Our Abbey Mapping Project was carried out over a period of years from 2021.
The Project was located in Bantry Abbey, aka Bantry Abbey Cemetery, on the outskirts of Bantry town on the N71 road to Skibbereen. It’s a beautiful site, overlooking Bantry harbour and Bay. The site is divided into two.
5,674 Memorials were logged and their details, including photographs and GPS co-ordinates, are now available on Find A Grave. The listing is searchable by name and a selection of other keywords.
Many thanks go out to our dedicated team of volunteers and everyone who helped us achieve this fantastic result.
Survey Introduction & Planning, 2021
As part of National Heritage Week 2021, Bantry Historical & Archaeological Society welcomed heritage newcomers to learn more about our Abbey Mapping Project by attending an online presentation over Zoom.
This project aims to document, map, geotag and photograph all the gravestones in the Abbey Graveyard, Bantry. We engaged Eachtra Archaeological Projects to prepare a project management plan to tackle this ambitious survey, beginning with the oldest part of the graveyard, dating from the 1700s.
This project received funding under the County Cork Heritage Grant Scheme 2021, supported by Cork County Council and the Heritage Council.
You can view the video below:
Mapping Panels, 2022
In 2022, as part of Heritage Week, three panels were unveiled at the Bantry Tourist Office on 13th August. The panels reflect the history of the Franciscan Friary, the methodology used in deciphering and recording the inscriptions, researching the history of those interred, and show examples of iconography and historically-interesting memorials. The panels were on display in the Tourist Office, the Square, Bantry, throughout Heritage Week.
A one hour presentation on the work of the Bantry Abbey Project Group was held in Bantry Library on 16th August 2022. Project members spoke about the history of the Friary and the Abbey graveyard, how the memorials are being recorded, and the genealogical research being carried out. Some significant memorials were also discussed. Over 60 members of the community were in attendance, and their input and questions were welcomed after the presentations.
Councillor Danny Collins, Mayor of County Cork, was in attendance at both events.
If you would like to know more about our project, have a read of Finola Finlay’s recent Roaringwater Journal article – a fantastic, very detailed write up of the project to date – This is Our History: The Abbey Graveyard Project in Bantry.
Progress Presentation, 2023
In 2023, the Bantry Abbey Mapping Group gave a presentation on the progress made since the previous year on the recording of the memorial inscriptions in the Bantry Abbey Graveyard. Over 1600 memorials recorded at that point. The presentation also included some very interesting findings in the Abbey graveyard, Whiddy Island funeral traditions and where you can find the information.
We also displayed our comprehensive information panels about the Abbey, Iconography and the work of the team.
