Kerry folk, Pete is unable to send to the list (see below) but this response may be useful/interesting to others. By the way, thank you all for the help! --Patrick From: PeteScherm@aol.com Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 09:43:12 -0400 Subject: Listowel cemeteries To: barrettpatrick@hotmail.com Patrick, === My primary question, however, is: can anyone point me to the Catholic cemetery(ies) in town? === I think Monica has covered the town of Listowel quite well, but there are several graveyards within a few miles of the town which you might want to consider. About 3 miles to the NW, there is a graveyard in Garryard townland (shown on Discovery map 63 in red lettering "Graveyard"). John O'Donovan, in the Ordnance Survey letters of 1841 wrote: "nothing remains of the church but a small fragment of the east gable four feet thick....". When I was there in Sept. 2001, I noticed only minimal foundations of the ruined 12th/13th century church. Five miles west of Listowel (and a bit south), are the ruins and graveyard of the medieval Dysert church in the townland of the same name. This church was undoubtedly built on an Early Christian hermitage site. The site is mentioned in O'Donovan's genealogies of the Uí Fhiachrach, but I doubt you want me to quote from them [grin]. Five miles south of Listowel, there is a graveyard in Gortacloghane townland, shown on Disc. map 72. There was an early church at this site, but only slight traces of the foundations remain. In the townland of Kilshenane, 5 miles SW of Listowel, Brian Mitchell - in his book "A Guide to Irish Churches and Graveyards" - lists a graveyard. I have no information on this site, nor does it appear on the Discovery map (in this case, map 71). I assume it's a relatively recent cemetery. There are also graveyards around ruined churches to the NE down to the SE of Listowel town. In Murher/Murhur townland, about 5 miles NE of Listowel (and only a mile or so from Moyvane) there is a graveyard around the church ruins there. The site was founded by Bishop Fáelán in the 8th century, but the current ruins probably date from the 14th century or so - when the church was administered by the Augustinian canons at Rattoo. This site is shown with a "Church" in red letters, as are the next two places, all of them shown on Discovery map 64. In Lissaniska townland, 4 miles east of Listowel, are the ruins of Knockanure church and graveyard. This church was contemporary with the Murher church, and was also administered by the canons from Rattoo. O'Donovan says: "....church in ruins which is comparatively modern [for J. O'D., the 14th c. would be that], with a burying ground attached to it ...........The walls of the church are still perfect, the south-west corner being, however, battered on the outside." About 5 miles SE of Listowel, are the ruins of Duagh parish church, with graveyard, in the townland of Islandboy. There's not much of the church remaining, however (just the S. wall and a bit of the W. gable). As a sidebar, you are probably aware of the "half" castle in Listowel town. It is a National Monument, built in the 15th century by a McGilligan. I haven't tried to visit it, although I've been through Listowel several times over the years. I had lost interest in most medieval castles during that time. Now, I photograph and document Early Christian ruins around Ireland, along with some medieval sites. The medieval sites are ecclesiatical, which are more interesting than castles. "Castles are all about walls.....Abbeys are all about windows". I know which I prefer. I think that's about all that I have. Incidentally, I can't answer this on-list, as I have been blocked from all of the Rootsweb and Yahoo lists for many months now - as a result of AOL's addition of an HTML tagline to all outgoing mail. Supposedly, "someone" is working on it. But I still receive the list mail, and can contact the original inquirer directly - so it's not a disaster. If you think that any of my information here, would be of interest to others on the list - feel free to post any or all of it to the list. Pete .............................................................................. ... Pete Schermerhorn, in the glorious Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com _________________________________________________________________ News, entertainment and everything you care about at Live.com. Get it now! http://www.live.com/getstarted.aspx