The Tullylish Historical Society are greatly indebted to
George Wilson, Graves Registrar of Tullylish Church of Ireland for retrieving brass relics from an unmarked grave in their parish cemetery. Because the grave was ‘lined’, we can be quite certain that is was a ‘priest’s grave’ and from records available it would appear to be the grave of
Dr. Arthur Magennis, Parish priest of Tullylish, who died in 1784.

Dr. Magennis is credited with providing the first Post - Reformation chapel in the united parishes of Tullylish, Seapatrick, Magherally and Donacloney 

‘The chapel may not have been grand but it served as a useful beginning and long before Fr. Magennis died in April 1784, it was acknowledged …… as a “Roman Catholic Chapel” …
(A History of Tullylish by Plunkett Campbell)

In Monsignor Christopher Murray’s historical notes referring to Dr. Magennis he writes “perhaps he is one of the three priests buried in the old cemetery at Tullylish”.
From our own church records, we know the first priest buried in our own cemetery was Fr. Hugh O’Kelly (1784 -1820)  who succeeded Fr. Magennis

The items recovered are the coffin handles, crucifix and various other small brass plates. Although they are not in the best of condition, it is fantastic to have these ‘relics’.