Graveyard in Connahy

On the gently sloping lower E side of the Nore river valley, with a small stream immediately to the W, in rolling grassland. According to the OS Letters (1839), 'The place occupied by the old Catholic Chapel of Conahy in this Parish is called by the inhabitants Cill Cholmain, Kill or Church of Colman. They point out the ancient burying ground but no graves appear on it now' (O'Flanagan ed. 1930, vol. 1, 40 (14)). Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 193) states that, 'Kilcolman, or St. Colman's parish church, stood 150 years west of Conahy chapel, in the small, green field or haggard, on the right of the road to Foulksrath castle. About 1760 the old chapel of Conahy was built on its foundations, any portions of the ancient church then remaining being probably incorporated with the new structure. In 1839, or 1840, this chapel, having been superseded, was cleared away, and the site tilled and converted into a cabbage-garden. Loss of cattle and other misfortunes soon after befalling the owner of the little plot, he deemed it unwise to interfere with it any further. He, accordingly, laid it down in grass, and so it has since continued undisturbed. Even before 1839 there were no gravestones here, nor had there been any interments for a very long time: human remains, however, lie underneath the surface, especially towards the west. The traditional names of this church and churchyard are "Kyle-Chullamawn" (St. Colman's Church) and "Thomple-Chyle-Chullamawn" (Kilcolman Church). The old people say that St. Colman, whom they always call Bishop, is buried within the precincts of the ancient church, and that his grave was at the Gospel side of their late old chapel, under the third window'. This church and graveyard have been located to the portion of the field where the 'School Ho.' is indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map. The graveyard is not visible at ground level. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 17 December 2018