A cemetery mass has been held in a Laois graveyard for the first time in over 100 years. 

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Photos by Stephen Murphy.

It is not known exactly how old Kilcronan cemetery in Ballinakill is, with the oldest headstone in the graveyard dated 1758.

It has been over 100 years since a cemetery mass was held in the graveyard, and over ten years since the graveyard was cleaned up.

The parish council recently organised the clean up of the graveyard, with help from local man Patrick O'Meara. 

Fr Paddy Byrne blessed the graves and the graveyard, with over 74 locals in attendance. 

"The cemetery mass went very well, there was a huge crowd," Chair of Ballinakill's Parish Council, Mr Patrick McDonnell told the Leinster Express / Laois Live.

"It had been ten years since the last time the graveyard was cleaned up, and it was over thirty years the time before that. This was also the first graveyard mass to be held in over 100 years," Mr McDonnell explained.

"There are a couple of hundred people buried in the graveyard. Years and years ago, there were bodies washed away in a flood, with coffins seen floating down the river," he said.

"The last person to be buried here was in 1993."

The parish council have said that they intend to hold a graveyard mass in Kilcronan every year, from now on.

Located on the west bank of the Owenbeg river, the graveyard contains ruins of a medieval church and monastery associated with St Cronan.

The graveyard contains ruins of medieval church marked on an 1841 Ordinance Survey map as 'Kilcronan Church (in ruins)'.

The ruins of this monastery are fragmented, consisting simply of parts of the west gable and south wall.

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