I went for a drive yesterday evening towards Claddagduff, north of Clifden and stopped at this graveyard on the way. It is situated on the side of a hill beside the road and looking out to sea at the mouth of Streamstown Bay. You can enter the graveyard through sturdy metal gates or by stepping over a traditional step style in the wall (below) as I chose to do.
This is the view on the other side of the wall (below). This graveyard is still in use and is an interesting mixture of ancient, weather beaten stone remnants and modern headstones.
These next two photos show the view moving West as the bay wanders out to the Atlantic. The smooth edges of this grey headstone (below) stand erect among the scattered stone blocks whose carved linkage with the past ( if there once was any? ) has long since been eroded.
As the evening drew on, the shadows grew longer (below). I read what I could of the modern stones and found familiar local names – King, Coyne and Casey.
I left wondering if the beauty of a place such as this makes any difference. I think that perhaps it does – as a better final prospect for the living, compared with some anonymous square field and for those left behind who might draw some kind of peace from such a setting
