70 



DISINTERMENT IN BALLYSHANNON CHURCHYARD. 



Republished Report of Bally shannon Petty Sessions, on Saturday, \5th August, 1840, 

 extracted from the Dublin Monitor Newspaper, of the 22d August, 1840. 



DOCTOR SHEIL, of Ballyshannon, addressed the Bench, and stated that he 

 had to call the attention of their worships to a circumstance which had given great 

 pain to the feelings of the public, and which he considered it his duty, as an 

 inhabitant of the town, to endeavour to put a stop to namely, the disinterments 

 that were taking place in the churchyard, by the carts and horses of the Rector 

 of the parish, the Rev. George Tredennick, and scattered over that gentleman's 

 grounds, in Coolcolly, near to the town. The coffins of the dead, too, had been 

 left exposed to the public gaze, to the great horror of surviving relatives and 

 friends. As the Rector was now present in court, he called on him to explain or 

 to justify these proceedings, and to state his authority for what had been done ; 

 and he called on the magistrates to interfere, and, if they had the power, to pre- 

 vent the further disinterment of the remains of the dead, to do so for the sake of 

 the reputation of the town, which was disgraced by having such dismal spectacles 

 exhibited in it. 



The Rev. Mr. TREDENNICK said that he was not aware of any bones or skulls 

 having been removed. He had orders to have all the rubbish removed ; and it 

 was not fair to single him out, as other persons had removed earth from the 

 churchyard in their carts. If any remains had been taken away, it was from the 

 foundation of the new church. There had not been any of the remains of the 

 inhabitants' relatives disturbed ; and if any hai been moved, they were strangers. 

 He said he had as tender feelings as any man, and he denied the assertion of 

 Dr. Sheil, that either the bones or skulls had been carried away in his carts. 



Dr. SHEIL said he could prove the fact, by twenty witnesses, if necessary ; and, 

 as to the state in which the coffins were left, their worships could, if they pleased, 

 satisfy themselves, by their own eyes, of the truth of his statement. 



THOMAS JOHN ATKINSON, Esq., J.P., (one of the magistrates on the bench,) 

 said that this was a most painful subject ; but, unfortunately, there could be no 

 doubt of the fact, that bones and skulls had been removed. It had been stated 

 to him, that the remains of military men and of officers had been interred in this 

 quarter of the churchyard. They were strangers, it is true, and had no relations 

 in this place; but their memory was not the less deserving of respect and protec- 

 tion. He thought that Dr. Sheil had acted right in bringing this subject forward ; 

 and, although the bench had not any power by. law to act in the matter, still he 

 must express his strong disapprobation of the proceedings. The bones and remains, 

 when moved out of the foundations, should have been allowed to remain in the 

 precincts of the churchyard, and not to have been carried away. With respect 

 to what the Rector had stated, of other persons having also carried away clay 

 from the burial-place, it was not singular that they should do so, when the ex- 

 ample was set by the Rector himself. The burial-ground of Mr. Atkinson's own 

 family had not been disturbed, but he took this opportunity to declare, that he 

 would use every means in his power to seek redress by the law, if any one pre- 

 sumed to disturb their remains. 



EDWARD ALLINGHAM, Esq., J.P., (another of the magistrates,) said that he 

 did not approve of Dr. Shell's having brought the subject forward. He (Mr. 

 Allingham) had relatives buried in that churchyard, and he did not consider that 

 this case was one that should have been taken up in this way. 



Mr. ATKINSON again repeated, that, notwithstanding Mr. Allingham's opinion, 

 he thought the subject deserving their attention. If the remains of Mr.AIling- 

 hani's relatives were treated with indignity, assuredly that gentleman would not 

 suffer it. Mr. Atkinson made some very strong observations on the case. 



