I often think of my great great grandmother Catherine Hurley nee Gallivan (1842-1918) and her babies. I cannot find baptism records for all her babies. However, I do know that babies who died before baptism were buried in unconsecrated ground, often outside graveyard walls or among the ruins of old deconsecrated churches. They, along with some mothers who died in childbirth, unknown souls, criminals and people who died by suicide, could not be buried according to the rites of the Catholic Church.
Babies were buried at night, often by the father or grandfather of the baby. Mothers were not allowed to hold their babies or to be present at the burial. Often mothers lived and died not even knowing where their babies were buried.
A new organisation called HUG http://www.scribd.com/doc/72409962/Hidden-in-Unconsecrated-ground-Mission-Statement has been set up in Ireland to keep a record of these unofficial burial grounds. Toni Maguire from Queens University, Belfast has documented 80 Cillini in County Armagh alone. This practice of the burial of unbaptised babies in Cillini continued in Ireland until the 1970's. If you are aware of any unofficial burial grounds in Ireland please comment below and I will pass on the information to Toni.
Babies were buried at night, often by the father or grandfather of the baby. Mothers were not allowed to hold their babies or to be present at the burial. Often mothers lived and died not even knowing where their babies were buried.
A new organisation called HUG http://www.scribd.com/doc/72409962/Hidden-in-Unconsecrated-ground-Mission-Statement has been set up in Ireland to keep a record of these unofficial burial grounds. Toni Maguire from Queens University, Belfast has documented 80 Cillini in County Armagh alone. This practice of the burial of unbaptised babies in Cillini continued in Ireland until the 1970's. If you are aware of any unofficial burial grounds in Ireland please comment below and I will pass on the information to Toni.
RSS Feed
