ASSEY GRAVEYARD CO. MEATH
HEADSTONES AND INSCRIPTIONS
Recorded by Dr. Beryl F.E Moore & Mrs Maguire
1980
Assey old ruined church and graveyard are situated on high ground above the river Boyne just before it flows under the Dublin-Navan railway bridge. They are situated in a field without any path or laneway leading to them. There is a fine stone wall around the graveyard immediately outside the fort upon which the church was built. In olden days Assighe Ford was quite a famous one. The church is completely ruinous, the North, South and East walls being missing. The West end of the church is filled with briars to a height of 8 to 10 feet, and so cannot be studied. The church seems to have built with large squared stones without the use of mortar. The measurements of the West end had to be taken on the outside of the church and are: length 45ft and breadth 14ft.
In various parts of the graveyard we found carved stones apparently of the top of a window and door.
HEADSTONES
1) DIGMAN – This is the only headstone inside the church ruins and unfortunately only a foot of it is above ground. It has a flat top with the usual cross and IHS. “HERE LIETH THE BODY OF SIMON DIGMAN WHO DEPARted THIS LIFE. . . . 1719 AGE . . . .
2) . . . . . . . . – This is a tabletomb situated on the East side of the graveyard. It has six square pedestal stones all still in position. The four edges of the Mensa have four lines carved on them. The stone is very weathered and covered with white lichen with the result that only some of the inscription can be read and that with considerable difficulty. “ERECTED BY JANE RE . . . . TO THE MEMORY OF HER BELOVED HUSBAND JAMES . . . . . . . . ASSEY WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE 20TH OF AUGUST 17. . IN THE 90? YEAR OF HIS AGE”. At the bottom there appears to be two more lines of writing but we cant read them.
Row 1
These nine headstones are arranged in three rows on the South side of the church.
3) BYRNE – Dome in centre of the top with full sunburst surrounding a cross IHS and 3 nails. “ERECTED BY WILLIAM BYRNE IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER WILLIAM BYRNE WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE JUNE THE 20TH 1795 AGED 60 Yrs. AND OF HIS SON JOHN WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE APRIL THE . . . . AGED 20 YEARS”. The rest is underground.
4) …. – We failed to get the surname of this headstone, but is seems to begin with DE. The stone has a domed top and the same design as No. 3. “THIS STONE WAS ERECTED BY JAMES DE- – – IN MEMORY OF HIS FATHER JAMES DE- – – – WHO DIED JUNE THE . . . . . . . . 1751 AGED 61. . . . . WIFE . . . . . . SON . . . .”
5) LINSKEY – One corner of this stone is missing. In centre of the top we get a cherub’s head. “ERECTED BY Mr JOHN LINSKEY IN MEMORY OF HIS DEARLY BELOVED DAUGHTER ROSE WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 27TH DAY OF JUNE 1846 AGED 16 YEARS. THE FAIREST FLOWER MUST FADE THE SWEETEST OF THE SWEET MINE ONLY ROSE MINE ONLY ROSE HAS . . . OF. . .”
Row 2
6) LOGAN – Dome in centre top with IHS. “HERE LYETH THE BODY OF WALTER LOGAN WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE THE 4TH OF NOVEMBER 1741 AGED 66 YEAR”. Bishop Logan is said to have been buried in this graveyard but we found no inscription which referred to him. Perhaps he was put into this family plot.
7) Fagan – This plot has an iron railing around it. The headstone is a high one composed of three square blocks one on top of the other; then a cross on top of them; but the top of the cross is broken. This broken bit has IHS on it and is lying at the foot of the grave. The inscription is on the smallest (that is the top) square “ERECTED IN MEMORY OF ANNIE FAGAN ASSEY DIED 16TH JUNE 1917 AGED 88 YEARS”.
8) KING – This stone is tilting forward. It is a fine stone with a dome in the centre of the top, with a full sunburst encircling a cross IHS and a plant in a pot. There is a leafy design at each side. Unfortunately the motto around the sunburst can’t be read. There is an 8-petalled rose (Tudor) also on each side. “ERECTED BY JOHN KING OF OAKSTOWN IN MEMORY OF HIS BELOVED PARENTS JAMES KING WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON 11TH of SEPTEMBER 1815 AGED 78 YEARS; AND JANE KING ALIAS LOGAN WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE ON THE 18TH OF JULY 1818 AGED 76 YEARS. ALSO IN MEMORY OF HIS ELDEST DAUGHTER JANE WHO DEPARTED THIS LIFE YOUNG”. There are two fine stopper stones but unfortunately they are not in their proper position.
Row 3
9) LOGAN – This stone has a fine iron railing around the plot, which has two headstones within it but one is lying on the ground and cant be read. The other stone has a lamb on a cross at the top, then a cross and IHS within a sunken circle. “SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF JAMES LOGAN ESQr OF SMITHSTOWN WHO DIED 22nd DECr 1845 AGED 60 YEARS. ALSO MARGARET MATILDA HIS BELOVED WIFE DIED 28TH APRIL 1836 AGED 52 YEARS. HERE ALSO REPOSE THE REMAINS OF MICLA THE BELOVED WIFE OF WALTER LOGAN OF NEWGROVE, COUNTY WESTMEATH DIED 9TH MAY AGED 34”. At bottom we get ‘MAY THEY REST IN PEACE’.
10) GREEN – Dome in centre of top with a full sunburst surrounding a cross IHS and heart. “HERE LIES THE BODY OF GEORGE GREEN WHO DIED JULY 6TH 1801 AGED 73 YEARS. AND ALSO HIS WIFE HONOR GREEN ALIAS SEERY WHO DIED MARCH 30TH 1799 AGED 70 YEARS.
- …- This stone is bending over so much that it can’t be read. It has 3 domes on top.