Meath – Monk-Newton Churchyard, Moorechurch Churchyard  &
Nevinstown Wayside Cross

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Meath Index
Copyright

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File contributed by:  C.Hunt & M.J. Bradley

CEMETERIES: MONK-NEWTON CHURCHYARD, MOORECHURCH CHURCHYARD
& NEVINSTOWN WAYSIDE CROSS

MONK-NEWTON CHURCHYARD
 [From Du Noyer's Drawings]

'On a cross in the churchyard
	INRI
(The crucifixion Skull & Crossbones)
	THIS
	CROSS
	WAS . ER
	ECTED
	BY THE
	(REV) RN
	FATHEr
	PHILIP
	REILY
	ANNO
	DOM
        1711
                WFitzG.
________________________

MOORECHURCH CHURCHYARD
	[From Lord Walter FitzGerald]

'Extensive remains of the ruins of this church still exist;
it consisted of a nave, chancel, and sacristy.  The door
into the latter is pointed and arched, and cut of limestone.
 The chancel arch still exists; it is pointed, and very high
and wide.  The remains of a pointed –arched doorway (or
porch) exist in the south wall; but except for the sacristy
doorway, no cut-stone work remains in any part of the ruins.
 The walls are everywhere covered with a destructive growth
of ivy, the large branches of which almost hang down to the
very ground. 'The little Jenet SARSFIELD mural slab
(mentioned in Vol.III. p. 325, of the Journal) now rests on
the slab of the altar-tomb built against the chancel arch on
the south side of the nave; this altar-tomb bears no
inscription. 'The Thomas BUCKLEY slab  (described in Vo. IV,
p. 461, of the Journal) lies in the chancel in two pieces;
it only consists of the upper half of the slab, which is of
a yellow class of stone.' 'In the western portion of the
burial-ground is a table-tomb bearing the following
inscription':- This Stone was Erected by Richard | FLINN of
Drogheda, Tanner, in memory | of his Father and Mother James
| and Catherine FLINN Late of the | Cavan Parish of Moor
Church | where also lieth his Mother-in-law |Frances LUCAS ~
and two of his | children ~ Francis an infant | and James
Who departed this Life | the 3rd of December 1789 Aged 9
years | Here also lieth the Body of Mr. Richard | FLINN who
departed this Life on the 19th | day of February 1795 aged
46 years | Here lieth the Body of Catherine | FLYNN wife to
the above named Richard | FLYNN who departed this Life the
9th Octobr | 1800 Aged 38 years.
		Requiescant in pace Amen

________________________________

THE NEVINSTOWN WAYSIDE CROSS
 [From the 'Journal of the R S A Ire., Vol. XXI p. 487.]

'Mr. Joseph H MOORE contributes the following inscription to
the above Journal:- 'At Nevinstown, near Navan, is the shaft
of a cross, formerly Beside a road which has been disused,
so that the cross now stands in a field as a rubbing post
for cattle.  The inscription is in relief and reads':-

	******
	******
	CUSACK
	ARMIG
	Eri * et
	Margar
	Etae – de
	Rter – vr
	Uris – eiv
	s –ac – he
	red – eo
	rv – qvi
	hanc – cr
	vce – fece
	rvt -  ano
	Dni – 1588
	qvorv
	anima
	bvs – pro
	picietve
	    Devs.
           AMEN

'On the opposite side of this shaft is the lower half of
a shield and the initials M C and M D 'The remaining sides
are ornamental with carved leaf patterns.' 'In January,
1846, Mr. Huband SMITH read a Paper descriptive of this
ancient Wayside Cross, to the Royal Irish Academy
(cide"Proceedings," vol. III, p. 180) in which he stated
that one side of it bore an inscription in the black-letter
character, the letters being beautifully formed.  Owing to
the upper portion of the shaft being broken off, the first
line of the inscription is gone, and the next is nearly
illegible, but the remainder is tolerably distinct.  On
the opposite side of the cross is a shield, bearing two
coats-of arms, impaled.  Below the dexter half are the
initials M. C. and below the sinister portion M. D.  The
arms of the two families CUSACK and DEXTER  - are nearly
effaced. 'The height of the shaft is at present 3 feet 6
inches above the slab, in which a socket is cut to receive
the tenon upon the lower end of the shaft.  This slab stands
on a low, grassy hillock, the remains doubtless, of an
ascent of three or four stone steps, which, when complete,
the cross surmounted. 'A road, leading from Navan to
Rathaldron, long the residence of one of the principal
branches of the ancient family of Cusacks, once passed close
in front of this cross. 'Mr. SMITH'S account adds that he
had discovered the name of Margaret DEXTER'S husband in a
French manuscript Pedigree, entitled: "An Historical Memoir
and Genealogy of the Ancient and Illustrious House of
CUSACK, of the Kingdom of Ireland," wherein it states that:
"Michael de CUSACK, lord of Portrane and Rathaldron, married
Margaret DEXTER, who brought him as a marriage portion the
castle, town, and lands of Rathaldeon.  He was Keeper of the
Rolls of Westmeath and of Louth in 1558, one of the Barons
of the Exchequer in 1580, and died in 1859." 'From this it
may be safely concluded that the initials M. C are those of
Michael CUSACK and that his was the name sculptured on the
upper part of the cross now lost.'
					W. FitzG.

Source:
Journal of the Association for the Preservation of the
Memorials of the Dead in Ireland - Microfilm of original
published: Dublin: The Association, v 6 1904.