The Annual Mass in St John’s Famine Graveyard Tipperary town will be held on Tuesday June 27th at 7.30pm. Fr Eugene Everard PP in Tipperary town parish will celebrate the Mass which will be enriched by contributions by the CJ Kickham Brass and Reed Band.
Those attending are asked to bring along any folding chairs they may have to enable some respite for those needing to sit during the service. The Altar will be covered by a small gazebo tent – however no shelter will be available for those attending the Mass.
The St John’s Famine Graveyard Committee compiled a history of the Graveyard in 2013 and a limited number of copies of this history are available at Fitzpatrick’s Printers on Davis Street. An index to the burial ground is also included in the booklet – it reveals that between October 1849 to May 1850 of the 1,400 people buried in St John’s 500 were children.
The committee notes that a major restoration of the historic graveyard began in the early 1990s and would like to see new people join the committee to ensure that it is well maintained into the future. At present a number of workers on a Community Employment scheme are responsible for the maintenance of the graveyard which first opened in 1847 to provide burial space for victims of the Great Famine, especially those who died in the Workhouse in Tipperary town.
