Addergoole Church and Graveyard
Addergoole or Addragoole (Eadar Gabháil) means a place between two forks or a place between 2 shoulders of Land. It was also known in Gaelic times as Cnoc an Uaigh (Hill of the Grave ) or Hill an Crios (Hill of the Cross). The raised mound appears to be a tumulus, dating from Bronze Age times. It has all the hallmarks of a fosse all around with the raised mound created by hand rather than by nature. Some archaeologists suggest that there may have been chambers underneath. This may explain the sudden and dramatic collapsing of graves in earlier times. Presently the graveyard is surrounded by a wall of local sandstone layered with mosses and lichens. The cemetery may have been larger than this however.
In earlier times when gravel was being excavated on the outer edges some human bones were disturbed. This may suggest that there were graves here also. The remains were re-interred and now rest in peace.
Addrigoole has been long listed as one of the ancient parishes of North Galway. In later times Addergoole was unified with Liskeavy, and this unification is now the present Milltown parish. In 1306 Addrigoole was listed as one of the parishes whose tithes supported the chapter of the Archdiocese . In penal times the “Registry of Popish Priests” made at the Galway listed Walter Costello as Parish Priest of Addrigoole. Fr. Costello was ordained in Rome and resided in Rosmearan, Milltown. On the death of the Parish Priest no successor was available as there were no bishops in Ireland to carry out ordinations. Probably at this time the church at Addrigoole fell into disrepair and was abandoned. At the end of the 1700’s the laws against religion were relaxed and the people of God were permitted to practice their faith once more.
In 1838 a T. O'Conor wrote of Addragoole parish " The Irish name of this parish is Eadra gCúil. The church yard of Addragool lies in the east side of Carrowanthomush (Ceathramhadh an Tomais) Townland; within it are the western gable and two small portions of both side walls attached to it; all retaining their original height. There is a quadrangular window on the remaining portion of the south side wall, two and a half feet from the ground, two feet high, and six inches broad. There is a window on the west gable made of rudely cut stones, and pointed; it is apparently three feet high and a foot broad. In the field west of the churchyard is standing a stone cross about three feet high. It is thought there was an abbey here."
Sometime around the turn of the century a replacement chapel was constructed in the village of Garrafrauns.
This edifice would have been constructed from local sandstone and similar to the homes in the area would have been thatched.
| The site at Addrigoole has been used for several centuries as a cemetery for the Garrafrauns, Milltown and Kiltullagh (Cloonfad) Parishes . The earliest remembered or recalled burials were in 1837, a De Bermingham but it seems likely burials took place here long before this date. |
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Kirwan TombIt is also unique in that both Catholic and Protestant faiths are buried in this cemetery most notably the De Berminghams of Millbrook and the Kirwans of Dalgin. In Penal Times many Catholics changed to the Protestant faith in order to protect their inheritance. Only Protestants could inherit titles and lands. The graveyard straddles both Dunmore and Milltown parishes and incidentally the parish boundary runs through the middle of the cemetery.
Local tradition also tells us that a Mr. Pearson also buried there had his flagstone removed and placed over the grave of a traveller women, Biddy White who had died locally. This grave is to the left inside the wall close to the tree stumps. On one of the Kirwan’s grave slabs we learn that one of their family Henrietta Kirwan drowned when the SS Leinster sunk in the Irish Sea in 1918.
As we referred to earlier an ancient church existed at Addergoole. Local tradition tells us that that the church was founded by St. Patrick as he travelled through Dunmore parish on his way to Kilbannon. We are also told that to bless the new ecclesiastical site, clay from
Teampaillin at Cloondalgan was used. Addrigoole was more probably the site of a medieval parish church. Father Delaney a native
The western gable of the ancient church was 24 feet wide and 25-30 feet high and contained a one-light splayed window about 3 feet high. Another similar window 2 foot high existed in the south wall. The walls were 3 feet thick. Inlet holes for joists in the gable sugg
est a loft existed at the west end of the building.of nearby Carranthomas related that the church was in some way connected to the Cistercian Abbey at Abbeynockmoy.
Carved Stone Head
Holy Water Fnt
Unfortunately no remains of this church now exist as the last remaining west gable was demolished by the County Council in the mid 1960's. The stones were used to construct a new wall at Dalgin Bridge. A Holy Water font from the gable was integrated into this wall but this has now been recovered and returned to the graveyard.
Over the years other carved stones are reputed to have been collected at the site including the sculptured head of possibly an abbot from the monastic site.
3 headstones in the graveyard have Irish inscriptions. One of the most prominent is the Celtic Cross over the grave of Padraic Ui Manachan (1917) . He was a native of Lurgan, a “timire”, a travelling teacher of Irish and Conradh na Gaeilge activist at the end of the 19th century.
A headstone over Seagan Mac Graith, a schoolteacher tells us that he was executed reputedly by the IRA in Baile Conaill in 1923 at the age of 21. A third headstone is inscribed with the name of Tomas UI Ciarnan, o Cill tSuibhne (Kiltevna), who died in 1865 at the age of 57.
One of the most unusual gravestone inscriptions is that of Samuel Rutledge a watchmaker.
“Here lies the outward case
Of Samuel Ruthledge, watchmaker,
Of Samuel Ruthledge, watchmaker,
His hands never stopped,
To relieve his distress
He wound up on…..(date)”
Gravemarkings
A number of cross slabs carved from local sandstone are dispersed throughout the graveyard. These possibly mark the graves of people who perished during
the great Famine of 1845-1849.
The road leading from nearby Garrafrauns to the cemetery at Addrigoole is known locally as Clairín (Claureen). Up to the 1930’s the road was not a public right of way and ju
st gave access to the bogs situated nearby. The road was then strengthened using a layer of furze as an underlay and was traversed by a gate at Quinn’s house. The house at the Garrafrauns end of the road was known as Teach Pheadar. The building opposite the graveyard was once used as a shop and owned by Prendergasts. The last resident of this house was Matt Regan who passed away in the 1980’s.