Clonfertmulloe

AKA Old Kyle Cemetery

It was such a pleasure to wander around this old graveyard. I entered the cemetery via the old stone stile to the left of the gate. The antiquities here are not that obvious, they don't jump up and hit you in the face, but immediately to the right of the gate is an enormous bullaun stone. It is hard to imagine because of the size, but this stone is almost hidden beneath ivy. It is an irregular shaped conglomerate with five bullauns in the top. Considering its history the condition of this stone is dreadful.

This is the stone of St M'Loo, see St Molua, originally sited in a field next to the graveyard. Tradition states that the saint knelt so often upon the stone to weep and pray that he wore five holes in its surface - two by his knees, one by his clasped hands, and two by his tears. The holes worn by his tears are on the right side of the stone. St M'loo founded a church here in the 6th century. Further along the wall, standing right up against it is a cross inscribed slab. This is one of two said to be located here but I could only find this one. Towards the centre of the graveyard are the scant remains of a medieval church pictured right.

There were a few other interesting items that I failed to locate on this visit. One was St Molua's trough, a metre long by 1/2 metre wide hewn stone, said to lie in the shadow of a white-thorn rag tree and the other was St M'loos grave. The grave is said to be situated at the far end of the graveyard and orientated differently to all the other graves here. It is said to be about 3.5 metres in length, it may be the large grave located to the centre right of the image shown left, but I am not sure. I have since learned the trough was moved to the catholic church in Ballaghmore Village. As I said earlier this is a beautifully situated cemetery and a great place to roam around, but I would love to see more attention given to the care of St Molua's Stone.

 

Situated: From Borris in Ossary head west on the N7. After 1.7 kilometres turn right. Then take the first left. After a further 2 kilometres turn right. The cemetery is 500 metres down this road on your left. In the field before the cemetery is a standing stone.

 

 

Google Map

Discovery Map 54: S 233 901. Last visit April 2010.

Longitude: 7° 39' 11.60" W

Latitude: 52 ° 57' 40.38" N

Photos: Jim Dempsey.

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