Tionscadal na Reilig na hUigín
The O'Higgins Cemetery Project
The O'Higgins of Ballynary who moved to Summerhill in County Meath are buried in four graves that we know of: in Agher Church in Summerhill, Co. Meath, the Moy Cemetery, Summerhill, Co. Meath, Glasnevin in Dublin and another in Mount Jerome in Dublin. All of these graves have now been located and a project has started to tidy them up and to restore or fit headstones where necessary.
Agher Cemetery, Co. Meath.
(Agher Anglican Church and Cemetery)
(Close up of The O'Higgins Grave, Agher)
The O'Higgins who lived on the Ardrums estate in Summerhill, Co. Meath (Ardrums) were buried in this grave from at least 1802 onwards. We know that the following people are definitley in this grave:
Catherine Higgins b. 1739 d. 1802 (from headstone)
Mary Higgins b. 1749 d. 1805 (from headstone)
Bridget Higgins Purcell b. 1870 d. 1947 (Oral Report)
We can also presume that the following people are buried in the grave but their names were never added to the headstone:
Charles O'Higgins b. 1725 d. after 1802 husband of Catherine above.
John O'Higgins b. 1759 d. after 1805 husband of Mary above.
Thomas O'Higgins b. 1790 d. 1870 and his wife Catherine Butler (Oral Report)
Thomas O'Higgins b. 1839 d. 1894 and his wife Julia Barber b. 1845 d. after 1901(Oral Report)
Although the O'Higgins were a Catholic family the grave is in the Anglican Church Cemetery. This is because during Penal times it was not possible to have a Catholic Cemetery. The family initially settled in Balirocht in Agher, Summerhill before moving to Ardrums in the same parish.
It is planned to restore this grave in 2007. If you are interested in helping out please contact Mary O'Higgins-Kelly at info@ohigginsclan.com .
The Moy, Summerhill, Co. Meath
(Descendents of the Summerhill O'Higgins at the grave of Fr. Michael Higgins)
The Grave in the Moy confirms that the family were based in Summerhill since Gaelic times as the headstone names Fr. Michael Higgins who was PP of Summerhill for 40 years and died in 1762 aged 97 years. He is buried with his father and other members of his family. This headstone was discovered during a visit to Moy Cemetery in August 2007 by Coleen Higgins and her children Dylon and Tara. Pictured above with Coleen, Dylan and Tara are their cousins by descent James O'Higgins-Norman and Tom Austin.
Glasnevin Cemetery, Dublin.
(The O'Connell Monument in Glasnevin Cemetery)
The O'Higgins grave in Glasnevin Cemetery was opened in 1974 for the burial of PJ O'Higgins (b. 1907), The O'Higgins, Lord of Ballynary. He died at home in Dublin as the bells were tolling in the New Year surrounded by his wife and children. The grave was re-opened in April 1990 for the burial of his wife, Madam Mary Ellen Brogan-Higgins (b. 1909) who died in James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, Co. Dublin. She died on Good Friday in 1990.
This grave is well maintained by family. For information on the location of this grave please contact Mary O'Higgins-Kelly info@ohigginsclan.com
Mount Jerome Cemetery, Dublin.
(A grave in Mount Jerome, not Higgins)
Unusually, Patrick O'Higgins (b. 1877) Lord of Ballynary and his wife Mary Power, Madam O'Higgins (b. 1880) died within 24 hours of each other on the 24th and 25th January 1946. Before they died they had moved to live with their son PJ and his wife and children in Dublin. A new headstone was erected on this grave to mark the 60th anniversary of their deaths in 2006.