Famine victims remembered in poignant Paupers Graveyard ceremony in Kells

Famine victims remembered at Paupers Graveyard ceremony

The annual Paupers Graveyard commemoration at Lloyd, Kells took place at 12pm on Christmas Day.

The well attended ceremony remembered those who died in the Famine and the many poor people of Kells buried in the 'paupers graveyard’.

"In the immediate aftermath of the ‘Great Famine’, this mass burial place was opened in 1851 for the poor people of the Kells District. We gather annually on Christmas Day for a short respectful ceremony in their memory," Cllr Sean Drew explains.

Leading the ceremony at the commemoration along with Cllr Drew were Kells town Cllr Peter Caffrey and former councillors Brian Collins, Brian Curran together with Laura Grimes representing her late father Tommy Grimes.

The Kells Silver Band played a number of hymns and local singer Jeanne McGovern sang.

Those souls buried in the Paupers Graveyard from bygone times, together with locals who died during the past twelve months were remembered with the laying of a wreath by Cllr Sean Drew, whose own father, Richard, passed away in May 2024.

Cllr Drew in addressing those assembled, thanked his fellow former town council members for maintaining this tradition, and the public who took time out on a busy Christmas morning to remember less privileged generations from times past.

He also thanked Meath Co Council for their ongoing support and investment in maintaining and improving the profile of the graveyard over recent years.

During famine, destitute people from the area lived on the hill of Lloyd and a section of land adjoining the tower was given to the Kells Union Workhouse in 1851 to be used as a paupers' graveyard.

A famine road existed between the paupers' graveyard and the workhouse which was situated to the west of the Fair Green.