Work at St Finian’s church reveals hidden headstone

RECENTLY installed railings at St Finian’s medieval church and graveyard, in Esker, Lucan, are among the new changes that have improved visits to the site, according to the Society for Old Lucan (SOL), writes Maurice Garvey.

South Dublin County Council (SDCC) have installed “handsome” handmade railings around the vault area, according to SOL.

It formed part of the works that SOL requested as part of the site restoration.

Using part of the old piece of railing remaining, the county council recreated how the railings would have originally looked, with a gate at the front of the vault.

SOL are delighted to have this work done as it “greatly enhances the site and complements the rest of the restoration work of the last few years.”

This work was done in association with the SDCC and the Adopt a Monument scheme which SOL are involved with, to help protect this part of Lucan’s history for generations to come.

As part of the restorative work, the floor area at the front of the vault was cleared, revealing steps that originally led to the vault. This is where two new headstones were discovered that SOL members never knew about.

Even the previous inventory of gravestones and their transcriptions, made by Fr Egan in 1989, didn’t record these gravestones.

SDCC Public Realm also planted some lavender outside the stile entry to St Finian’s, and SOL members have been busy watering these plants during the recent dry spell and maintaining a regular litter-pick at the site.