Killycrappin is one of those private corners of Ireland for which we have no evidence that it has ever been anything else. It is on that part of the steep coast of Antrim which runs from just north of Carnlough to Garron Point and is know as the ‘Largy’. (Leargaidh – the side or the slope of a hill).
It is in the civil parish of Ardclinis, in the townland of Nappan (noted as Cappan in the Downe Survey of 1655), in the subdivision called Nappan South on the first Ordnance Survey map of 1834. The unkempt rectangular graveyard is about a third of an acre lying a few yards above the road as it runs north to Garron Tower, just at the foot of the steep hazel and ash covered slope which drops from the mountain plateau above. From here the view eastward is straight out to sea over the fields which slope to the level Largy ledge below, before tumbling down cliffs to the coast road and the water’s edge.
The graveyard is raised from its immediate surroundings and shows no sign of greater extent in the past, although the ground round about may have been disturbed when the road along the Largy was remade close beside it in the mid 1850’s 1.
Although in the same parish as the medieval parish churchyard of Ardclinis, Killycrappin is also traditionally believed to be an ancient site and was noted as such by Reeves in 1847.2 This arrangement reflects the practical difficulties presented by the topography of the parish whose inhabited portion was a long strip divided by the difficult passage at Garron Point. However, there is no sign of a church building and it seems possible that G. N. Wright’s observation of 1823 was influenced by romantic imagination when he says of the place that
“Here now is seen a little ruined chapel enveloped in trees on the left with the dark basaltic cliff impending over it . . . “3
The Ordnance Survey Memoir of 1832 noted the .graveyard as exclusively Roman Catholic and this was repeated by O’Laverty in the 1880’s.4 Both these writers were mistaken. The evidence of the inscriptions shows that, beginning in 1816 and continuing into the twentieth century, it has also been used by the interrelated Church of Ireland families of Price, Turnly, and Higginson.5
Other than its sycamore and yew trees the major physical features of the graveyard are the Turnly vault with its railed enclosure, the walled Higginson plot, and a similar plot which is without formal identification. 6
These three enclosures are grouped together with the Price plot on the seaward side of the graveyard and all the other headstones are in scattered positions on the side next the mountain. The ground is rough and there is no doubt that the gravestones represent only a small proportion of the burials. Indeed, local tradition is that those drowned in the wreck of the “Enterprise” a West- Indiaman which foundered on the Largy shore in 1827, are buried in the north west corner.7 All visible head stones have been copied and all except one were found to be completely legible.
BAGWELL See Turnly.
COPE [In Turnly enclosure]. ‘Sacred to the memory of our beloved friend Ann Cope who died at Cushendall, 14th March 1872. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Rev. XIV, 13.’
DARRAGH ‘I.H.S. Erected in memory of Neal Darragh who departed this life 2nd July 1823 aged 22 years. Also his brother Michael who departed this life 6th March 1827 aged 21 years. Cathrine McAuley who died 19th August 1935.’ [Last sentence carved very crudely].
DARRAGH ‘I.H.S. Erected by Daniel Darragh, Ballyveligan, in loving memory of his wife Annie Darragh who died 20th March 1913 aged 76 years. Also the above named Daniel Darragh who died 24th November 1914 aged 85 years.
DARRAGH See McCambridge.
GRAHAM See Turnly.
HIGGINSON [Walled enclosure with tablet built into interior face]. ‘This enclosure sacred to the memory of the Higginsons of Nappan and Springmounlt.8
HIGGINSON [In same enclosure as above]. Charles Henry Higginson of Springmount died 23rd November 1894. Also his daughter Hester (Hessie) Metclafe [sic]. McNeill Turnly of Drumnasole died 29th September 1954.9
HIGGINSON See Price.
McAULEY See Darragh.
