Gallen & Kilreehan Cemeteries

Two Ancient Ferbane Cemeteries

Midland Tribune Article 23/3/1929

As one stumbled over the graves, for the most part unkempt and unregarded in a rural cemetery, the words of Gray's immortal elegy vividly appear on the canvas of memory:-

"The boast of heraldry, the pomps of Pow'r,
And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave;
Await alike th' inevitable hour,
The paths of glory lead but to the grave"

Anyone of our neglected Irish country Churchyards might have inspired that eleagic masterpiece. For there, prince and peasant, chieftain and retainer, all mingle in the common dust of Irish earth.

"Perhaps in this neglected spot is laid
Some heart once pregnant with celestial fire;
Hands that the rod of empire might have sway'd,
Or wak'd to estacy the living lyre."

Apart from their sad character, and the solemn purpose which they serve, there is scarcely one of these old Irish cemeteries unlinked with the nation's history. No matter how obscure, unregarded, or inaccessible they may be in this Age of Progress they are not unworthy of at least "the passing tribute of a sigh." Now that a commendable, if somewhat belated, effort, is being made to restore them to a condition of decency and order, a brief sketch of the two cemeteries near Ferbane, at present undergoing the process, may not be out of place.

Gallen Cemetery

The little cemetery of Gallen, about half an acre in extent, is picturesquely situated on the left bank of the Brosna, within the beautiful demesne of Gallen Priory, and about 300 yards south-east of the Priory itself. Unrivalled scenes of sylvan splendour surround it: not a sound disturbs' its awesome stillness, except the distant murmur of the river, or the crooning of the wind through the trees. The venerable ivy-clad rums of the church, measuring 77 feet by 22 feet, occupy the centre, and within and around cluster the graves -the homes of the silent dead. The eastern gable of the church has well withstood the ravages of time; the massive tracery of its window is still intact. Through its stained glass once flowed the mellow sunshine that warmed the arch above, and made mosaics on the floor and altar below. If they could speak what a tale these sacred walls could tell! In the words of Father Burke, the Prince of Preachers, "they would tell of the glorious days when Ireland's church and Ireland's nationality joined hands; and when the preists and people rose up in a glorious combat for freedom. They would tell us how the wavering were encouraged and strengthened, and the brave and gallant fired with the highest and noblest purpose for God and Ireland; how the vile traitor was detected, and the falsehearted denounced; and how the nation's lifeblood was kept warm, and the wounds were staunched by the wise counsels of the old Franciscan and Dominican Friars." All this, and much more, might these sacred ruins relate, for within them assembled the nation's best and bravest, to practise that faith, in defence of which the blood of our Irish martyrs reddened the moss of our valleys and hillsides. In the dark and evil days of persecution Gallen suffered the full fury of the ruin and devastation. After an illustrious existence of almost eleven centuries, having withstood many a vicissitude, the light of its sanctuary lamp was extinguished about 1650. For almost 300 years it was to remain in darkness and desolation. To-day, thank God, it glows as brightly as in the days gone by. In 1921 the ancient Priory and demesne passed into the possession of its present owners- the Nuns of St. Joseph of Cluny, and thus Gallen has reverted to its pristine use.
It had been thought that on account of its great age and historic associations, some relic of its former glory would be discovered amidst the ruins and debris; but the despoilers did their work well, and not a trace of Gallen's former greatness has been found. A few very ancient stones, rather crudely carved, were dug up, and these have been reverently placed in the sanctuary of the old church. A wonderful improvement has been effected by the work in progress for the past few weeks, and when completed, a debt to the dead long overdue, will have been paid.

Kilreehan Cemetery

Although not as ancient as Gallen, yet the origin of Kilreehan is very remote. It is situate on the right bank of the Brosna, and almost opposite Gallen. About 400 yards away are ruins of the old church of Wheery, whence the parish of Ferbane takes its name. The ruins of Wheery are not as well preserved as those of Gallen; in extent they are also small. Some years ago, during cleaning operations on the Brosna , a small bell was found in the bed of the river, directly opposite the ruins of Wheery. It was in a perfect state of preservation, and the finder, the late Mr John Caheeran, of Endrim, handed it over to the then Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. This ancient relic is still a treasure of the Diocesan Archives. A small round pan, or crucible, and presumably for the manufacture of Altar Bread, found about the same time, and in the same place, eventually came into the possession of the National Museum.
No ancient monuments have been unearthed at Kilreehan, but there are some notable modern graves. The oldest tomb is dated 25th March, 1760,and a rather quaint little stone marks the grave of a Dr Tobias Matthews, who died in 1780. The grave of Edmund Day, who was hanged for a trivial offence in 1820, is in the centre of the cemetery, and nearby is the grave of Michael Rigney, whose tragic death on St. Patrick's Day, in 1875, was an outstanding Irish crime of the nineteenth century. Near the King vault is the grave of Mrs Beasley, mother of the great sporting family of that name. In an unregarded grave lie the remains of a once well-known public official, who was mainly responsible for the convi-ction of Charles Kickham, the Irish poet and patriot. A quaint, and yet appropriate leg-end, is inscribed on the tomb of one Patrick Fleming, who died in 1828. It reads as follows:-

"Life is a city, full of crooked streets;
Death is the market place, where all sinners meet.
Had life been merchandised, so that men could buy;
Then the rich would live, and the poor would die."

It is a curious fact that in neither cemetery is there a surname beginning with the distinctly Irish prefix of Mac. In Gallen there is one O'Connor, and in Kilreehan one O'Neill.

"By Mac and O, you'll always know true Irishmen they say,
But if the lack the O or Mac, no Irishmen are they."

If these two lines bear any relation to the truth, then there are very few "true Irishmen" around Ferbane. And this pan-city of the Irish prefix is all the more strange when it is recalled that Ferbane district was once the stronghold of the great Mac Coghlan sept, the ruins of whose old baronial residence are still in a state of tolerably good preservation, and are known as Kilcolgan Court. They are situate about two miles from Ferbane, and it was here, in 1790, that the last of the Mac Coghlans passed away -P.F., Ferbane, March 1929.

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