Cemetery: Birtown Churchyard

***********************************************
Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Kildare Index
Copyright

************************************************

File contributed by: C.Hunt

CEMETERY: BIRTOWN CHURCHYARD

We have to thank Lord Walter FitzGerald, of Kilkea Castle,
County Kildare, for the following valuable addition to our
collection of monumental inscriptions from this county. They
have all been copied and contributed by him, except the
three from Kildare Cathedral burial-ground.

This burial-ground is pear-shaped, and enclosed by a wall;
there are but few inscribed stones in it, and the only trace
left of the former church is a cut-stone door-jamb now used
as a headstone. The house called in the inscription Power's
Grove is now known as Birtown House. The place where the
Powers were formerly buried is marked by two table-tombs
bearing the following inscriptions':—
    " Here Lieth trie Body of Mrs. MARTHA POWER of |
    Power's Grove, who departed this Life the 25th |
    Day of Iune 1792 in the Eightieth year of her | Age.
    Here also Lies the Body of Miss MARY | DROUGHT who
    departed this Life the ..Day of | September 1792 In
    the Fiftyeth year of her Age."

    "Sacred to the Memory of ROBERT POWER | Esqr. of
    Powers Grove who departed this Life | the 30th Day
    of May 1795, Aged 60 years."

'In the field in winch the above burial ground is situated
there is also a Pagan burial moat'

Source:
Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland FHL# 1279252