The Story of St. Molua's Graveyard, Co. Limerick

This graveyard is in the townland of Balline, in the parish of Emlygrennan and in the barony of Coshlea. The townland lies south of the village of Elton and the R515 and north of the village of Kilfinane and the L1511. A tributary of the Morning Star River forms part of the eastern boundery of the townland.

This graveyard is remote, located on a working farm and is accessed by crossing two fields. Travelling north on the L1511 from Kilfinane, turn left at Cush Crossroads, then take the second left. At the bend in the road to the left is the gate accessing the graveyard.

 

The name Molua comes from two words, ‘Mo’ meaning ‘my’ in Irish and used as a term of endearment. ‘Lua’ is the personal name of a 6th century saint. A well dedicated to St. Molua lies in an adjacent field to this graveyard. There are several churches and wells dedicated to this saint throughout Ireland, for example, St. Molua’s Oratory, Killaloe, Co. Clare and Cill Molua Thoir/Kilmaloo, Kinsalebeg, Co. Waterford. 

 

Westropp (1904) records from documentary sources that a church site has been here at least since the 12th century when the church ‘was granted to Magio by Prince John in 1185’. By the 14th century the church was recorded as being dedicated to St. Molua.

 

The graveyard measures 26m N-S x 56m E-W and is enclosed by a post 1700 stone wall, with the entrance gate in the west wall.

No intact surface remains are visible of the medieval church which stood in the centre of the graveyard but one pile of shaped stones probably represent the church wall.

 

A total of 92 memorials were recorded (Historic Graves.ie). Of this number, four memorials date to the 18th century, the earliest commemorates the burial place of Mary Keneely who died in 1780, (memorial no. 0075). 

The memorials date mainly to the 19th and 20th century.

Surnames included Harrington, Carey, Collins, Maher, Burke, Sheehy, McAuliffe Cleary, Clancy, O’Regan, Biggane, Brennan, Wallace, Foley and Keogh. 

 

Interesting Facts

The well is below ground level in the adjoining field, enclosed by a circular whitewashed wall. Within stands a statue commemorating St. Molua. One story has it that the well is over the grave of the pagan deity, Lugaid and that the word Molua is in fact derived from the name Lugaid. 

 

The feast day is 3rd/4th August and in the past ‘the rounds’ were made on a circular path around the well. Water was drunk and taken home in bottles. The water is believed to have curative properties for sore eyes, skin diseases and fevers. ‘The rounds’ also included walking in the graveyard. Rags were left on bushes and trees at the well and in the graveyard as votive offerings. This ritual is still visible today. Another ritual involves marking crosses on upright stones with smaller stones. One stone, probably the remains of the church contains one of these crosses as does the back of the sundial.

 

A sundial located in the graveyard, dating to the early medieval period (5th -12th centuries) has recently been identified and recorded (it was identified during the community survey in 2022). Sundials of this date are very rare in Ireland, less than twelve have been recorded. They were used to tell the times of daily rituals of the church. This sundial is a pillar-stone with a hole carved in the upper portion. The hole would have been positioned above a carved calibrated dial. The carved hole would have held a short wooden or metal projecting rod which would have cast a shadow on the face of the sundial.

 

Two 'stone graves’ are marked on Cassini’s 6 inch Ordnance Survey map, to bthee immediately north of the graveyard northern boundary wall. This area is overgrown with hedgerow plants, so their exact nature is difficult to determine. 

 

18th Century Memorials in St.Molua’s Graveyard

0015 Edmond Collins 1799

0032 John O’Donnell 1787

0067 John Grady 1796

0075 Mary Keneely 1780