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faith · Sunday 30 August 2026 · 11:30am 
Blessing of the Graves, Kilronan
At Kilronan Cemetery · Kilronan, near Ballyfarnan, Co. Roscommon
At Kilronan Cemetery · Kilronan, near Ballyfarnan, Co. Roscommon
Kilronan Cemetery, on the old monastic site near Lough Meelagh close to Ballyfarnan, holds its blessing of the graves on Sunday, 30 August 2026 at 11:30am. Kilronan is one of the more historic burial grounds in this part of Roscommon, sitting beside the ruined medieval abbey associated with St Ronan, and the annual blessing draws people from the wider parish as well as families with graves on the site who no longer live in the area. It is the last of the county’s main blessing of the graves dates in the summer calendar.
The service is a short outdoor ceremony rather than a full Mass in most years, with the priest blessing each grave in turn as he moves through the cemetery, often accompanied by prayers recited by the gathered families. Because Kilronan sits next to the abbey ruins, the setting is more atmospheric than a typical parish cemetery, and the ceremony has a quiet, historic feel to it. Families generally spend the preceding days tidying graves and cutting back growth, since much of the site is old ground with older, less-maintained plots as well as more recent burials. Expect a modest crowd of a few dozen to a hundred or so, depending on the weather, gathered loosely around the graves rather than seated. There is no formal booking or ticketing; anyone with a connection to the parish or an interest in the site is welcome to attend.
Kilronan is a rural townland reached from Ballyfarnan or Keadue on minor roads close to Lough Meelagh, in the far north of County Roscommon near the Leitrim and Sligo borders. There is no public transport to the site, so a car is necessary, and roadside parking is informal and limited on the day.
Ballyfarnan is the nearest village, a small crossroads settlement close to Lough Meelagh and Kilronan’s abbey ruins, worth combining with a walk around the lake if the weather holds. There is more to see in Ballyfarnan and across Co. Roscommon.
Heading to Kilronan Cemetery in Ballyfarnan? Roscommon has plenty more to see. Read the Ballyfarnan area guide, find what else is on, and explore the towns and villages nearby.