The Graveyard at Clonbur - part 1

The old graveyard at Clonbur contains the ruins of the Rosshill Abbey church, and the area surrounding this is a protected woodland and nature reserve. It is a truly beautiful site.

There are at least five Fitzhenry graves in this cemetery and all belong to the extended family of the Fitzhenry family of Clonbur/Cornamona.

The oldest three FItzhenry gravestones are favourably situated on the south side of the church ruins by the old church door.

The oldest granite stone reads

Pray for the soul of
THOMAS FITZHENRY
who died 5th March 1846
aged 70 years
also his wife
MARGARET FITZHENRY ALIAS JOYCE
who died 14th september 1870
aged 80 years

This stone is now an upright, but at one time it was a flat grave covering stone.
Behind the stone is a collection of grave "feet" on which the stone used to stand.
These are Mrs Josie Coyne's great-grandparents - Thomas Fitzhenry 1776-1846 and Margaret Joyce 1790-1870

The stone facing this at the opposite end of the same plot reads

In loving memory of
JOHN FITZHENRY
Drimsnave
Died 26th April 1956
His wife MARY
Died 26th Oct 1985
R.I.P.

Mary was born Mary Conroy. Drimsnave is close to Conamona. These are Mrs. Coyne's parents.

Mrs. Coyne says that her mother had a horror of the flat stone lying over her when she was buried, and asked that the flat grave stone wasn't put over the grave again once she had been buried there.
Hence the stone was erected as an upright at the other end of the plot.

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