McCAMBRIDGE [Adjacent to two Darragh headstones]. ‘In loving memory of Angela Eileen McCambridge, nee Darragh, died 21st March 1973 aged 31 years.’ 10
McCORMICK [Fallen and broken in- two]. ‘Erected to the memory of John McCormick who died November the 2nd 1809 aged 17 years, son to Daniel and Nan McCormick of Ballyrudoler.’
McGILL See Price.
McKEEVER [Fallen]. ‘This stone was erected to the memory of Catharine McKeever late of Napan Who departed this life the 27th day of April 1823 aged 78 years.’
O’KANE [Fallen and flaking badly] ‘I.H.S. Erected by Neil O Kane of …b.lly to the memory of his …. Rose O Kane otherwise …… who departed this life…… 1833 aged 41 years’.
PRICE [In low marble enclosure with the other Price stones.] ‘This stone was erected by Richard Price in memory of his mother Mary McGill who departed this life January 17th 1816 aged 88 years.
PRICE ‘Erected by James H. Price in memory of his mother Margaret Price (otherwise Higginson) ‘wife’ of Richard Price of H.M. Coastguard Service who died 13th April 1856 aged 75 years. My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Luke 1, 47.’
PRICE ‘Sacred to the memory of John Price who departed this life 11th December 1881. His beloved wife Elizabeth, died 20th May 1902. And their daughters, Emma, died 23rd May 1878, Ann died 30th September 1886, Margaret, died 16th June 1922, Mary, 21st March 1931, Eliza, died 6th December 1937. Also their son Richard, died 27th November 1940, and his beloved wife Mary, died 12th May 1954. Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, let thy perpetual light shine upon them.’
TURNLY [In iron railed enclosure with vault and the other Turnly stones]. ‘In memory of Dorothea Turnly who departed this life August 7th AD. 1866 in her 86th year whose remains lie interred here. Thou Wilt keep him in perfect peace Whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah XXVI, 3. And also of Francis Turnly her husband Who died at Richmond Lodge, Belfast, January 10th AD. 1845 in his 80th year 13. And of our two brothers, Francis, who died AD. 1831 aged 26 years whose remains also lie interred here and Joseph who died at Torquay AD. 1836 aged 26 years. Unto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his blood be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. And Robert who died Sep. 1885. And also Charles Horace Who died Sep. 1885.’
TURNLY ‘Sacred to the beloved memory of Dorothea Anna Turnly eldest daughter of Francis Turnly who died 24th May 1891. Them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. 1st Thes., 4, XIV. The path of the just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. Prov. 4, XVIII. And also of Catherine her sister who died 26th November 1906. With Christ which is far better.
TURNLY To the memory of John Turnly born 17th September 1819, died 9th May 1909. And of his Wife Charlotte Emily born 18th October 1820, died 20th October 1909. And of their daughter Dora died 16th December, 1889 who is buried at Ardclinis. Redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. Also of Hilda Bagwell, died November 1912 and Nina Graham died August 1920. And Sophie Dorothea Wood died 11th December 1926 14 .And of their elder son Francis John Seymour Turnly, born 22nd November 1862, died 27th April 1934.
TURNLY See Higginson.
WOOD See Turnly.
1. This section of the road was moved higher up the slope towards the graveyard shortly after the Marchioness of Londonderry built Garron Tower. The older road can still be traced in the fields below. For further details see “The Old Coast Road from Larne to Ballycastle” by Jimmy Irvine, published in Volume 1 of this journal (1973).
2. W. Reeves. Ecclesiastical Antiquities of Down, Connor, and Dromore, p. 87. Dublin 1847.
3. G. N. Wright. Guide to the Giants Causwav and the North East Coast of the County of Antrim, p. 44. London 1823. The “dark basaltic cliff” above the grave yard is a. bluff which marks the beginning of the cliffs which continue round the Point of Garron. The word used to describe it gives the townland and graveyard their names “cnapan”, a knob. It should also be noted that the Darragh family of Carrivereagh, who still maintain their long association with Killycrappin, traditionally refer to the ‘abbey’ of Napp‘an which “they believe to have occupied the site. (See McCambridge stone).
