Christiaan Corlett: 18th Century Decorative Graves of Wicklow and surrounds

This talk will explore the small number of stonecutters who were responsible for the majority of 18th century headstones that can be found throughout the graveyards of County Wicklow and neighbouring counties. For many people these headstones are generally an important source of genealogical information. Perhaps less well-known is just how important many of these headstones are from an art historical perspective. This talk will examine the evolution of headstones in the county during the 18th century and explore the religious carvings that developed during this period, as well as some of the social issues that they reflect.