Re: Piercestown Piercestown is the name of a Roman Catholic parish; Murrintown is its curacy; Rathmacknee is a townland within the R.C. parish. I only know this because my mother came from the parish of Piercestown and I was married there myself!! Re: Staffords in Rathangan graveyard According to Brian Cantwell's Memorials of the Dead, the following Stafford memorial is in Rathangan: STAFFORD A large memorial with inscriptions on three sides East, upper panel: In loving memory/ of John Stafford/ of Baldwinstown/ who died Feb 27 1878/ aged 80 years also his/ wife Ellen Stafford/ nee Byrne who died May 8 1887 aged 70 years/ also his son Nicholas/ who died July 9 1935/ aged 83 years/ erected by their son Nicholas Stafford. East, lower panel: And his wife Anastasia M. stafford/ died 19 December 1942/ aged 77 years. NORTH: Also his brother/ William who died/ June 14 1832/ aged 30 years his sister/ Catherine died Aug/ 10 1833 aged 22 years/ his father Nicholas/ died January 5 1834/ aged 78 years his sister/ Alice died March 20 / 1837 aged 25 years his/ brother Nicholas died/ June 4 1841 aged 35 years/ his mother Ellen died/ Dec 31 1849 aged 90 years/ his daughter Mary Ellen/ died March 4 1850/ aged 7 years and his son/ John who died young. SOUTH: Also his daughter/ Ann Dromgoole/ nee Stafford/ who died/ October 11th 1893/ aged 44 years/ also his son/ Laurence Stafford/ who died October 13th / 1902 aged 46 years/ also Edmund Stafford/ who died Nov 1 1900/ aged 47 years