Brabazon Family Memorial
The Brabazon family memorial ceremony will take place in Swinford on June 20th, 2018 at 2.30pm. The ceremony will take place in the recently restored Church of Ireland graveyard in Swinford. Six Brabazon family plaques and two Brabazon sarcophagi (in the extant crypt of the demolished St Mary’s church) were discovered following the restoration by Mayo County Council. The ceremony will be a blessing service for the Brabazon family conducted by Canon Andrea Wills of Foxford COI and Fr Dermot Meehan PP Swinford. The plaques will be wall-mounted and the entrance to the crypt cleared.
The hosts are: Michael Brabazon, his daughter Bridget, his son James, and his grandchildren Max and Bella.
Guests are: the Earl & Countess of Meath (Head of the Brabazon Family); Swinford Brabazons; Mayo historians – Anne Chambers, Bernard O’Hara, Nollaig O Muraile, Bridget Clesham and Eamonn Henry; Mayo County Council representatives; Cllr Michael Smyth of Swinford; Joe Mellett, Marie Walsh, Michael Comer, Brendan Cassidy.
All are welcome on this red-letter day for Swinford.
The Brabazon family founded the town of Swinford nearly 250 years ago and have been involved in many aspects of community life in the town. Sir William Brabazon MP (1776-1840), a member of O’Connell’s party, was responsible for much of the development of Swinford in the early 19th century. His sarcophagus is one of those discovered.
There will be a Swinford historical talk that evening at 8pm in The Gateway Hotel, Main Street chaired by Bernard O’Hara, author of ‘Exploring Mayo’.
