Located only 5km north of Ballinamuck in County Longford, the cemetery at Tubberpatrick contains interesting memorials to honour General Blake and Gunner Magee, both involved in the Battle of Ballinamuck against the English in 1798. The two men were executed and buried following the defeat of the Irish.
This long-established graveyard contains an interesting collection of mainly 19th and 20th-century grave markers, some of which are of artistic merit, including a number of cut stone Celtic high cross-style and obelisk-type memorials. The earliest legible grave marker dates to 1670 and commemorates Jacobus Farrel.
The graveyard site itself probably dates to well before 17AD and contains a number of archaeological sites, including a holy well, a holy hawthorn tree/bush tied with rags, and a number of mounds. The plan of the graveyard also suggests that this may have been the site of an early church.
The graveyard contains the remains of General George Blake, commander of the United Irishman forces at the Battle of Ballinamuck in 1798. Blake was executed near the battlefield and later buried at this site. This graveyard site is an integral element of the social heritage of the Ballinamuck area, adding historic interest to its rural location. The simple boundary walls, the attractive ashlar gate piers, and the wrought iron gates complete the setting of this interesting composition.
The burial ground and holy well are open to the public.
Visit the local village of Ballinamuck. It was the scene of a battle in 1798, where a French army aiding the United Irishmen in the rebellion of 1798 was defeated.
