Aghavea Parish Church & Historic Graveyard Talk & Tour EHOD 2025

About

Aghavea ecclesiastic site was greatly important in the history of Fermanagh's Maguire chieftains, their castles being at nearby Stranafaley (Deerpark) and Aghalun (Brookeborough) and they worshipped here and used the building to store important valuables, one notably being an early Christian silver book shrine 'Domnach Airgid' kept by the Maguires in Aghavea parish and used in the settling of local disputes.

Event includes both an in church PowerPoint Presentation on history of this ecclesiastic site at Aghavea, its buildings and people as recorded on tombstones and memorials plus a guided tour of ancient graveyard and interior of church building. The ancient adjoining graveyard has a wealth of historic tombstones.

The current building is a Gothic style, Fermanagh sandstone built Anglican church serving the local community of Brookeborough and its environs for over 200 years. Tombstone styles on the site are varied and include the earliest dated stone 1681AD, 17th and 18th century Scottish / English stones with many showing family coats of arms and mortality symbols, numerous well preserved 18th century Gaelic Irish stones with their own style identity of memento mori on the reverse. Typically most symbols consist of skull, crossed bones, bell, coffin and hourglass; although other symbols exist also. There are tombstones, monuments and memorials here which are distinctive, unique and well worth a visit!

Help us celebrate the architecture, building and peoples of Aghavea Parish, its "Architectural Heritage – Past structures – Future Connections." Access is free. Car parking (level tarmacked surface) available adjacent to the venue. Signage to 'Aghavea' off main A4 road between Brookeborough and Maguiresbridge. Ancient graveyard is a well maintained, grassy surface subject to some unevenness, therefore caution should be taken due to nature of venue and potential for protruding stones.