I visited Ballinadrimna graveyard yesterday morning. I believe it is long since closed and I don’t think any burials have taken place for many years.
Walking around the graveyard I was struck, once again, by how many of the names on headstones were names of families still living in the parish-for example, Cusack, Miggin, Gorry, Farrell.
It crossed my mind that not much has changed over the course of many decades in the connection with these families and the parish of Balyna/Broadford. People come and go and life brings huge changes and upheaval but some things stay the same, or nearly the same.
The graveyard is neat and tidy, extremely well maintained and lovingly tended and on a sunny day it affords lovely views back down towards the village of Broadford. It might be the highest point in an otherwise geographically flat area in which you have a mixture of good farming land, average land, and bog nearby.
My own father’s mother, Bridget, is buried there in the Miggin plot. Most of the headstones list a number of persons buried in the plot over the years but it can be hard to make out the names and details as the headstones are well worn and weather beaten, which is a real pity.
Maybe there is a way to restore old headstones to the point of legibility, I don’t know, but it would be great to see as they provide an effective look into the history of the families of the area.
