In 2006 I wrote an article entitled "The Land League and the Crossmaglen Conspiracy". This article was published in Volume 17 No. 2 of North Irish Roots. In the article I had pointed out that the burial place of Michael Watters was not known to his family. 

In August this year (2007) I made a visit to Dublin. Prior to the visit I had checked a map of Dublin and the location of the nearest cemetery to Mountjoy jail. The nearest cemetery was Glasnevin less than a half mile away on Finglas Road. I visited the cemetery and put in a request for a grave search. I left a copy of Michael's death certificate to help assist in the search. 

On the 20th October I received an e‑mail from "Maureen" at Glasnevin Cemetery. This e‑mail gave the following details; 

Grave Search Michael Watters 

Michael Watters,

Armagh, Co. Armagh,

died 22nd October 1883,

Aged 20.

Mountjoy Prison

Plot No: HG 183.5 GARDEN

On Thursday 25th October 2007 I again visited the cemetery. The cemetery is in the middle of an extensive refurbishment programme including the clearance of ivy and other invasive shrubbery and the leveling and reseeding of cleared areas. As was to be expected the grave of Michael Watters is unmarked but I was able to find the exact location as I found the grave marked by the headstone numbered HG 183.

In the 1800's this area of the graveyard was the Poor Ground and there are possibly other unrelated burials in this grave. There was a payment scheme in the graveyard back then and families could have come back within a few years and purchase the site. However many families never returned and after a period of 80‑100 years the cemetery reclaimed the graves. These graves are now being resold today. 

The fallen headstone is numbered HG 183.  Michael's unmarked grave (HG 183.5) is just to the centre and front (as viewed from the image) of the fallen headstone.

Syl Maguire
B1403