Grave Yd — Ballygroman Upper

In grounds of Desertmore House (9641). Roughly square graveyard (c. 30m NE-SW; c. 30m NW-SE) enclosed by ruinous stone wall. No longer in use; latest inscribed headstones noted dated 1905; partially overgrown. Contains altar tomb of Madras family, large vault of Hawkeses family and several inscribed 19th-century headstones (Henchion 1969a, 34). Unusually, though graveyard is probably ancient site of parish church of Desertmore, it was'used solely by Protestant families during the past two hundred years at least' (ibid.); Roman Catholics of the parish used Kilcrea (9540) for burial, though Henchion (ibid.) notes tradition of burial ground 'just outside the north wall of the churchyard'. The 1842 OS 6-inch map shows a small rectangular church, long axis SW-NE, standing in centre of graveyard; this was erected as C of I parish church of Desertmore in 1815 (Brady 1863, vol. 1, 76) but 'taken down' in 1872 when parish united with Athnowen (Cole 1903, 37); described by Lewis (1837, vol. 1, 457) as 'a plain modern building'; no visible surface trace. Hurley (1980, 58) lists Desertmore as 'well attested early ecclesiastical site ... probably a hermitage'. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 3: Mid Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009