4. Ordnance Survey Memoir Parish of Ardclinis. P.R.O.N.I. Mic. 6. (Published in volume 1 of this journal in 1973). J. O. Lavertv. An Historical Account of the Diocese of Down and Connor Vol. 4, p. 533. Dublin 1887
5. As a tentative suggestion it may be significant that the first of these burials was of Mary Price, nee McGill. “Mac an Ghaill” or Magilll seems to have been one of the principal names along this coast from the Largy south to Glenarm before the formal establishment of the McDonnell presence. Later on, in the 1669 Hearth Money Roll, five men named Magill are noted as living at Ringfad, which is just over a mile south of Nappan. The presence of the surname may be coincidental, but marriage into an old local family could have been an initial reason for the Price’s use Of Killycrappin. (The Higginsons came to Nappan in 1737 and may have buried here before the Price’s, but without specific memorial). I have not attempted ascertain the religious affiliations of all the other families represented by headstones outside the formal plots but most, if not all, of them appear to have been Roman Catholic.
6. This walled enclosure is also counted among those used for Protestant burials. It is presently (1977) maintained by Mr. Hugh McGavock of Carnlough because of his descent (through Montgomery and McNeill) from the Stewarts of Drumnasole to whom it is believed to have originally belonged.
7. The Belfast Newsletter of the 6th March 1827 reported that the “Enterprise” of Lynn, a large West Indiaman, was ashore at the Largy about three miles north of Glenarm. “Eleven of the crew are lost and seven saved. She was chiefly laden with cotton.” Among those reported lost were Captain J. Bond and his wife and family.
8. The house and townland of Springmount are about a mile and a half west of the village of Clogh, County Antrim. A genealogy of the Higginsons will be found in Burke’s Irish Family Records London 1976. Their house in Nappan was on the site of the present (1977) Mr. Gideon McGalliard’s home, about two hundred and fifty yards south of Killycrappin.
9. This headstone is to the father and sister of Agnes Shakespeare Higginson (Mrs. Skrine), better known under the name of “Moira O Neill”, the poetess.
10. In 1976 subsequent to this transcription, the body of Mr. Patrick McCambridge was interred with that of his wife in this family grave.
11. I have not yet located this obsolete place-name and would be grateful to any reader who can help me to do so.
12. Margaret Higginson does not appear in Burke’s genealogy of the family (see note 8). However, a note in the Church of Ireland parochial records of Layd mentions the marriage of Richard Price of Drumnasole and Peggy Higginson on 6th November 1808.
13. This is the Francis Turnly who bought the estates of Cushendall and Drumnasole in the early nineteenth century and whose name and mark still remain along the coast at and between the two places. The present (1977) John Turnly of Drumnasole is his great-great-grandson. A family genealogy will be found in Burke’s Irish Family Records, London 1976.
14. Hilda Bagwell, Nina Graham and Sophie Dorothea Wood were married daughters of John and Charlotte Emily Turnly.
ADDENDUM TO ARDCLINIS GRAVESTONE INSCRIPTIONS
In the introduction to my transcription of the gravestone inscriptions of old Ardclinis churchyard, published in volume 4 (1976) of this journal, I noted that one large horizontal slab at the north west corner of the church was illegible. So it was on the dozens of occasions on which I looked at it until one cold morning in February 1976. On that day the light suddenly showed me:—
BOYL Here lieth the body of Chas Boyl late of . . . . . who died . . . . May 1800.
Our Deane family left Ulster, North Ireland (probably Antrim) in 1740 to Maryland, USA.
DNA & passed down stories say we came from Scotland.
We were/are farmers.
We fought in the American Revolution against England with our neighbors Conn, Dodson, Russell, Bell, Coffey, Mullins, Denney & many more.
Someday it is my dream to know where our Deanes lived & farmed in Antrim in early 1700s & what part of Scotland did we come from (most likely Western coast of Scotland near County Antrim)??
Thank you, Jim Dean/Dane