Brian J Cantwell's Memorials of the Dead The Collected Works

Ed. Ian Cantwell,

Published December 2005

• Terry Eakin, All Ireland Sources Newsletter, December 2006

Memorials of the Dead: The Collected Works by Brian J. Cantwell:

These were published on CD ROM by Eneclann in December 2005. These memorials cover most known graveyards with inscriptions in Counties Wexford and Wicklow as well as most churches and graveyards from South Dublin County with many from West County Clare, and some from Counties Cork, Galway and Kildare. I received my copy this week in time for Christmas and I gave it a quick road test having used the volumes of manuscripts in the National Archives of Ireland (8 Bishop Street, Dublin) and listed all the cemeteries and graveyards detailed therein, the layout of the records with each graveyard being given an MS Number. Each manuscript (Ms) is complete with the full inscriptions except for verse. So I was familiar with the original records and their layout. The most striking feature was the allocation of a manuscript number to each cemetery/graveyard but no page numbers. One graveyard may have one page and the next may have 21 pages, the next 15 pages, etc.

The original manuscript volumes have three indexes produced during their compilation over a 25 year period. Manuscript numbers are not unique but are only used once in any volume. For example, Volume 2, Ms 71 is Rathdrum Old graveyard in Rathdrum parish, County Wicklow whereas Volume 11, Ms 71 is St Andrew’s Church of Ireland, Suffolk Street graveyard in County Dublin. Just watch out for this as you work through the indexes as Dublin South (or South Dublin) recommenced at Ms No. 1. Make sure you record the Volume Number as well as the manuscript number for each name as you search the indexes. I found the Composite Index (pages 3093 – 3224 on the CD ROM) to be the most useful for the initial search. I did not locate any surname in any volume that was not in the composite index. When at a volume on the CD ROM I used the individual index at the front of that volume but for initial searches I found the composite index most convenient. Later I found the search function to be very reliable and a real timesaver.

When installing the CD ROM, you need Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 7.0, otherwise the plug-in will not work as it is not compatible with earlier versions of Acrobat Reader and will not work. The CD ROM is well produced and easy to use. The search function found all the Phelan entries in the various volumes even when used as a surname well within the text (transcription) from another family gravestone. Remember you are searching about 550 graveyards (or church memorials) and you need to note the details in your notebook or print out the current page and note the CD ROM page number on the printout. This page number is found on the bottom line display on the computer you are using the CD ROM in. To print a page just select “Print current page” or if the graveyard extends over several pages you can print them (remember to respect copyright laws) by selecting “Print pages from 3093 to 3094” and hit enter to print. There may be a few seconds delay as your computer and printer locate and process the data to be printed.

At the start of each graveyard there is an introduction and/or brief history. These need to be ready and the contents noted. Many graveyards stop at 1880, some at 1900 and some were completely recorded and transcribed. Each introduction is like a daily diary entry, recording the condition of the graveyard, thorns, blackberry and stinging nettles were common as well as docks. The following example is recorded here to give you, the reader, an insight to gravestone recording in Ireland. Quote:

BALLYBRENNAN
Bree.
“This old graveyard, still in use, should not be confused with the one of the same name just off the main Wexford to Rosslare Strand Road; for memorials in that graveyard, see Volume VII [7], No,. 280 [Ms number], in this series. The majority of the memorials have been easy to read, but it has been difficult to keep the many WICKHAM and DOYLE headstones in family groupings, possibly they could, in some cases, be read as one. Grattan Flood, History of the Diocese of Ferns (1916) page 86, mentions the memorial to Fr. Wm. Brennan (sic), P.P. New Ross. The inscription on the box tomb is in Latin and most difficult to read, the name is BRENAN and not as stated; rain made chalking impossible. The tomb appears to be the object of local veneration, for on a small white plastic sheet were a number of medals, Rosary beads and a few coins. Also, some empty bottles for Holy Water. The old name for the graveyard was Kilcowanmore.

For a discussion on the decorated headstones of the Passion type, see J. R. S A. I., Vols. LXXIV, ii and LXXV, ii (1944 & 1945) for a paper by Mrs. H. G. Leask. The memorials in this graveyard from the Brien atelier are described as being in poor condition or ordinary or average in type. For a direct reference to the 1798 Rebellion, see VERO. Transcribed March 1985. Brian J. Cantwell”. Any words in square brackets have been inserted by the Newsletter compiler. The word ‘atelier’ means “a workshop”. Note the old name for this graveyard. There are 14 A4 pages of transcriptions relating to this graveyard, Ms 390.

Using Adobe Reader 7.0, a search for the surname Phelan, gave all the occurrences from start to finish of the whole file E:\BJC.pdf (E: being CD ROM drive E) on my computer. Yours could be drive D or E or F or other. Procedure used:

1) Insert CD ROM Brian J. Cantwell’s Memorials of the Dead: The Collected Works into Drive E and close.
2) Open Adobe Reader 7.0
3) Hover over File (top left corner of screen) and select E:\BJC.pdf and click and the file will load and open at page 1 (1 of 3986 pages).
4) Click on Search on the top menu, and the search dialog box will display similar to below:

What word or phrase would you like to search for?

Phelan

Tick or select in the current pdf file (3986 pages)

There are four more choices which may be ticked as in any pdf file search: Use as you need but I left all four not selected for this search.

· Whole words only
· Case Sensitive
· Include bookmarks
· Include comments. After about 15 seconds the results were displayed finding 79 records of

Phelan or PHELAN or phelan.

As you hold your mouse over each selection the pdf page number appears and the first six instances are all on the page 867 so select Print selected page only and you get the first six references, some being index and some inscriptions. That is how easy the program is to use. The OCR (optical character recognition) works very well. Wild cards can be used for searches and any place name, surname or given name or given and surnames may be searched for, in fact any word contained in the 3,986 pages may be searched for but remember you need Adobe Reader 7.0 installed and it is free to download on the internet.

With practice, I’m sure there is a lot more I can do with this CD ROM, but the print facility is so easy to use and the printed pages are of good quality even though the scanned images were typed using a typewriter before the days or word processing and databases. The standard of scanning and production of the CD ROM is first class and being .pdf makes it easy to use and interrogate its manuscripts. What a person Brian J. Cantwell was, and to do so much almost single handed. May he rest in Peace. In summary there are the following manuscripts of churches and graveyards on this CD ROM. This CD is recommended for all libraries and family history society libraries for use by members especially those with Wexford, Wicklow and Dublin South ancestors.

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