What is recorded here

Grave Yard occupies elevated ground immediately south of Ballyhaunis friary church in County Mayo, forming an L-shaped basin where gravel paths wind through dense rows of Celtic crosses and plain stone markers. The southern third drops steeply toward the abbey avenue, forcing visitors to descend into a crowded landscape where centuries of local death have compressed the soil into memory. Some may wonder whether the oldest unmarked crosses belong to people buried before the friary rose, but the stones themselves offer no answer, only a warning that even forgotten lives can occupy more space than history admits.

Occupies elevated ground, immediately S of Ballyhaunis friary church (MA093-063002-). L-shaped area (c. 70m N−S; c. 81m E−W at N; c. 45m E-W at S) bordered at E and S by field fences and a line of trees, and at W by a steep scarp which drops to the entrance avenue to the abbey. The N portion of the graveyard encompasses relatively level ground but the S third slopes steeply down to S. The graveyard is grass-covered, with a network of gravel paths winding through it. There is high density of graves. The majority are marked by inscribed headstones in a variety of styles, including ‘Celtic crosses’, dating to the period 18th to 20th century. Some grave plots are bordered by a low concrete surround, and a few have metal railings. There are a several ledgers in the E part of the graveyard. Interspersed amidst the formal headstones are a few small uninscribed stone gravemarkers, roughly-shaped to the form of a cross, and occasional simple metal crosses. Knox (1911, 334-336) postulated that the graveyard overlies or incorporates earthworks (MA093-063001-) that might pre-date the friary. Attached images: MA093-063004-_01.JPG Graveyard viewed form SE MA093-063004-_02.JPG Simple stone cross gravemarker MA093-063004-_03.JPG Steep S slope of graveyard MA093-063004-_04.JPG Ledgers in the E part of the graveyard Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 7 December 2022

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