The High Altar at the bbey of reevelea

The Abbey of Creevelea has two O'Rourke graves at the foot of the High Altar with Patrick McTernan from Lenogh being the grave in the middle which are directly behind Hugh McTernan VIII..

The McTernan family grave is right back from the O'Rourke graves with Hugh McTernan VIII, 1916--2006, from Sheskin standing next to it. The grave was put there in 1783, with the burial of Hugh McTernan I, 1706--1783 from Sheskin. The Abbey was burned by Cromwell in one of the many English invasions, c. 1650. It is today an Irish Nation Historical Site at N 54 13' 51.6", W 08 18' 34.2" outside the town of Drumahaire on the bank of the Bonnett River.  All McTernans named Hugh from Sheskin have Roman numerals to keep them stright.

Above Hugh McTernan VIII, 1916--2006, from Sheskin with the McTernan grave directly to his left

The below image shows the 5 graves in the high altar of the Abbey of Creevelea. There are 3 graves right at the wall and then 2 graves in the foreground as in

1 2 3 

      4  Our McTiernan grave
      5   The Hugh O'Rourke and Catherine McTernan grave

The 1st and 3rd graves are O'Rourkes. Grave 2 is for a Patrick McTernan from the townland of Leonagh, died in 1883. Grave number 4 is for Hugh McTernan I, 1708--1783 from townland of Sheskin.  The Leonagh and Sheskin McTernans are in the same DNA group.  Grave number 5 is the oldest gravestone at the historical site for Hugh O'Rourke and Catherine McTernan put there August 22, 1721. That gravestone has inscribed on it a heart, club, diamond and spade along with the drawing of a cat. Hugh McTernan VIII, 1916--2006, told me in 1997 that both graves were the Sheskin family's graves.

Both Hugh McTernan VIII, 1916-2006 and Jeremy Patrick McTiernan, 1978--2017, are buried in our family grave.

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