Ballybrommell – Baile an Bhromailigh
Lecky Watson coat of arms
Along with Ballykealey graveyard this 14. Quaker burial ground is a reminder of the once thriving Quaker
community in Co. Carlow. Quakerism evolved in the North of England in the seventeenth century and made its first inroads into the Carlow/Kildare region during the Cromwellian plantations of the 1650s. Many Quaker families settled in the Fenagh area, the most notable of which were the Watson’s and the Leckys who purchased large farms at Kilconner and Ballykealey respectively.
God's Acre "Garden of Sleep"
The low curving wall and arched pedestrian gateway bearing the legend ‘God’s Acre – the Garden of Sleep’ were erected by Fielding Lecky Watson (1873-1943) as a memorial to members of the Lecky and Watson families. Among the small number of individual graves are those of Fielding Lecky Watson’s daughter, Corona North and her husband Gary North. Corona’s simple gravestone reminds visitors of her lifetime dedication to nearby Altamont Gardens, widely recognised as the jewel in Ireland’s gardening crown. The gardens are an enchanting blend of formal and informal gardens with riverside walks covering over 40 acres (16 hectares).
DID YOU KNOW
Noted nineteenth century historian W.E.H Lecky was the owner of nearly two thousand acres of land in both counties Carlow and Laois. Following his death in 1903 these lands were sold and the proceeds given to endow the Lecky Chair of History at Trinity College Dublin. In 1906 a statue of Lecky made by Sir William Goscombe John was unveiled in the College grounds.
Open: Daily, daylight hours
Admission: Free
Parking: Limited
Quaker: Popular name for a group of Christians who use no scripture and believe in a simple, pacifist lifestyle. They call themselves the Society of Friends.
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