Whitechurch, a hidden gem.

Bodentstown is probably the best-known Irish cemetery after Glasnevin, because it holds the grave of Theobald Wolfe Tone, leader the first Irish republican revolt, at the end of the 1790s, with some "help" from the French Directoire. I can hear you wonder: "Why is she telling us about Bodenstown? The title says Whitechurch!" You are right, Bodenstown will be back in future posts. The reason I am mentioning it is because Andy, Cédric, and myself were on our way there when I took a wrong turn  (or rather overlooked a right turn) and we came accross this tiny graveyard:

We had just passed Ardclough when we came upon this surprise, which some online research has helped me identify as Whitechurch. Like Grangewilliam or Ballinderry (see previous posts), it looks typically Irish, with rather recent tombs next to extremely ancient ones, in the shadows of tall yew trees, or half hidden in creeping brambles.

To the left, among the bushes and the elderflowers, lays what is probably the most ancient part of the graveyard, with these scattered stones, remants of old monuments or simple rocks placed there by poor families to mark the grave of a loved one.

And even more hidden, almost eaten up by the ivy, is the old church. Cédric was brave enough to go up its old stairs, but reported there was not much to see from up there, so I abstained.

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The oldest (readable) headstone I found dates back to the early 18th century. It is a short, sober slab, but some decoration was included with the original capital H (most stones I've seen so far have decorations at the top but perfectly sober texts, initial capitals included). It is also interesting in that the text mentions "the body" of the person thus remembered, a particularly material assertion. Two people are buried there, one died in 1722, and I am not certain of the other date (1712?). I have deciphered the following: "IHS - Here lyeth the body of Jane Boyd who dyed No? ?? 17?2 and hur cusin Margrit Hely who dyed De/er 15 1722"

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Much more recent, this plaque is a fascinating piece of forgotten local (and national) history:

Christy Phelan was a farm labourer who lived on the Whitechurch townland (Ardclough) and went for a walk on a Sunday morning. And here I have to bring Bodenstown and Wolfe Tone back into my story. It happened to be the Sunday closest to the republican hero's birthday (20th June), therefore Republicans were due to take part in the annual celebration of his memory, which traditionnally starts with a march from Sallins train station. In Northern Ireland, the so-called Troubles (personally, I'd call it a Civil War, but that's not what this post is about) were raging as Republicans and Loyalists killed each other in more or less open warfare. And that very day, a group of Loyalists were planting a bomb which was due to blow up the train carrying 300 Republicans from Dublin to Sallins for the celebration. Christy Phelan - unluckily for him, luckily for those in the train - crossed the bridge as they were planting the bomb. It is unclear whether he tried to stop them or was simply killed for having seen them, either way he was killed and made them lose time with their bomb, which exploded a few minutes after the train had passed. A sad reminder that the "Troubles" had major impacts far beyond Northern Ireland.

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To finish on lighter notes, two of the stones in this graveyard are quite mysterious to me:

This fascinating, unmarked stone is half-way between a Celtic slab and a cross. The absence of any engravings limits possibilities for dating and explaining it. Afterwards, I saw a similar stone (unfortunately unmarked as well) at Oughterard graveyard, also in Ardclough, so it might simply be a local style.

As for this stone, it is isolated at the top of a small mound in the far right corner of the graveyard. It has no engravings either (maybe there used to be text on the moss-covered pedestal), simply a celtic cross with these five circular holes where similar stones would usually bear decorative embossements. Maybe it is simply unfinished?

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Quite unexpected, this visit to Whitechurch graveyard was once more full of surprises, from ancient buildings and stones, to mysterious monuments and reminders of recent, tragic history. Not to forget the quiet, soothing image of memorials lying under the trees and the ivy: