Royal Canal Project

ST MARY’S CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCH – MY FIRST EVER VISIT

July 20, 2021 by Infomatique

ST MARY’S CHURCH OF IRELAND CHURCH – MY FIRST EVER VISIT

The church in my photographs was built in 1846, however the land it sits on a religious site going back to 500 AD.

The cemetery has graves dating back to the 1600s.

I visited this churchyard twice in two days as I wanted to compare two camera body-lens combinations. This session I used a Sony A7RIV with a Sony 28-135 lens [an expensive lens] and the following day I used a Canon 1Ds MkIII with a Sigma 24-105mm lens [the Canon body is very old but the lens is new]. Other than the fact that the Sony 28-135 lens is very heavy I have decided that the Sony combination is my preferred option however the Canon was better than I had expected and I like using it even though I only have three suitable lenses.

NATIONAL FAMINE WAY STOKESTOWN TO DUBLIN

May 18, 2021 by Infomatique

NATIONAL FAMINE WAY STOKESTOWN TO DUBLIN

Photographed across the canal from Leixlip Louisa Bridge railway station.

The National Famine Way is a self-guided Trail detailing the ill-fated journey of 1,490 famine emigrants who walked from Strokestown Park to ships in Dublin in 1847, at the height of the Irish Famine. With its captivating layers of history and culture, the Trail will give you a truly immersive experience. It is centred around the walk of twelve-year-old Daniel Tighe – one of the original famine walkers from Strokestown Park – who remarkably survived the horrific journey to Quebec in Canada in 1847. Daniel’s journey is reimagined in vignettes written by award-winning author Marita Conlon-McKenna. These are connected to over thirty pairs of 19th-century bronze children’s shoes interspersed along the route which create a thought-provoking experience.

https://nationalfamineway.ie

ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE CEMETERY

May 17, 2021 by Infomatique

ST. PATRICK’S COLLEGE CEMETERY – MAYNOOTH COLLEGE CAMPUS MAY 2021

Yesterday I had to abandon my visit to Maynooth because of heavy rain that began almost as soon as I had arrived. When I got up today the weather was really good so I decided to give Maynooth one more try and when I arrived at 2pm the weather was warm and sunny so I took the opportunity to visit the University Campus.

It may surprise many visitors to discover that Maynooth College has its own graveyard. The cemetery can be found past the Junior Garden on campus.

While the College was founded in 1795, the first to be buried in the new College Cemetery was Rev Francis Power from Cork (1737 – 1817), who was the first Bursar and Vice President, was appointed Professor of French in 1802, and died in 1817. Four members of the College staff, who died before 1817, were buried in Laraghbryan Cemetery on the Kilcock Road, west of the Campus.

There are a number of students, Sisters and staff resting in the College Cemetery. Many of the students died of consumption, as tuberculosis was called at the time. The Sisters of Charity of St Vincent de Paul provided the healthcare for students and staff. The most recent burial was that of Maurice Dunne from Tralee (1939 – 2009). He had worked in the College since 1961 and died on his 70th birthday. [Note: I noticed two new graves today 17 May 2021].

Years ago I came across the following story: “If you visit Maynooth today, you might come across an old building on the campus called Rhetoric House. You might notice that one of the windows on the top floor is boarded-up and you might wonder why. If you ask someone, they will tell you this is The Ghost Room. Many years ago, students who went to Maynooth would live on the top floor of the building. There was one young man who was assigned to sleep in Room No.2. One day, when he didn’t show up for lectures, his friends went looking for him. They found his dead body lying in a pool of blood on the floor of Room No.2 with his throat slit from ear to ear. Clutched in his hand was a bloody razor and it appeared that he had taken his own life. Ireland was a Catholic country and, at the time, suicide was seen as a terrible sin.”

“The matter was hushed up by the college and the student was buried in an unconsecrated part of the college cemetery, away from the other graves.”

As you may have guessed, according to local legend, this story was repeated the next year [note: according to the records the deaths were nineteen years apart]. Some locals claim, that three people died in a similar manner while in the same room but while the official records indicate that the two students are buried in within the walls of the graveyard there is no mention of a third student.