What is recorded here

Thomas O'Kelly and Mary Hynes carved the stone in 1728, pressing their love and fear into cold rock beside the church gate. They depicted Christ suffering and Mary watching, forcing every passerby to confront death before entering holy ground. The stone still stands left of the entrance, turning a private memorial into a public warning that love must face loss directly.

This memorial stone is set into the roadside face of the wall to the left of the gate leading into the church (GA084-021----). It consists of a rectangular plaque (H 0.43m; Wth 0.33m; T 0.13m) bearing a male figure standing with raised, spread arms in the top left quarter and a kneeling figure, in profile, with raised hands joined and looking towards the standing figure in the top right quarter. The figures appear to represent Christ on the cross and Mary alongside (Cody 1989, 381-2, no. 166). The lower half of the plaque bears the following inscription: PRAY FOR THE SOUL OF THOMAS [O'KELLY/O'REILLY?] HIS WIFE MARY HYNES & THEIR POS TERITY WHO EREC[T] ED THIS IMAGE IN R[E] MEMBERANCE OF SA[I] NT BRIDGET 1728 Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 24 January 2020

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