Galway - Iniscaltra, alias Holy Island. St. Mary's Churchyard *********************************************** Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives Galway Index Copyright ************************************************ File contributed by: C.Hunt & Celia Ewald INISCALTRA, ALIAS HOLY ISLAND. ST. MARY'S CHURCHYARD [From Mr. T. U. Sadleir] 'Inside the ruins of St. Mary's Church there are the remains of an O'Brien (or Mac I Brien-Ara) tomb, which was originally an altar- tomb, with a mural monument over it, shaped like a pediment. 'The inscription is all on the pediment portion, and very much mutilated; it is in two parts; the upper part is in five lines, on either side of an oval, bearing a coat-of-arms, viz: -- A hand issuing from the dexter side, holding a sword erect: and three lions passant in pale. 'The left-hand side of this part and of the inscription is read first,and then that on the right-hand side. As there are two versions of the reading -- one by Mr. T. U. Sadleir, and the other by Professor R. A. S. Macalister -- they are here shown for comparison -- + T? SHS* MA (Maria) SR THIS Coat BRIEN MB E.B.(=Elya Butler) MONVMENT of MOTHER TO THIS Coat BRIEN WAS ERECTED Arms MONVMENT of MOTHER TO WAS ERECTED Arms SR TERLAGH TIRLAGH BY THE LADY SLANEY c BY THE LADY SLANEY 30TH Oct 1640 MIRRIEN Professor Macalister's Reading: Mr. Thomas U. Sadleir's Reading: Vide "Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy," And compiled with a MS transcript in the Vol. Xxxiii, C. 6, o. 166 Office of Arms of about 1850 __________________________________________________________________________ * Supposed by Professor Macalister to be an error for an IHS Owing to the battered condition of the slab, it is very difficult now to decipher the lettering, which is in Roman capitals, as will be seen in the accompanying illustration. 'The lower inscription runs': -- HERE LYE THE BODIES OF THE NOBLE KNIGHT Sr TERLAGH Mc I BRIEN ARA BARRONETT WHO DIED THE 28 OF MARCH ANNO D. 1626 AND HIS LADY ELYS BUTLER DAUGHTER TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE WALTER ERLE OF ORMOND WHO DIED THE X OF FEB: 1625. PRAY FOR THEIR SOVLES. MEMENTO MORI. 'These inscriptions appeared incomplete and incorrectly at p. 325, vol. vi. of this Journal. Sir Tirlagh's father was the Right Rev. Murtagh O'Brien (or Mac I Brian Ara), Chief of his Name, and Bishop of Killaloe, from 1570 to 1612, who died on the 30th April, 1613, and was buried at Castletown-Arra, Co. Tipperary. 'His mother, Slaney O'Brien, according to Mr. G. D. Burtchaell, Athlone Pursuivant of Arms, was a daughter of Dermot, 2nd Lord of Inchiquin. 'With the death of Sir Tirlagh and without issue, in 1626, the Baronetcy became extinct. 'It is not known why Sir Tirlagh and his wife chose to be buried at Iniscaltra, when the family burial place was at Castletown - Arra, in the County Tipperary. Though his father became a Protestant Bishop, Sir Tirlagh appears by the inscription to have remained a Roman Catholic. Source: Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the Memorials of the Dead in Ireland Vol. IX (FHL# 1279285)