Priestnewtown Cemetery Mass and Blessing of the Graves

The Greystones and Kilquade Pastoral Area holds its Priestnewtown Cemetery Mass and Blessing of the Graves on Sunday 13 September 2026. This is the pastoral area’s annual cemetery Sunday for Priestnewtown, one of a small number of cemetery Masses the parishes run each year across their burial grounds. Families gather at the graveside for a short outdoor Mass, after which the priest walks the cemetery blessing the individual graves.

What to expect

Cemetery Sunday is a long-standing tradition in Irish parishes, distinct from the regular weekly Mass schedule. Rather than a service inside the church, the priest celebrates Mass in the open air among the graves, and parishioners are encouraged to gather at or near a family plot for the blessing that follows. It is as much a community occasion as a liturgical one: past attendees have described it as a chance to tend a grave, meet neighbours who no longer live locally, and remember those buried at Priestnewtown together rather than alone. The pastoral area’s notices describe it simply as “the Priestnewtown Cemetery Mass and Blessing of the Graves,” without additional programme detail, so expect a straightforward graveside service rather than a formal event with readings or music beyond what is customary at an outdoor Mass.

Good to know

• Date: Sunday, 13 September 2026
• Venue: Priestnewtown Cemetery, Kilquade
• Price: free, open to the public
• Recurrence: an annual fixture in the Greystones and Kilquade Pastoral Area’s cemetery Mass programme; the pastoral area also blesses graves at Lott Lane Cemetery and St Patrick’s Church Cemetery, Kilquade, separately during the year
• Bring weather-appropriate clothing, as the Mass is held outdoors regardless of conditions
• Check the pastoral area’s notices nearer the date for the exact start time, which had not been published at time of writing

Getting there

Priestnewtown Cemetery is in the townland of Kilquade, between Greystones and Newtownmountkennedy in north Wicklow. The pastoral area covers Greystones, Delgany and Kilquade, and parishioners typically drive to the cemetery given its rural setting; roadside parking is limited, so allow extra time if arriving close to the start.

While you’re in the area

Greystones town centre, with its harbour and seafront cafes, is a short drive away and worth combining with a visit. There is more to see in Greystones and across Co. Wicklow.