Cemetery: Graveyards of Donnybrook Parish *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Dublin Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: M. Taylor & Mary Bradley GRAVEYARDS OF DONNYBROOK PARISH - MERRION CHURCHYARD [From the Rev. R.S. MAFFETT, BA] Rows V, VI, VII, and part of VIII, copied November, 1894. ROW V. ______ No. 1. - At the north end of the fifth row counting from the east boundary, a stone with an inscription lies on its face. It is more to the north than No. 1 of the previous row. ------ No. 2.- After passing a low stone with nothing on it, to the south of a tree, we come to a headstone which has the centre of the top curved and a cross pattée carved at either extremity. The "th" with line and dot below comes before 24. [Note" DATE] Gloria in Excelcis (sic) Deo This Stone Was Erected by Wm. Pag(e?) | Of the City of Dublin | To the memory of his beloved son | Edward |PAGE who died May the 24th - 1825 | Aged 3 years and also his son Wm PAGE | Who died young. ------ No. 3.- 'After two stones, placed somewhat to the back and which perhaps had never inscriptions. there is a headstone which stands near the hollow, spoken of above as lying parallel to the south wall' IHS Here lieth the Body of Mr. | Patrick HADLEY of Aston's | Quay Mariner who departed this Life the 11th of Febuary (sic) | 1781 Aged 80 years also | Five of his Children. ------ No. 4.- A little to front of the above there is a stone the left-hand side of which is intact, but the opposite side as well as the top, gone :- This St[one ...] Elizabeth [K ....?] | her Beloved Hu[sband .......?] | who Departed ..... |1806 in the 60 ..... ------ ROW VI ______ No. 1 Headstone near the north boundary :- IHS Here Lyeth the Remains of | Mary Cavenagh | who departed this Life the 30th | of March 1809 Aged 50 Years. ------ No.2.- "Standing a little to the front at a considerable distance and close to a large tree under which is No. 2 of the seventh row, is a headstone of granite. This memorial had a slab of freestone (?) inserted for inscription, but the slab is all gone now, except for the upper part which has an IHS and arrows in relief.' ------ No. 3 'Three stones are here placed one in front of another, two of them almost touching each other. The one in front stands upside down with its top in the earth and facing the west. The inscription in capitals with larger initials is defective owing to the right-hand side of the stone being broken off.' To The Me[mory of .....?] | McMAHON Wh[o .....?] | 22nd 1811 Aged 47 [Years?] ------ No. 4 'The middle stone has in relief, an IHS over crossbones. The stone, below three lines of inscription given is covered with earth':- This Stone and Burial Place | Belongeth to Barthow EXTON of Thos Street and his Posterity. ------ No. 5 The stone which stands most to the west of the three has a heart under the IHS. The word "elegance" is by some wrong letters having been carved first':- Here Lieth the Remains of Mrs. Mary | Ann MURPHY wife of Capt Willm MURPHY of Sandymount Dept | this life the 5th Octbr 1806 Aged 29 yers also 5 of her Children who died in | in their Infancy. Thou Child of Elegance and Sweet | Simplicity Adiew. C: W. ------ No 6. Close to the tree, on the south side and a little behind the last three stones, there is a granite headstone, the inscription on which has two capital D's with the down-stroke to the right hand and the "th" above the line before 20. The last line was covered with earth. :- IHS Here Lies The | Body of Willm | DAILEY Who | Died May [th] 20, 1774, aged 63. ------ No. 7. 'A slate to the front of above has IHS, "the memory" and a few letters in addition (H IE II P) scored on it as if for cutting.' ------- [p63] Dublin No.8 This headstone, placed somewhat to the back, stands not far from the south boundary :- Gloria in Excelcis [sic] Deo I H S This stone was erected by | Mr. Edwd GIBBONS of Abbey | Street Dublin in Memory of | His beloved wife Mrs. Alicia | Gibbons who departed this | Life the 17th March 1814. ______________________________________ ROW VII _______ No. 1 Close to the north boundary (the wall in which is situated the entrance to the graveyard) and about its centre, east and west, there is a headstone to soldiers who were shipwrecked in a snow storm in Dunleary. The Rev. B. H. BLACKER in his 'Brief Sketches of Booterstown and Donnybrook" Vol I, page 52 gives some particulars of this wreck, through which 120 Volunteers from the Militia to the Line perished. The Captain, the crew and two officers, it is stated, immediately hoisted out the boat and were the only persons saved. Mr. Blacker also tells us of memorials in Carrickbrennan graveyard to officers and men of the 97th Regiment, who were lost at the same time, in the Rochdale transport at Blackrock. He does not however mention that in Dalkey old churchyard (about five yards distant from the centre of the north side of the ruins) there is a stone with an inscription exactly the same as given below. It was the loss of life through these wrecks, I believe, which determined the authorities to construct a harbour at the place, which was begun in 1817 and is now known as Kingstown Harbour owing to George IV having embarked here on the conclusion of his visit to Ireland.' Sacred | To the memory of the Soldiers | belonging to his Majesty's 18th Regement [sic] of Foot and a few belonging to the other | Corps who Actuated by a desire of mor [e] | Extensive Service Nobly Volunteerd [sic] of Irish Militia into the line | and who were unfortunately Shipwreckd [sic] | on this Coast in Prince of Wales Packet | and Perishd [sic] on the Night of the 19th of | November 1807 this Tribute to their | Memory has been placed on their Tomb | by order of General the Earl of Harrington | Commander of the Forces in Ireland. Source Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland (FHL # 0258795)