Leachtanna cuimhne

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Photo-request.svg
 Image wanted 
BW

Leachtanna cuimhne (or Leachtaí Cuimhneacháin ; singular: cuimhne Leacht , German  "Remembrance grave" ) are a type of sham graves , the almost only on Inishmore , the largest of the three Aran Islands , or the eastern part of County Galway and a few copies the southern border of County Mayo , as well as in the north of County Clare in Ireland .

description

The 33 known in Westgalway (31 preserved) specimens consist of tall, rectangular or square stone blocks, sometimes bricked, but more often piled up of dry stone , which are often surmounted by simple crosses. On one or more sides there are stone slabs on which the name and date of death of the deceased are engraved. Where there are many tablets, one indicates the person who built the grave of honor. All inscriptions are in English.

Time position

Leachtanna cuimhne were built from the second half of the 17th to the last quarter of the 19th century . Their origins and the reasons for their local popularity are unclear. However, two phases can be identified:

  • a) from the late 17th to the mid 18th century , this is when most of the examples are from East Galway and three from Inishmore.
  • b) from the beginning to the third quarter of the 19th century, this group includes the rest of the examples on Inishmore.

The phases are characterized by a strong social distinction. The earlier group was established by the rural nobility, while those on Inishmore were established by tenants. Both groups set up the Leachtanna cuimhne on roads, which indicates that they are linked to the tradition of the much older cairns . The youngest are simple memorial stones at the stops of the funeral procession. Interestingly, the earliest Leachtannas on Inishmore Island commemorate members of the Fitzpatrick family and stand off-road, near a sheer cliff. The remainder, dated between 1811 and 1876, are arranged in groups along the island's main street, between Eoghanacht in the west and Cill Binne in the east. While most are in fair condition, some are in disrepair and two appear to have disappeared since Haddon and Browne first made the list of these monuments (1893).

literature

  • Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra, Paul Gosling: Archaeological Inventory of County Galway: Volume II: North Galway . Stationary Office, Dublin 1999, ISBN 0-7076-6179-X .