Tullow Parish.

     We are pleased to learn that the ancient tomb of the O’Byrnes, in the burial-ground surrounding Tullow Parish Church, has recently been put in much-needed repair. A lady descendant of the family, who came to spend a few weeks’ holiday in her native town after many years’ absence, had her attention called to the matter by the Rector, the Rev. Canon Abbott, and she at once employed local tradesmen, and had all defective mason-work repaired, the stone pillars supporting the horizontal slab re-set, the body of the structure newly lined with brick, and some ornamental shrubs planted around, thus giving this venerable memorial a new lease of live for some time to come. The inscription on the tomb, which dates from 1625, has been already published in the Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead, vol. ii, page 445.

JPMD, Vol IV, Issue 1898 - 1900, CARLOW, page 6 & 7.

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The Parish of Tullowphelim ― 

 Tullow Churchuyard.

     The town of Tullow contains three burial-grounds – St. Austin’s Abbey, The Mullaun, and the Protestant Church burial-ground.

     In the latter there are two ancient limestone slabs, much weather worn, and very similar in size, design and inscription: one is erected to the Byrne family, and the other to a family of the name of Mottly.

*The date of her death was never filled in.

     "The Edmundus Carcli Byrne "I would read "Edmund son of Charles Byrne."

     The Byrne slab measures 6ft. 8 inches in length, 8 feet 1 inch in breadth, and 6 inches in thickness.

     The measurements of the Mottly slab are 6 ft. 5inches long, 8 feet broad and 6 inches thick.

     Down the centre of both slabs runs an ornamental five-armed cross with an interlaced stem; the arms end off in the fluer-de-lys, and the head consists of three concentric circles. On either side of the stem can be traced emblems of our Lord’s Passion and Crucifixion; but the devices, originally in low relief, are now so much worn that it is very difficult to distinguish the emblems, In each slab, one end and one side are bevelled underneath; the other end and side rough. The sculptor of these slabs was one Murtagh Murray, whose name appears on the Byrne slab.

     The inscriptions have already appeared on page 445. vol ii, of the Reports on the Memorials of the Dead Ireland,’ copied from Ryans "History of the Count Carlow;" but as they are incorrectly and incompletely deciphered, I now give them in full. I am able to do this, as a large portion of the epitaph on one is given word for word on the other slab, so that what is undecipherable on one slab can be made good from the other. The lettering is in low relief, and on the Byrne slab varies in size. The literal translation of the epitaph ( for which thanks

JPMD, Vol iv, Issue 1898 - 1900, CARLOW, page 186.

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are due to the Rev. J. L. Jesson) occurs on both the slabs, and is as follows :―

     According to a County Carlow Chancery Inquisition (No. 60 of Charles I,), Gerrald mac Murtagh Kavanagh and Edmund mac Gerrald Kavanagh mortgaged Castletown, als Ballyknockane, for the sum of £203 15s. to Teige O'Gormagan of Newtown, in the County Carlow, and to Walter Mottley of Tullow, merchant.  These premises were redeemed by Moriarty oge Kavanagh (son and heir of the aforesaid Edmund), of Garryhill, in the year 1636.        

     We find a Thady O'Gormagan named in the Regal Visitation Book, 1615, under Aghade and Ardristan.

     In one of the volumes of Funeral Entries in Ulster's Office, I have come across the following extract :― 

"WALTER MOTLY of Tullaphelim in the County of Catherlagh gent., deceased, 3rd son of THOMAS MOTLY of Athy.
The said first mentioned Walter tooke to wife Johan daught^r of THOMAS WISE of Catherlagh gent., by whome he hath issue 4 sonnes and 6 daughters vidz. :―

JAMES eldest sonne, who tooke to wife UNY daughter of TEIGE GORMOGAN, of Newtowne in the said county, Esq^r.
THOMAS the 2^nd sonne ; WILLIAM the 3^rd sonne ; PATRICK the 4^th sonne ; all as yett unmarried.
ELLYN, eldest daughter, married to RICHARD KNOWLES of Catherlagh, gent.
CATHERINE, 2^nd daughter, married to JOHN SMITH of Athy, gent.
ANNE, 3^rd daughter, married to MATTHEW KELLY of Wells in the said county of Catheragh, gent.
ELLAN, 4^th daughter ;  ELLINOR 5^th daughter ; MARY 6^th daughter ; all as yett unmarried.
The said first mentioned WALTER departed this mortall life at Tullaphelim aforesaid the 11^th day of January 1638, and was interred in the chauncell of the Parish Church of Tullaphelim aforesaid the 14^th of the same monneth."

JPMD, Vol IV., Issue 1898 - 1900, Page 188.  

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[From Lord Walter FitzGerald.]

     'On the opposite page is shown a 'rubbing' of the seventeenth century Mottly slab, which has already been described on p. 187, vol. iv, of the JOURNAL ; the Latin part of the inscription reads' :―

 

     Terra fui quondam, rursus sum terra, nihil sum, terra

     caduca vale, vermes salucie, recudo.  [i.e. ― I once was

     dust, I am dust again, I am nothing else. Farewell,

      frail earth; hail, O worms, I lay me down].

 

Among the older inscriptions in the burial-ground are the following' ;―

 'On a headstone with a peculiar conical-shaped top on the south side' :―

 

     Here Lyeth the | Body of Richard Wlash of  | Tullow
     who Departed this | Life  April the 17^th day 1765 |

     Aged 64 years with 6 of his | children as also Richard |

     Moore  his grandson who | Departed this life April 26 |

     1764 | Aged 7 y^rs May they rest | Peace  Amen.