Irish: Monumental (Gravestone) Inscriptions

Optional Print Course Material: Irish: Monumental (Gravestone) Inscriptions

*Course material will only be sent to students who are registered in the course.

An excellent record source that connects major life events of birth and death to known and unknown family members is transcriptions of tombstones or what are more globally known at ''monumental inscriptions'' and in Ireland, ''memorials of the dead''.  They often provide the only clues as to births and deaths of family members as they precede or out-survive other forms of primary and secondary source information. 

The course will discuss the value of these records, the time periods of their existence and use, an important review of the contents found in them as well as a discussion on their availability and access to them in, and outside of, Ireland.  In addition, we will seek to discuss and uncover some of the more indirect elements of monumental inscription understanding.  Several examples will be examined.  A case study will also be presented.