Portumna Heritage Trail

23. St. Brigid’s Graveyard

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Cast and wrought iron railings and pillars at St Brigid's graveyard Portumna. Someone got their S's wrong!

This headstone in St Brigid's graveyard Portumna is interesting as it bears an image of one of the Stations of the Cross depicting Christ falling under the weight of the cross. It is tempting to see its iconography as specially chosen by John Whelan as a personal reference to the Cross born by himself - as we see from the inscription his son Laurence died in 1837 at 6 months and his wife Anne died in 1855 at 45 years. The headstone has a depiction of one of the Stations of the Cross. In the second picture you can see Jesus carrying the Cross.