Tuesday 13 June 2017

Surveying Kilrush Churchyard: volunteers needed

There's a call out for volunteers to help with the photographing of headstones and recording of memorial inscriptions in the pre-Reformation Kilrush Churchyard in County Clare.

The volunteer team, organised by Kilrush & District Historical Society, will be working in the churchyard today, Wednesday and Thursday from noon until 4pm, conducting the second stage of a project to survey and map the burial ground. The work involves the use of digital cameras, hi-tech GPS systems, and low-tech carbon rubbing techniques. No experience is necessary as training will be provided. The information collected will enable KDHS to document all of the graves in the cemetery thereby safeguarding the rich history and heritage of the site for the future.

Documenting Kilrush Churchyard started back in 2014 with the help of the Historic Graves team, when nearly half of the graveyard was mapped and photographed. Images of more than 300 of the gravestones can be viewed on Historic Graves.com.

The inscriptions from many of these have been transcribed to paper on the ground. Many have subsequently been transcribed to historicgraves.com, either from the photographs or from the paper record sheets. Some inscriptions are clear enough that they can be easily read from the photographs; others require physical inspection.

Even if you can't come along to the graveyward this week to help with the ground work, you can help the team complete the project by signing up as a transcriber and working from the online photographs.

You'll find updates on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1228580340602114/