Recent damage to a grave on Devenish Island
THE GRAVESTONE of descendants of the ‘last prince of Fermanagh’, situated on Devenish Island, has been desecrated by vandals in a fire.
The Island, famous for its round tower, was the target for criminals some time in the last two weeks as a 19th Century grave stone was damaged by fire causing the flat stone to crack in several positions and for the writing/transcript to be lost.
The attack took place in the Lower graveyard of the island – within the Maguire Mausoleum.
The inscription on the gravestone destroyed by the fire read: ‘Philip Maguire of Enniskillen departed this life December 13th 1806 aged 84 years – and Margaret Maguire March 8th 1811, aged 74 years. In their memory was this simple pledge of respect – dedicated by their Son-in-law Peter Maguire Doctor of Medicine’.
The last descendant of the Princes of Fermanagh interred in this mausoleum was a Miss Maguire, the daughter of Peter Maguire, MD, who died about 1865’.
Police in Fermanagh are investigating the criminal damage and Inspector Roy Robinson said: “A 19th century grave slab, marking the grave of the parents of the ‘last prince of Fermanagh’ was damaged by fire causing the flat stone to crack in several places, resulting in the destruction of most of the transcription.”
Threats to Devenish Island are, of course, nothing new, with the site surviving the threat of fire, ruin and Viking attacks as early as 837AD, but this latest attack has been widely condemned.
A Department of Environment spokesman commented: “Devenish monastic site is a unique, tranquil, and beautiful place.
“It has been threatened before by fire and ruin, in days of warfare and even Viking attack hundreds of years ago. But in the modern day there can be no place for vandalism at this site, or indeed the destruction of gravestones and property.”
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