When I first came across the reference to the memorial erected in St. Colmans Cathedral by Michael Nason Chapman I couldn't understand why an apparently Protestant family would have a memorial in a Catholic Cathedral.
Being on the other side of the world, I looked to the internet where all the on-line references to St. Colman's pointed to the large Catholic cathedral at Cobh (pronounced Cove)
An email enquiry to their web site directed me to St. Colman's at Cloyne.
Extract from an email contact with Father Ger. Casey of St. Colmans Catholic Cathedral :
"The Cathedral at Cloyne is usually referred to as Cloyne Cathedral, but stands on the site of the monastic foundation of St. Colman and is locally referred to as St. Colman's Cathedral. It is in the care of the (Anglican) Church of Ireland."
At Cloyne, St Colman MacLenene (died 604 AD) founded his principal monastery. Only the Round Tower and a firehouse remain of the ancient monastery which was plundered 5 times by the Norse between 822 and 916 AD. The tower is 100' high, each storey containing a window pointing in a different direction. A small building nearby is believed to be the ancient oratory of St. Colman, who founded the diocese of Cloyne in the 7th c.
Cloyne Cathedral, a much altered 13th c. building, was the seat of George Berkeley, the celebrated philosopher.
Round Towers were built at monasteries as places of refuge and bell towers. Most were five stories high, with a conical top. This stone top on Cloyne's tower was destroyed on January 10th, 1749 when it was struck by lightning during a violent thunderstorm.
Bishop Berkeley in a letter to a friend dated February 2nd 1749 wrote; "Our Round Tower stands where it did but the little stone arched vault on top cracked. The bell was also thrown down and broke its way through three boarded storeys." The roof was never replaced and the height of the tower was lowered six feet and battlements placed at the top.
It is said that during an invasion by the Danes or Norsemen, the treasures from the cathedral were taken up into the tower and the ladder withdrawn inside the lower entrance (seen here at the lower right of the tower).
Boiling oil would then be poured on the invaders to encourage them on their way. The tower was however vulnerable to fire perhaps by a flaming arrow through a lower window and those monks who were not smoked out could be starved by long siege.
Extract from:
The Gravestone Inscriptions of the Cathedral Cemetery of Cloyne, Co. Cork recorded by Richard Henchion - Cloyne Literary and Historical Society 1999 (copy held at Society of Australian Genealogists - Sydney library ref s7.4/11/1 - book)
"There are approximately 650 burial grounds in Cork ranging from small in private estates to large public cemeteries e.g. St. Josephs and St. Finnbarrs in Cork City. Cloyne Cathedral is approximately three times larger than average. Quarries were opened at Castlelyons, Midleton and Cloyne. Cloyne is rich in monumental stone which remains legible longer than shale headstones at South West Cork or hard flinty limestone in North West Cork."
The memorial for William Chapman reads:
stone 191
erected by M. N. Chapman as a token of respect to the memory of his father William Chapman who died July 12, 1852 aged 77 years.
They do not love that do not show their love
stone 192 (same grave)
Sacred to the memory of Mary Chapman who died March 29, 1830 aged 47 years.
God parts us here to meet above to sing his praise with joy and love
Philip T. Chapman died 8 September 1844 aged 20
Also listed in the gravestone inscriptions were the only Nason and Reaney names in the book - no Meaney names mentioned.
stone 32
erected by Mary Nason, Rock Street, Cloyne, in loving memory of her husband Michael died April 5 1916 aged 84 also her daughter Bridget died April 4, 1925 aged 47 and her sons Stephen and Michael.
The above Mary died March 1, 1932 aged 83 RIP Barry, Cloyne
stone 195
Sacred to the memory of Henery (spelling) Nason who departed this life in the 53rd year of his age April 25, 1810
Jane Nason died June 12, 1852 Christ is all and in all.
stone 430
In loving memory of John Reaney/Scariff/ died 1937
his wife Hannah died 1944/
Their family/Patrick died 5 dec. 1981/ Peter 10 St. Coleman's Terrace/ died 20 Dec 1982/ also Kate and Michael Reaney
No comments:
Post a Comment