This is the beautiful and peaceful graveyard of Saint Canice’s Cathedral in Kilkenny. Graves here are decorated by nature with wildflowers like poppies, roses and valerian. Some of the headstones are hard to read because they’re so weathered but tombs inside the Cathedral building date from mediaeval times.
Wild Valerian growing in St Canice’s Cathedral graveyard adds a splash of colour among the headstones
I like to wander in old graveyards because I find them inspiring, although some of the inscriptions are sad, especially those for children. One that amused me was for an elderly man called Jobe in the 18th century. It said he was a soldier with the patience of Job!
One of the gateways into St Canice’s Cathedral graveyard
I found a survey carried out in 1956 by Kilkenny Archaeological Society which outlines the names and dates on the graves in St Canice’s and here are some of the older ones:
“Here lyeth the body of John Meagher Smith who departed this life ye 16 of August 1729 and in ye 69 yeare of his age.”
“Erected by Johanna Cody, alias Stapleton in memory of her husband, Thomas Cody, Kitty also departed this life, January 24th, 1815, aged 44 years, with seven of their children.”
“Here lieth ye remains of Edward Higgs, his inaffected piety congugial and paternal affection and steady friendship gained him esteem. He died 27th August 1738, much lamented…”
Interestingly, a victualler is credited with the most beautiful tomb in the graveyard. It has a sunburst, a dove and two full grown winged angels with crosses, holding a drapery between them with the inscription ‘Gloria in Excelsis Deo’ and underneath two baby angels blowing trumpets and holding a scroll. The inscription is “Here lies interred the body of Mr Nicholas Purcell of the City of Kilkenny, Victualer, who departed this life the 2nd of June 1768, aged 56.”
A flat gravestone that is lying on the ground and difficult to read due to weathering
Some of the tragic deaths of children are recorded as follows, no doubt carried off by some infectious disease of the time, for which there was no cure.
“Mary Davis who departed this life 30th day of June 1804, aged 12 years.”
A headstone with a lamb on top is inscribed: “Erected by Barrack Sergeant Richard Murphy in memory of his beloved daughter, Rose Mary Anne, who departed this life on 13th October 1872, at the age of 2 years and 5 months.”
And one really tragic one where members of the family all died on the same day: “Here lieth the body James Bibby, Seventh Son to John Bibby, with Jany his sister and four brothers, who departed this life October the 18th 1738.” What could have happened to them?
There are more cheerful headstone inscriptions where people lived full lives into their nineties, one woman going by the name of Jubilee lived to 99 years.
A headstone with valerian growing in the grave slab
Poppies decorating the grave of a young man of 19 years who died in 1922.
The grave of a young man who passed away at the age of 19 is strewn with wild red poppies. It reminded me of Flanders in France and I thought perhaps it was a war grave but no, he died in 1922. It could have been during the civil war, perhaps, but there is nothing to confirm that - just a thought in my imagination.
If you would like to see these graves, St Canice’s Cathedral is open to the public. It is perched on a hill in Kilkenny City in Ireland. There is a self-guided tour of the interior of the Cathedral with many interesting objects and stories with medieval graves of the Butlers of Ormond family from nearby Kilkenny Castle. I learned that Lady Margaret Butler was grandmother to Anne Boleyn and great-grandmother to Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. I never knew that!
Suzanne Winterly is the author of mystery and dual timeline historical mystery novels set in the late 19th century and in the present. More details below:
For more about books, stories and photographs, author research, history and gardening, join Suzanne’s newsletter here: