Searching for Burial of George Ryan, Castlegrace, 1865

Hi Jim, there are no official records of burials in Ireland as you are probably aware.  However there are several lists that have been compiled in recent years by historicgraves.com.  I thought that Tubrid would be the most likely burial place in 1865 for your G.Grandfather but I had no luck when I did a search. I looked also at Shanrahan without success but there are other graveyards in the Ballylooby area where lists have not yet been completed.  

These include Whitechurch, and Tullaghhorton, which were both within the ancient combined parishes (including Tubrid) that have now become the combined parishes of Ballylooby and Duhill.  Tullaghhorton is neglected and overgrown but is actually within the Castlegrace Townsland. Maybe someone else will have more information - possibly a living relative.

Sorry I can't be more helpful at present,

David Slattery.

Hello David. Thanks for taking the time to reply. It is interesting that you mention Tullaghhorton cemetery that is in Castlegrace. If you note on his death cert. it states place of death as "Castlegrace, Tullahorton", could this mean that he was deceased in Castlegrace, and Tullaghhorton was was his place of burial or would that just have been a common address reference at that time? I've tried to locate that burial site on maps and can't find reference to it. Do you have anything that references it's location? Would it have been near the Castlgrace Mill, by chance? I have a close friend in Cork and plan to visit next year and would like to stomp around the area. Thanks, Jim

Jim, I doubt that the address on the death certificate has any bearing on where your G.G.Grandfather is buried. Tullaghorton was the name of the Parish back to ancient times. It was combined with Tubrid and Whitechurch as a single parish that has been replaced by the modern combined parish of Ballylooby and Duhill. The graveyard and the church ruins are just about 200 yards east from the Crossroads at Castlegrace. The entrance has a rusted iron gate and is on the right hand side of the R665 as you travel towards Ardfinnan.  It is marked on my map by a red spot and the letters CH. If you want to give me your email address I will send you a copy of the map for the local area. Tullaghorton graveyard has not been used for burials for many years and has been neglected, unfortunately; many local people do not even know of it's existence.  However, there is a lot of work being done voluntarily on these old graveyards in recent years.

I live near Clogheen Jim and would be happy to show you around the area whenever you decide to visit. My email address is davidsl@eircom.net 

Best Regards,

David

Thanks again, David. With your directions I believe I located it using Google earth. Does the iron gate have a white building and stone wall bordering it? Please see the attached. From the satellite view it looks like a clump of trees. Would this be referred to as the "Castlegrace graveyard"? Also, do you know where the Castlegrace Mill would have been located from there? I suspect he might have worked there. Thanks, Jim

Oh, and my email is jimjobrien@comcast.net

Wow! Thank you so much for this information, Tom. I wonder if there is a way to get a mailing address for that Ryan family to see if they know much about their history. Ideas? Also, it has been puzzling to me, but Johanna's last name has been listed as Johanna Russell, Johanna R. Roche, and Roche on various records I have collected over the years. Thoughts on that one?

Thank you so much for your help and knowledge. Very helpful. Possibly you’ve got some insight on another piece of the history. My great-grandmother, Catherine, who was presumably born in Castlegrace as well, eventually landed with the family in Renton, Washington (just outside of Seattle) in 1911. She bought a house next door to the newly built Catholic Church. About 8 years later a new young priest arrived, Fr. William Carey. Oral history says they were very close and had supper together every Sunday. At her funeral he told a story that their families had known each other in Ireland having lived near each other. He was the parish priest until retiring back to Cahir in 1948. He died in 1973 and his obit reported he was a native of Garnavilla. Catherine had left Ireland and was living in Wales by the time he was born, so it was unlikely he knew her directly, so it must have been her Ryan family still in Tipperary. Any ideas how families from Castlegrace and Garnavilla may have crossed paths?