Killiney, at the base of the Maharees peninsula, has unique graves that caught my eye.
Despite having visiting many graveyards I had not paid much attention to differences. However in Killiney cemetery a group of tombs was so unusual that I had to approach the young local funeral director, who happened to be there, for an explanation. He apologised, he could not help me. He just provided what his clients wanted and never asked them why.
This drove me to do the research myself. Most modern graves are similar – a rectangular plot with a flat or vertical headstone. It is in older graveyards that you can find an interesting variety.
There they are raised, not flat: plain ‘box (-like) tombs’, ‘coped tombs’ with a pointed or ridged roof, ‘chest tombs’ that are decorated and ‘pedestal tombs’ that stand on supports.
‘Altar tombs’ are box-like but stand on a large flat base. In Kerry I saw many what could be called ‘double altar tombs’ with a small ‘box’ mounted on top of a larger ‘altar’. What was the significance?
Then in Killiney I came across the ‘house tombs’, cottage-shaped. They even had knob-like chimneys. The local funeral director could not explain them.
Were they from an older, even pre-Christian tradition?
Ireland has plenty of ancient tombs. They indicate that the earliest people buried their dead in their home and later in a ‘tomb house’ that resembled their dwelling. Food and implements that might be needed were put inside.
I had seen an example at the 5000-year-old Brownhill Portal Grave outside Carlow town. It has two side slabs and a roof overhead, like a house.
Are the tombs in Killiney part of that tradition?
Killiney got its name ‘Cill Aighne’ from a local man (Enna in English) who founded his cell there in the 7th century. He had accompanied Brendan from neighbouring Fenit on his world voyages before settling down. We know few other details about him but whatever he did gained him the respect of the local people and his resting place became a much sought-after burial ground. Did the early graves there follow an ancient traditions of ‘house tombs’?
Interestingly, the Church of Ireland that was built on the site in 1815 has St Brendan as its patron.
A more modern tomb at Killiney is the obelisk in memory of the twenty member crew of the ship Port Yarrock that was wrecked nearby in 1894. They had come all the way from Santa Rosalia in California and were on their way to Antwerp. A graveyard with the names of the mariners Brendan and Aighne on it was an appropriate resting place for them.
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