Cemetery Sunday and Blessing of the Graves, Oughteragh and Drumreilly Lower Parish

What to Expect

Cemetery Sunday is one of the fixed points of the parish year in east Leitrim, the day families return to tidy a family plot and gather at the graveside for the annual blessing of the graves. In the parish of Oughteragh and Drumreilly Lower the blessing is spread across several dates and burial grounds rather than held on a single Sunday. The Oughteragh ceremony takes place on Sunday 16 August 2026 at 1:00 PM, with Mass celebrated in Oughteragh Cemetery itself, weather permitting. Sunday morning Mass in St. Patrick’s Church, Ballinamore, is at 11:00 AM as usual beforehand.

The parish asks that family plots are tidied up in advance of the ceremony, and that people bring a small bottle of holy water so they can bless their own family graves after the general blessing. Two further blessings complete the parish round. Aughawillan held its Mass and blessing of the graves on Sunday 9 August at 9:45 AM. The Priest’s Cemetery at St. Patrick’s Church, Ballinamore, will be blessed following 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday 6 September 2026. The ceremonies are outdoors and weather dependent, so clothing for the day and footwear suited to grass underfoot are worth having.

Good to Know

• Date and time: Sunday 16 August 2026, 1:00 PM, Oughteragh Cemetery
• Also in this series: Priest’s Cemetery, St. Patrick’s Church, Ballinamore, after 11:00 AM Mass on Sunday 6 September 2026
• Held annually; Aughawillan’s blessing took place on 9 August 2026
• Price: Free, no booking
• Bring a small bottle of holy water to bless your own family graves
• Family plots should be tidied in advance
• Weather permitting; parish office 071 9644039 or ballinamore@kilmorediocese.ie

Getting There

Ballinamore is on the R202 in east Leitrim, about 25 minutes by road from Carrick-on-Shannon, 30 minutes from Cavan town and 40 minutes from Enniskillen. Oughteragh Cemetery is on the edge of the town, and St. Patrick’s Church sits in the town centre with public car parks close by on and around the main street. Parking at the cemetery itself is limited on Cemetery Sunday, so arriving early or parking in town and walking the short distance is the practical option. Local Link route services serve Ballinamore from Carrick-on-Shannon and Cavan on weekdays.