Cemetery Sunday - Blessing of the Graves, Clones Parish

What to Expect

Cemetery Sunday is one of the fixed points of the parish year across Monaghan, and Clones Parish has set Sunday 6 September 2026 as its date. The parish has confirmed that the Blessing of the Graves will take place at 2pm in the Sacred Heart cemetery in Clones and in Mount St Oliver Cemetery. On the same day the blessing takes place after Mass at St Macartan’s, Aghadrumsee and at St Alphonsus, Connons, the two other churches in this border parish.

The pattern is the same in each graveyard. A priest leads prayers for the dead, walks the rows sprinkling holy water on the graves and blesses those buried there, with the congregation standing among the plots rather than in the church. Families travel back for it, often from well outside the county, and the days before it are given over to tidying and planting graves so the ground looks its best. It is a short, plain service, usually well under an hour, and it doubles as one of the few occasions in the year when scattered relatives meet each other in the one place. Anyone is welcome to attend, whether or not they have a family grave in the cemetery.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 6 September 2026, 2pm at the Sacred Heart cemetery, Clones and at Mount St Oliver Cemetery
• Also on the same day: blessing after Mass at St Macartan’s, Aghadrumsee and St Alphonsus, Connons
• Price: free, no ticket or booking needed
• Recurrence: annual, the date is set by the parish each summer and announced in the parish newsletter
• Bring an umbrella and sensible footwear, as the service is held outdoors on grass regardless of weather
• Parish office: Church Hill, Clones, telephone 047 51048

Getting There

Clones sits on the N54, roughly 20km southwest of Monaghan town and about the same distance north of Cootehill, with the N54 continuing on towards Belturbet and Cavan. Drivers coming from Monaghan or Cavan should follow signs for the town centre, then for Church Hill. Street parking is available around The Diamond and Fermanagh Street, and both cemeteries are a short walk or drive from the centre, but expect the roads nearest the graveyards to be busy from about 1.30pm as families arrive. Regional bus services connect Clones with Monaghan town and Cavan on Sundays with a reduced timetable, so check times before travelling.