Rathmoyle Cemetery

Rathmoyle Cemetery. . , Rathmoyle Cemetery is unique in that it is the property of the parish and is maintained solely by the local population., The site appeas on the 1st edition of the 6 inch O.S. series of maps for Co. Roscommon as a Mortuary Chapel with surrounding graveyard. It is mentioned in the 1837 O.S. Map., The site was presented as a gift to the area by the local gentry, the Irwin's, in 1921 and has since been used as a local cemetery., The surrounding wall was constructed in the 1930's through local contributions and labour., The earliest recorded burial on the site is in the year 1801; that of Mrs. Sarah Irwin in the vault to the rear of the mortuary chapel in the stone enclosure. It is believed she died in childbirth and that her child is buried with her., The chapel itself and the monumental spire date to the year 1865 as a dedication to the memory of Mary Irwin from her husband Richard. She was renowned for her charitable acts, one of which was to fund the construction of the Rathmoyle National School to replace the hedge school there. She also financed the finishing of Caddlebrook School when the building was stopped for lack of funds. The Irwin family were managers of Rathmoyle N.S. until 1921., Also according local history, a hospice or house of refuge was constructed on the site between 1702 and 1714 by Fr. Augustine Plunkett to relieve victims of famine, fever and destitution., It is also believed that there is a famine grave on this site., It is believed that the remains of this hospice were used to build the stone enclosure. Evidence of this can be seen in the piece of tracery window built into the wall itself. This dates back to before the 14th century., The chapel and the cemetery were restored to its present state between 1992 and 1996 and are at present being maintained by the efforts of the local people., Children's Burial Ground., From early medieval times until the mid 20th century it has been common practice in Ireland to set apart a special place for the burial of very young or unbaptised children. One such place is in the south west corner of this cemetery where a monument was erected in memory of unbaptised children from this area in 2008 by the cemetery committee.,