Raheny locals take part in graveyard documenting project

Dublin City Council, Raheny Community Groups and local students took part in the second day of Raheny’s community graveyard project in the historical St. Assam’s Graveyard.

The project involves the recording and documenting of graveyard memorials in St Assam’s.

The first day involved researching, recording and publishing the gravestones in the graveyard and related stories, in conjunction with John Tierney from Eachtra Archaeological Projects.

Students from St. Paul’s College, Manor House Girls School, De La Salle Co-Educational and Mount Temple Comprehensive also took park in a graveyard survey which will ultimately be used to help draft conservation management plan for the graveyard.

Those who took part in the project were also presented with modern medieval and historical talks, which took place at the All Saints Church of Ireland in Raheny Village.

The medieval talks aim to place Raheny within the context of the changing political situation in Dublin and Ireland, from its earliest documented history, through the upheavals of the Reformation the Rebellion of 1641 and finally the land surveys of the late seventeenth century.

The modern talks take a historical geography approach, drawing on cartographic evidence, existing historic sources and includes the impressive research already undertaken by the Raheny Heritage Society.

This charts the evolution of Raheny from the late seventeenth century to the late twentieth century, placing the village and its churches within its changing context.

Principal Deirble Nic Conghamhna from Scoil Neasáin, Harmonstown spoke about their interesting link with the old Raheny National School, Station Road, Raheny and the Church of Ireland.

Dervilia Roche, Dublin City Council’s Historian-in-Residence for Children will visit local primary schools, Springdale National School, Scoil Áine, Scoil Assaim and Scoil Neasáin to talk to students about the project and the interesting history of Raheny and St. Assam’s Church and Graveyard.