Survey Data
Reg No
31814001
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Architectural, Artistic, Historical, Social, Technical
Original Use
Graveyard/cemetery
In Use As
Graveyard/cemetery
Date
1795 - 1800
Coordinates
166853, 280251
Date Recorded
27/08/2003
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Roman Catholic graveyard with ruin of former church, established 1798 and extended to the west at a later date. Belfry of church is extant. Collection of stone grave markers from nineteenth century to present, including mausoleum and enclosed section dedicated to the O'Connor Dons. Ashlar gate piers with cast-iron gates to original graveyard. Site bounded by stone wall with channelled ashlar gate piers and cast-iron gates.
Appraisal
This Roman Catholic graveyard at Castlerea contains many fine examples of ornate nineteenth- and twentieth-century grave markers, including several Celtic Revival style high crosses. The carved decorative detailing of these grave markers adds both artistic and technical interest to the site. The remains of the former St Joseph's Catholic Church, which celebrated its last mass in 1898, is of architectural significance and further enhances the setting of the graveyard. The distinctive mausoleum of Peter Kelly and the remains of the renowned O' Connor Dons, descendants of the last High Kings of Ireland, add a historical dimension to the graveyard.