Church panel unveiled in Kilbarron
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On Saturday, August 24, we visited the megalithic tomb in Shanballyedmond, Rearcross, with Caimin O’Brien, Archaeologist.Image 2 of 5
Pictured are Henry Donoghue, Nora Gorman, Dianne Dwyer Holmes and her sister Cecellia, and Jim Donoghue. Dianne and Cecilla planned their trip to Ireland to coincide with Heritage Week as they are descendants of John O’Grady, Belview, who was buried in the old graveyard 200 years ago in 1824. John’s wife Honora and their sons left Mota Quay in 1826 and travelled to Canada and settled in Ontario. The River Shannon at that stage was a major pathway, connecting the area with the rest of Ireland and beyond. They are pictured with their cousins at the launch of the illustrated panel in Kilbarron.Image 3 of 5
Back: Nigel Foxton, Helen Fox, Frank Moran, Mary Flynn (Kilbarron Terryglass Historical Society) and Christy Cormican (Graveyard Committee). Front: Joan Fogarty (Historical Society), Róisín O’Grady (Heritage Officer), Camin O’Brien (Archaeologist, National Monument Service) and Maria Hogan (Historical Society).Image 4 of 5
The new illustrated panel at Kilbarron Church.Image 5 of 5
Caimin O’Brien talking about the theme of connections with other areas around Ireland.The illustrated panel of Kilbarron Old Church was unveiled by Tipperary Heritage Officer, Róisín O’Grady on Thursday, August 22.
The event was part of Kilbarron Terryglass Historical Society's contribution to National Heritage Week 2024.
Due to the inclement weather, the hall in Kilbarron village was the venue for the official launch of the panel. This was followed by a history of the church by Caimin O’Brien, Archaeologist with the National Monument Service.
The theme of this year's Heritage Week was connections. Caimin gave a history of the founder of the church, St Barron, and his connections with other areas around Ireland.
Caimin continued with the theme of connections and looked at the life of one man buried in the old graveyard, John Cormack from Clonmakilladuff, Kilbarron. John joined the army in the mid-1800s and his journey with the army took him to different parts of India, back to Aldershot in England, then back to Kildare and from there John goes to Sri Lanka, finally retiring back to Ireland and is living in Brocka in the 1901 census.
This is just a very brief synopsis of a much more detailed history of the life of John Cormack as told by Caimin but it shows how one man connected his home village of Kilbarron to the wider world in the 1800s.