Situated on the road to Craddockstown and close to the Naas Hospital site, the cemetery is the final resting place for the former inmates of the workhouse in Naas and the many others who were victims of the Great Famine.
They were remembered by th
e Naas Local History group members who assembled at the graveyard despite the wet and windy conditions in what is an annual event to recall the tragic lives of those laid to rest there.
A poignant prayer service was conducted by Very Rev. Bishop Roy Warke, who commenced his prayerful reflection with an apt quotation from the Book of Ruth.
History group chairman Brendan Cullen, reminded the gathering that the people buried beneath their feet were mostly from Naas and had come on hard times;
He said: "They lost everything, including their lives, through starvation and disease."
He added that while the people interred in the graveyard may be anonymous, they are not forgotten and they never will be forgotten as long as there is an active history group in Naas to keep their memory alive.
Local poet, Mae Leonard, a member of the group, read a poignant poem she had composed especially for the occasion.
Several group members then contributed devout reflections of their own and the concluding prayers were recited by parish priest Rev. Fr. Tom McDonnell.
