Old St Marys Church, Crumlin Village, Co Dublin

VforVendetta

For those of you who live in the Crumlin or surrounding area i give you this historical structure lol. This church known as the Old St Marys Church in Crumlin Village has a lot of historical value to it. It is usually locked up tight with chains and access is very hard. I had to meet meet with the Historian of the Church who was very helpful. The Church was built on the old monastic site and the owner of the land is not bothered fixing it up. We first started in the Graveyard where you can see some pretty old headstones, the oldest being Elenor Higgens of 1622. There is also remains of two old towers which people have been buried in. The Historian of the Church is not allowed to excavate so there are alot of unexcavated parts of the cemetary. Most of the gravestones have sunken over the years and are barely unreadable. Over the main door of the Church Lies a plack quoting: "How dreadful is this place, none other is the house of god, and this is the gate of heaven" with a skull and crossbones over the top of it. The bones went missing in the 1990s. The doorway however is the newest part of the church, it was put in by the porps team from the program "The Tudors". Anyway here are the pictures.

The Tudors door..

Entrance to the tower which was blocked and unstable.

Artefacts found in around the graves from early times.



The burnt remains of the Alter.

This is what remains of an old tower, a body was excavated from under the tree. They believe it was a lookout tower which looked over the Dublin mountains.

This Stone has writing on the side facing doan but the historian is not allowed to touch this for legal reasons.

This is the tunnel entrance that used to lead to an old house across the main road to which they used to store the bodies.

This is the oldest headstone in the area, a Elenor Higgens of 1622


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sineadw

You know I live about five minutes walk from here. I've grown up beside it but I've never been in it. Same with Drimnagh castle. Hmm - something will have to be done.

Cool set

VforVendetta

Thanks Sinead at the moment they are trying to get funding to fix the roof and restore the old windows.

Ash.J.Williams

I think I have just located the grave of my missing grandparents in this cemetary, circa 1940-1945....
Would anybody know why a Catholic family would be buried here? I believe TB was cause of death for both.

EithneMasterson

The Catholics were to the right as you walked in the gate, and the protestants to the left.
Hope this answers you Q............all my Moms family are burried there

CALC

There is mention in the 1st post to 'a tunnel which led to a house across the road'

This was not a tunnel.

The vaulted structure just inside the western boundary wall of the graveyard, is considered to be a late 18th century or early 19th century Mort Safe which was constructed as a deterrent against body-snatchers.

This was to store the bodies, watched over by watchmen, to allow them to decompose thereby twarting them being used for practice by medical students.

Picture attached after it was in the process of being cleaned out.

EithneMasterson

Wonderful Information Calc thank you so much............

UrbexJunkie

Hi CALC

I was speaking to the historian who works in the place and has been for years she told me that there was a tunnel that did go underneath the road at one stage. I could of taken her up wrong but not to worry, thanks for posting the picture also.

Uj

EithneMasterson

Thought as children it was our wonderful imagineation...........we had all sorts of stories about the grave yard.................lovel to get the information thank you, do you know if we still have to get the key to visit the graves or are there certain times for visiting.
Thanks again to yourself and Calc

gnikdivad

Hi, does anyboby know when people stoped being buried here?? Im trying to find graves of my family who lived in crumlin during the start of the 1900s

hinault

Nice shots.

I know that church it is quite close to the Bowling club.

UrbexJunkie

gnikdivad wrote: »

Hi, does anyboby know when people stoped being buried here?? Im trying to find graves of my family who lived in crumlin during the start of the 1900s

Hi

There is a historian who i spoke to in there before who was very helpful i will try and see if i can get in contact with her and find out when they stopped burying people.

Ash.J.Williams

gnikdivad wrote: »

Hi, does anyboby know when people stoped being buried here?? Im trying to find graves of my family who lived in crumlin during the start of the 1900s

I have family buried there in the 1940's

saintsaltynuts

Was actually in it myself about fifteen years ago.Theres a stone spiral staircase that leads up to the top have to say the view of the surrounding areas was top notch.

UrbexJunkie

saintsaltynuts wrote: »

Was actually in it myself about fifteen years ago.Theres a stone spiral staircase that leads up to the top have to say the view of the surrounding areas was top notch.

Im Jealous

When i was there the doorway which led to the stairwell was fully boarded up. i asked the historian she said something about Pigeon poop making it slippy and dangerous. lol

saintsaltynuts

UrbexJunkie wrote: »

Im Jealous

When i was there the doorway which led to the stairwell was fully boarded up. i asked the historian she said something about Pigeon poop making it slippy and dangerous. lol

I think there was some sort of a FAS scheme going on at the time to clean up the graveyard and there were wooden boards were the windows where.We(a few mates) "removed" one of the boards jumped in and had a good look around inside.The state of the place, anyway we ventured up the spiral staircase and the view was spot on.I remember you could actually go in to the graveyard when i was younger as the gate was always open but its always shut now anytime i pass.

UrbexJunkie

saintsaltynuts wrote: »

I think there was some sort of a FAS scheme going on at the time to clean up the graveyard and there were wooden boards were the windows where.We(a few mates) "removed" one of the boards jumped in and had a good look around inside.The state of the place, anyway we ventured up the spiral staircase and the view was spot on.I remember you could actually go in to the graveyard when i was younger as the gate was always open but its always shut now anytime i pass.

yeah i seen the fas sign up on the wall alright.

emrys

here is a pic i took of it in early February - gate was locked so pic taken through the iron gate. Would love to have got inside!

UrbexJunkie

I might pay a visit this week and see if the historian is around.

gclifford

Hey,

I have been trying to trace my family tree and as far as I know there are alot of cliffords buried there. My Great grandparents are there. Does anybody know who I would have to contact to get more information about the church??

eddiethecastle

Hi there

As a local historian I have tried to find out hoe to get in to this graveyard. I am searching for a particular grave , a Dr Richard Nunn whom I know is buried there.Can anyone advise me how to gain access.I just want to find his grave. There must be some arrangement with a keyholder that I can contact.Perhaps the historian mentioned in your posts might be able to assist me.
Please help if you can

regards
Eddie

Ash.J.Williams

eddiethecastle wrote: »

Hi there

As a local historian I have tried to find out hoe to get in to this graveyard. I am searching for a particular grave , a Dr Richard Nunn whom I know is buried there.Can anyone advise me how to gain access.I just want to find his grave. There must be some arrangement with a keyholder that I can contact.Perhaps the historian mentioned in your posts might be able to assist me.
Please help if you can

regards
Eddie

I'd also like to arrange access to locate my maternal grandparents grave.

sineadw

Have you tried contacting anyone at the new church next door? (also st mary's..)

TheRealPONeil

eddiethecastle wrote: »

......Please help if you can

regards
Eddie

Hi Eddie, here's a start ...

http://www.igp-web.com/igparchives/ire/dublin/cemeteries/crumlin.txt

There was also a survey carried out by FAS around 1990 in several church yards around the Dublin south suburbs. If I come across any info on that I'll post it here.