What is recorded here

Island Eddy in County Galway holds a children's burial ground called the reiligín, marked only by a headstone for Eliza Murphy, who died in April 1827 at seventeen months. Local memory says she took ill on a passing boat, was pulled ashore, and died there, while the wider grave served mostly children. One small stone still stands where several young lives were returned to the earth.

A single headstone marks the location of a children’s burial ground known as the ‘reiligín’ (a little burial ground). According to local information ‘There was a graveyard on the island, . . . There is one headstone on it to a child, and it was suppoed to be some child who took ill on a passing boat and they pulled inot the island and she died. The graveyard was mostly for burying children.’ (Gosling et al. 2010, 142). The inscription on the headstone reads: JHS / Erected in Memory of / Eliza Murphy Who died / April the 8th AD 1827 / aged 17 Months. / P: Whyte Sculptur (ibid., 140). Compiled by: Paul Walsh Date of upload: 24 June 2013

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.