Mass and blessing at ancient Kilskeagh site

A MASS and Blessing of the Graves will be held for the first time in hundreds of years at the Old Kilskeagh Graveyard on Thursday, August 20.

The Mass is one of two events being organised by Kilskeagh Heritage Committee as part of Heritage Week.

Since 2023, dedicated community clearance work of this previously lost and inaccessible site has uncovered an important multi-period archaeological landscape. This includes the ruins of a medieval church, a community graveyard and cillín that was in use for several generations. A large number of foundations for previously unrecorded structures associated with either the medieval church or the early market town have also been found.

This evening (Wednesday) Lackagh Parish Centre will host a talk by Project Archaeologist Donna Gilligan and Researcher and Author Dr. Breda Lynch at 7pm. Donna Gilligan (Scéal Heritage Consultancy) will give an overview of the project and Dr. Lynch will speak on the possible origins of this historic site.

The Committee would love to hear from any locals on the night who could give information on their memories or stories of the site. The talk is free to attend and all are very welcome. The committee is also inviting locals to share any information related to their memories or stories of the site.

On Thursday, August 20, the Mass and Blessing of the Graves will be held at the Old Kilskeagh Graveyard at 7pm. There will be a steward on the road at the access point in Kilskeagh (Eircode H65X290).

The committee has urged the visitors to give themselves ample time to enter the route into the graveyard, as the pathway is very rough and slippery. For more, see the group’s social media page or contact the committee chairperson at 087-4175388.