The Fuldiew stone in the graveyard of St Patrick`s Church Craigagh, Cushendun, lies just beyond the west gable of the church. It is easy to find and well signposted from the cemetery gates. According to local legend this is a story of enduring love.
The grave is covered by flat stone bearing the following inscription (written in the spelling of the time) -:
Charles Mc Alasters burring place
Here lies the boddy of John his son died 11 March 1803 aged 18 years
‘Your ship love is mored head and starn for a fuldiew.
At the bottom of the stone a crude drawing of a ship and beside it a goat can be made out. John, a seaman from Cushendun had become betrothed to his sweetheart and they had arranged to marry as soon as he returned from his next voyage. The bride to be had travelled to Glenravel where a sister lived and she had promised to make the wedding trousseau. In her absence the schooner returned to Cushendun and locals noticed the crew unloading what looked like a body into a small boat to be rowed ashore. When the boat landed it indeed carried the body of John McAlaster who had died after falling from the boat`s rigging. Due to the poor communications at that time his bride to be was unaware of what had happened and several days later returned to Cushendun to await the arrival of her loved one. On hearing of the tragedy, she was inconsolable and later that evening left the family home to pay a visit to her fiancé’s home to commiserate with his family. However, she never returned home and days later was found lying dead on top of the gravestone. It is believed she was responsible for making the crude drawings on the headstone.
Fuldieu refers to a sailor`s pay. It seems at that time wages were only paid at the end of a voyage. Over time this story has so doubt become embellished and it is strange that no one seems to know the name of the girl or her family unusual in a small community. Was she laid to rest in the same grave?
This post is part of the What’s That? Project. Funded by The Community Arts, Culture and Heritage Fund & The Community Foundation for NI. The aim of the project is to highlight local historical sites and give people a short history of what is there. Photos by John Healy.
