Gravestones of Athlone Abbey subject of history talk

Old Athlone Society's next talk on 'The Gravestones of Athlone Abbey' takes place on Wednesday, March 6 at 8.15pm in the Shamrock Lodge Hotel, Athlone.

Speaker Mary B. Timoney, BA, HDEd, MA, MIAI, has been researching grave memorials since 1984.

Originally from Waterford, and living in south Sligo, Ms Timoney received an M.A. from U.C.C. in 2001 for her study of The Decorated Box Tombs of the Skreen School of Stone Masons, Co Sligo, from c. 1780-1850.

In 2005 she published Had Me Made, A Study of the Grave Memorials of Co. Sligo from c. 1650 to the Present.

The graveyards of Athlone and South Roscommon hold a wealth of gravestone art. These stones date from about 1700 to 1850. The lecture will be fully illustrated.

Themes to be discussed in the lecture include scrollwork, symbols including those of the Passion, trades of mortality and immortality, the Crucifixion and the Two Marys and the decorative work of scroll, flowers and hearts.

The wording and language of the inscriptions and styles of lettering will also be included. Mary B.’s analysis of the artwork draws comparisons from the surrounding counties.

The gravestones in Athlone Abbey will be compared to those in south Roscommon graveyards, mainly those in St Coman’s in Roscommon town, Kiltoom, Drum and Moore.

Gravestone design was not confined by county boundaries. Some of the work here was carved by masons probably working out of the limestone quarries at Newtowncashel, Co Longford, and others which were carved by stone masons working out of Ahascragh, Co Galway.

In Roscommon itself, the work of over eighty stone masons have been recognised from the initialling or signing of the stones and through the designs and style of carving.

One of the most important of these is that of the Madden stone mason family. Their work is well represented here and dates from the 1780s through to the 1830s, over fifty years.

Mary B. Timoney's two two books on Roscommon gravestones are Ballintubber, Old Graveyard and the Grave Memorials of Co. Roscommon, 2018, and Kilmeane, Co Roscommon, The Graveyard and the Grave Memorials, 2023, both published by Roscommon County Council, are available at €40 each.

These two books should be inspiration for any local group recording their own old graveyards; they give guidance by example on how to properly record headstones, but to see the decoration which is mostly above the inscriptions.

For more information check out the https://athlonehistory.ie/ website.