History

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John O Donovan

Fitzgeralds

Slieverue Parish
In 1846 this parish formed one union with Glenmore. At present it takes in the civil parishes of Rathpatrick and Kilkilliheen ; less than half the civil parish of Kilcolumb; and the townlands of Killaspy and Ballynamona., in the civil parish of Dunkit. Its area is 9,898 ac., o r. io per., stat. measure.
RATHPATRICK.

The parish church of Rathpatrick, situated in a townland of the same name, was dedicated to, and took its name from, our National Apostle, St. Patrick. In Irish it is called Thomple-Raw-Phawdyig. In the lists of churches in the Red Book ol Ossoyy it appears as Droundonenni, Dromdowny, Rathpatrik and Rathpadryg. From this it must be concluded that, in early times, Rathpatrick loymed but one townland with Drumdowney, and that the latter townland derived its name 'OtAulm 'Oorhnalt, Ridge of the Domnhnach, or Church, from a church built here by St. Patrick more than fifteen centuries ago.,
Of the original church of Rathpatrick, otherwise Dromdowney, no trace remains. The church, now in ruins, that succeeded it, is 81 ft. long, internally, and 16 ft. 8 in. wide, at the west end, and I5 ft. io in. wide at the east end ; the walls are 3 ft. thick. All the walls are broken down to the ground except the west gable, the western half of the north side-wall, and some other fragments. The distinguishing features of the sacred edifice have been all destroyed save a very small, roughly-built, round-headed doorway in the north wall, near the east gable, measuring 4 ft. 5 in. in height and 2 ft. 2 in, in width. This church is apparently very ancient. Within it is the upper half of a large monumental slab with raisedcross down the centre, and the sacred monogram I. H. S. ; it is now fixed into the north wall, like a mural tablet ; it has the following inscription in raised Old English characters :-

TRANSLATION.-Here lie Nicholas fitz Thomas Fitzgerald, of Gurtyn, who died Sept. 29th, I6I7 and Helen Bourke otherwise [Gaul, his wife, who died......... ].
In the graveyard there are several granite head-stones, with curiously-carved crosses in relief, and undoubtedly presenting an appearance of antiquity. These and many other similar monuments in the churchyards of south-east Kilkenny, are from the chisel of an ingenious though illiterate sculptor named Darby O'Brien. His relatives are buried here in Rathpatrick. Their monument is a good specimen ,of Darby's work, and probably commemorates his grandfather and father; the inscription, in incised letters, is
DERBY O'BRYEN. 1690

JOHN O'BRYEN
Darby O'Brien, junr., the sculptor, must have lived in Luffany (the next townland to Rathpatrick), where, at a thatched dwelling-house, on the road,side, he erected the well-known Cyesh leeach, or grey cross, to the deceased members ,of his family, in the year I736. Only the first letter of the Christian name and the date of death are recorded in each instance. CLICK TO VIEW