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| Kiely monument |
This monument commemorates the Kiely
family of Dungarvan. The main panel is
inscribed:
“Mrs Mary Kiely Relict of Maurice
Kiely of Dungarvan who died 1887 aged 67 years.
Erected in affectionate memory by her son the Rev. John V. Kiely, Pastor
of the Church of the Transfiguration, Brooklyn, New York”.
The pedestal carries a statue of the Virgin standing on a cloud with Angel’s heads. This is a unique monument as it was not carved in Ireland but was shipped from New York. The carver was John G. Draddy (1833-1904) and his brother. It is stamped on the base “Draddy Bros, New York”. They were based in Broadway and did marble and bronze memorials. John created a sculpture of Thomas Moore in Prospect Park and the bronze figures (1866) surrounding the Civil War monument in Calvery Cemetery which commemorates 21 Catholic soldiers who died of wounds in the Civil War. They also carved the August Daly altar and Coleman memorial in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York. Draddy is an Irish surname, but John was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Rev. John Kiely was born in Dungarvan in
1847. He was a graduate of Mount
Melleray. He was the youngest priest ever ordained for the diocese of Brooklyn
at 22. He was ordained on 24th June 1869 at All Hallows. Soon
after he was placed in charge of St. Mary's Church, Brooklyn. In 1881 he took over the parish of The
Transfiguration in the eastern district, where he oversaw the construction of a
new church in 1892. He had four
brothers, Rev. Joseph of Chicago, Philip based in Australia, Maurice of
Dungarvan and Edmund of Waterbury Conn.
Rev. J. M. Kiely died in August 1899.
There is a monstrance which was made for the Rev. Kiely in the museum.
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| Rev. J. M. Kiely |
