The Story of Preban Graveyard, Co. Wicklow

A short two - part documentary

By Deirdre Burns

Older graveyards are often  treasure troves of all sorts of information about the history, genealogy, archaeology, arts and crafts, traditions and folklore of a locality. Nowhere is this more apparent than at Preban, near Annacurra in south county Wicklow, where a local graveyard committee have embarked upon their own journey of discovery in recent years, and in the process unearthed some amazing information about the hidden heritage on their doorstep.

The Story of Preban Graveyard is a two part documentary supported by the Heritage Council and the Heritage Office of Wicklow County Council as an action of the County Heritage Plan.

Part 1 Describes  the historical origins of the graveyard and the wider  area,  and charts the steps taken by the local committee to record the local folklore, history and headstones.

Part 2 Showcases the comprehensive programme of archaeological research work undertaken under the guidance of local archaeologist Yvonne Whitty. This work included geophysical survey and laser scanning and was made possible through funding from County Wicklow Partnership under the LEADER programme.

The purpose of this documentary video is two-fold: One, to inform about the fascinating heritage of Preban graveyard and two, to guide and encourage other groups to carry out similar projects in their local areas.

Click on the clips below to watch and let us know what you think. We hope to add more information about Preban and other graveyards in Wicklow to this website in the future so please let us know if you have any information that you would like to submit.