Page 12 - Leaflet-A4_FINALv3

Aughrim Granite Headstone 3.3
Denis Cullen
Denis Cullen from Monaseed County
Wexford carved some of the finest
headstones in Wicklow and Wexford
between the late 1750s and 1780s.
He carved in greenstone and the skill
and quality of his work influenced
many stonecutters of the era. Cullen
in best known for his carvings of the
crucifixion scene, a great example of
this can be seen in Preban, headstone
4.5 which commemorates John
Dumville who died in 1783.
There are five headstones carved by
Cullen in Preban which display his
differing styles depicting crucifixion
scenes, angels, sunbursts and his
ornate cursive script (2.3, 4.5, 15.2,
18.8 and 19.10). The date range for
the headstones which Cullen carved
in Preban is between 1765 and 1783.
10
Aughrim Granite Headstones
The Aughrim granite headstones
a term coined by Chris Corlett and
comprises a large body of unsigned
distinctive headstones. The
headstones are carved in bold relief
and completely different in style to
contemporary headstones like those
of Denis Cullen. They are based on
architectural forms from the Baroque
period and in particular furniture as
represented by the rosettes that
feature on so many headstones. The
date range of these headstones in
Preban are from 1738-1776.
There are eleven Aughrim Granite
headstones at Preban (3.3, 4.6, 9.8,
10.5, 10.7, 10.12, 11.1, 11.3, 13.7,
14.4 and 16.1).
Denis Cullen headstone 4.5
Blue Slate Headstones
The blue slate headstones are the
most numerous style of headstone,
Corlett has identified over 120 so far
in Wicklow’s Graveyards. They are
found in the east of the county only
and were all carved by an unnamed
sculptor. The two examples at Preban
feature a rounded top and stepped
shoulders with deeply carved writing
(14.3 and 19.14). The decoration
differs between the two headstones.
The Byrne headstone comprises
a cross in relief surrounded by a
sunburst and the inscription reads
‘Glory be to God on High and Peace
to men of good will’ (14.3).
Blue Slate Headstone 14.3
Purple Slate Headstones
The purple slate headstones a term
coined by Chris Corlett refers to a
group of headstones made from
purple slate and like the Blue Slate
Headstones are numerous in quantity.
They span the era between 1720 up
The decoration on the headstone
dedicated to the Toole’s (19.4) which
is carved within a sunburst comprises
a small incised cross with an IHS
monogram beneath the cross. A pair
of incised spirals flank the main panel
and perhaps represent the influence
of Denis Cullen.
The headstone dedicated to James
Byrne dates from 1775 however the
date of his daughter Bridget’s death
is not commemorated (14.3) The
date is also missing from the second
headstone dedicated to Mary and
John Toole, however the inscription is
interesting ‘beging of all Cristins prayr’
(19.14).
Purple Slate Headstone 10.10
to the 1780’s. They were carved by at
least four stone cutters and the slate
may have come from a slate quarry
in Ashford. There is one headstone
here in Preban dedidicated to David
Harney who died in 1780 (10.10).
11