Eglish St Patrick’s Cemetery Burials

Eglish St Patrick’s Cemetery Burials

The names and information below have been transcribed from the Heritage Trail plaque at the entrance to the Church grounds.

“EAGLAIS NAOMH PADRAIG

Heritage Trail – Plaque No. 1: St Patrick’s Church & Cemetery

Welcome to Eglish Cemetery

Eglish – An Eaglais, meaning ‘the Church’ probably refers to the church building.  When St, Patrick travelled from Armagh to Derry he would have passed through Eglish and it is most likely that he established the church here on what would have been an ancient pagan site.  Eglish was originally part of the ancient parish of Clonfeacle and man of the parish priests of Clonfeacle are buried in these grounds, including the Rev. Dr, James Madden and Rev. Dr. Bernard Quinn.

The present church is built on a remarkable oval shaped mound and is surrounded by a strong retaining wall which varies in height to suit the contours of the ground.  It was built in 1834 and tradition states that this is the third church on the site.  It is likely that this church is much larger than the previous one, which said to have been whitewashed and thatched.  A thatched construction would also have been much narrower, and the site may have had to cut back to make way for the 1834 church.  There are remains of old walls in the cemetery which are shown on the map.

Probably the most interesting relic on the site is the stone now located in a corner of the car park, next to the cemetery wall.  It was thought originally to have been a Bullaun (Bullan) stone but it has now been confirmed ad the base of an early high cross. The stone traditionally known as the “wart stone” is now conformed as an early 12^th Century font associated with one of the earlier churches.  Various other interesting stones have survived on the site, including part of a well carved window frame.

The Cemetery contains over 300 gravestones, some dating back to the early 18^th Century.  Famous people are buried here, including Harper Arthur O’Neill, who is interred in the O’Neill plot at the centre of the cemetery, although no stone marks his grave.  Friar Tarlach O Meallain, author of O Mellan Diary (1642-1647) which was written at the Franciscan Friary in Gort, Brantry, is reputed to be buried here at Stone No. 198.  Some Irish killed at the Battle of Benburb (5^th June 1646) may be interred within the walls.  The last burial in the cemetery was in December 2003, Miss Mary Kelly, Derrylatinee (Plot 139)”

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