RAGH CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD​

RAGH CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD DATES BACK TO THE 13TH CENTURY.IT HAS HUGE HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE IN THE LOCAL AREA. PEOPLE USED TO TR​AVEL TO RAGH ACROSS THE FIELDS AND THERE ARE TWO MASS PATHS THAT ARE  STILL CLEARLY VISIBLE.ONE FROM BAYSWELL AND THE OTHER FROM PHELAN'S IN BAWNMORE,THRU' THE STILES  IN MICHAEL AND JOHN BRENNAN'S ,UP JACK ROSS RYANS LANE AND YOU ARRIVE AT THE 7 STEPS.THE 7 STEPS REPRESENT THE

7 SIGNATIRIES OF THE PROCAMATION OF THE IRISH REPUBLIC READ FROM THE GPO BY PADRAIG PIERCE ON EASTER MONDAY 1916.

RAGH CHURCH AND GRAVEYARD IS LOCATED NEAR THE VILLAGE OF CROSSPATRICK IN COUNTY KILKENNY .IN OLDEN TIMES IT SERVED THE TOWNLANDS OF BAWNMORE,LOUGH,BAYSWELL,CLONSAUL,SCRUB,BALLINAMONA,TOURNAMONGAN AND CROSSPATRICK.HISTORY OF THIS SITE DATES BACK TO THE EARLY CENTURIES AND IT HAS CONNECTIONS TO THE O'BRIENS OF CASHEL WHO ONCE REIGNED OVER THE LANDS IN THE LOCALITY AND ALSO TO KING BRIAN BORU,WHO'S SON PRINCE BRIAN BORU IS REPUTED TO BE BURIED IN THE STONE PILE NEAR THE GRAVEYARD[HAVING BEEN KILLED IN A BATTLE NEAR KENNEDYS CROSS].WHATEVER ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF THIS CLAIM LOCALS THROW A STONE ON THE PILE AS A MARK OF RESPECT TO THE FAMINE DEAD.THE ACTUAL PERIMETER OF THE FIELD IS THE ORIGINAL SIZE OF THE GRAVEYARD.

OLIVER CROMWELL AND HIS BAND OF HENCHMEN LEVELLED THE CHURCH IN 1642.

​IT  REMAINED IN A DERELICT STATE FOR OVER NEARLY 350 YEARS UNTIL A RESTORATION WAS DONE IN THE NINETIES WHICH SAW THE GRAVEYARD CLEANED UP AND THE HEADSTONES RESTORED TO A VIEWABLE CONDITION.MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE AND THIS WEBSITE IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS REGARDS INFORMING PEOPLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE SITE.THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF HISTORY YET TO BE GATHERED FROM THE OLDER GENERATION AND ALL RELEVANT  STORIES WILL BE PUBLISHED ON THIS SITE.