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A History of
St James's Church
and Graveyard

Author: Sean J Murphy

 ISBN: 978-1-908056-89-4
180pp + 4pp cover. 228.6 mm x 152.4 mm. 
Cover colour, Text black & white

Free e-Book available on Sean Murphy's website at the following link: 

St. James's | The Irish Past (sjbmurphy.com)

About the book:

An estimated total of 100,000 people were buried in St James’s Graveyard, including Bishop Conor O’Devany, Sir Toby Butler, courtesan Peg Plunket, Sir John Trail (architect of Kilmainham Gaol), the distiller James Power, Easter Rising Volunteer John J O’Grady and nine members of Dr Pearse Lyons’s family. 

The last burial was in 1989 and in 2010 the graveyard was acquired by Dublin City Council, which is currently restoring it as a place of public access.

St James's Church and Graveyard were founded between 1189-92 and dedicated to the saint said to be buried in Santiago de Compostela in Spain. St James's Church was attached to St Thomas's Abbey, established in honour of the murdered Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. 

Following the Reformation in the sixteenth century, St James’s Church was administered by the Protestant Church of Ireland.

During the Penal Era Catholics were not permitted their own graveyards and so continued to bury in St James’s Graveyard until modern times.

St James’s Church closed as a place of worship in 1963 and in 2013 it
was purchased by Dr Pearse Lyons who, with his wife Deirdre, converted
 the restored building into the Pearse Lyons Distillery.

      About the Author:

      Sean J Murphy lives with his wife Margaret and three children Cathy, Emily and Kevin in Windgates, Co Wicklow.  

      He is a history graduate of University College Dublin.

      From 1989-2017 Sean conducted Adult Education certified courses in genealogy in UCD and currently gives introductory and advanced genealogy classes for the National Library of Ireland.  

      He has been commissioned to work on many genealogical and historical projects over the years, including the Westport House manuscripts, Ned Kelly, Irish Chiefs, the theft of the Irish Crown Jewels, the pedigree of President Bill Clinton, Roe’s Distillery and Irish Coffee.

      He has published widely, given many talks and taken part in television and radio programmes.  

      This, Sean’s latest book, incorporates research conducted for the late Dr Pearse Lyons.

(Below) Some random pages from the book
 
 
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