On our way to Kells #2; Newtown Abbey, Trim (Co. Meath)

After our chance encounter with Galtrim graveyard (see post from 23 October) came our planned visit to Newtown Abbey. Although it is at the entrance of Trim town, it has this typical feeling of Irish rural churchyards, with the cows grazing around the site, the yew trees scattered all over the graveyard, but also (and this was new) benches where people can sit and relax. We actually saw a couple having a picnic on one of them, with their cool box about them.

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As indicated in the graveyard's name, there used to be an Abbey on this site, and indeed the built remains are larger than at most other places I have visited. Newtown Abbey was a powerful centre in the Anglo-Irish era, as was Trim more generally (as attested by the impressive amount of important buildings from that era, by the way you can spot Trim Castle through a window). The double effigy tomb of Sir Lucas Dillon (died 1592) and his first wife Jane is still visible there. It is nicknamed "the tomb of the jealous man and woman" because the sword representend between their effigies supposedly suggests they were estranged (unfortunately the sword is hardly visible in my pictures). I would not know about that, but I have to say I was surprised he would be buried with his first rather than his second wife (maybe the fact that she was not his only wife is what the "estrangement" suggests?) I am guessing this might be due to the fact that he got his heirs from her, and not from his second wife Marion (who by the way was also buried with her first husband). But this is absolutely a wild and personal guess, I wouldn't presume to make assertions about medieval or Reformation Ireland.

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Among other interesting graves was a slab with a detailed representation of the crucifixion. Unfortunately it was so full of lichen I was absolutely not able to decipher a name or a date, and the scene itself is not entirely clear, but the crucifixion itself is very well preserved, clearly framed by two winged souls and two human figures that seem to both be female (the figure on the left appears to be floating so I think it is probably Mary). At the foot of the cross, a skull and bones image is clearly recognisable, and I am only now realising the figure right under it might be an hourglass.

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Finally, once again, there were quite a few graves of First World War soldiers at Newtown Abbey. I know I might start to sound like I'm obsessed with them, but this is a really interesting presence for me. Partly because the role of Ireland in that war has tended to be overshadowed by the nationalist revolt of 1916 (which makes sense, but it also makes it unexpected to come accross so many war graves). But I guess another reason why these are strange for me is I don't actually think I ever saw an individual grave for a First World War soldier in France. That war was such a terrible national slaughter I am not even sure any of the soldiers involved in it ever had the luxury of an individual grave. What we are used to in France are collective memorials recording the names of the victims from a certain area. We actually nickname these "tombe du soldat inconnu" ("the unknown soldier's grave") to hilight how non-individual it is, and also to account for all the names that may not even have been recorded. By the way, a recent French movie entitled Au-Revoir La-Haut beautifully and poetically discusses the lives of maimed soldiers after the war - and the crookery that was monument-building (I am sure you can find a subtitled version of this somewhere). I identified three such graves at Newtown: M. J. Regan of the Royal Irish Rifles and P. Nulty of the Leinster Regiment both died in May 1915, aged 20 and 21 respectively. Henry McCormack of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers died 21st July 1916, aged 41. I think he might be the oldest First World War soldier I have seen so far. He is also the only one with family members buried alongside him. His wife Margaret died in in 1954 (I think), and his son Edward died in 1980.