In 2007, members of The Clare Roots Society genealogy group, in association with the Heritage Council of Ireland, decided that they would take on the project of mapping, photographing, transcribing and publishing details of the gravestones and burial plots in the Old Drumcliff Cemetery in Ennis, Co. Clare.

A group of ten volunteers from The Clare Roots Society, along with a class of students from Ennis National School, came forward to undertake this project. The cemetery was divided into ten sections, and each volunteer was allocated a section. Their task was to photograph and transcribe each grave in their section, and enter the data and picture into an Excel file.

Between October 2007 and June 2008, volunteers recorded over 1,000 graves between them. Their data was collated into one file and folder during the summer of 2008 and the disks were handed over to the Local Studies Centre in September 2008. The transcriptions and photographs were added to the Donated Transcriptions section of Clare County Library’s website in January 2009.

Mr. Joe Cahill of Complete Site Services carried out the topographical survey of the graveyard, mapping all the grave plots. He recorded the outline and size of the plots, and location of grave markers or headstones if present, in addition to all gates, pathways, buildings and trees in the cemetery.

As part of Heritage Week 2008, the Clare Roots Society conducted a Guided Walk for the public through the old Drumcliff graveyard. It consisted of a relaxed stroll through the graveyard with some interesting graves being pointed out and a few words said about them. A number of members who were involved in recording the gravestones shared their knowledge of particular graves on the day. Approximately 80 members of the general public attended this presentation.

For financial assistance towards the costs associated with this project we gratefully acknowledge the contribution of The Heritage Council who gave support through its 2008 grant scheme.