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Category: History

033. tombstones in french

Like their Irish counterparts, French Catholics could also be buried in Recoleta Cemetery. There are even fewer of these tombstones left than the English-language ones.

The plaque below reads: “A Paul Ribeaumont, ses admirateurs et ses amis, 1851—1856” (To Paul Ribeaumont, [from] his admirers & friends, 1851—1856). Obviously it was given on the fifth anniversary of his death. The tomb has been chopped off by another family to the right who wanted a little extra space. No one seems to mind:

Paul Ribeaumont, Recoleta Cemetery

The tombstone below is simple & lacks decoration like some of the Irish ones. The text reads, “Ici réposé Alphonse Huppé, Né le 3 7bre 1820, décédé le 15 Aout 1858 / Priez pour lui” (Here lies Alphonse Huppé, born 03 Sept 1820, died 15 Aug 1858 / Pray for him). Oddly enough, the ground in front of the tombstone has been used at different times to grow green bell peppers by someone with a bizarre sense of humor. At the time of this post, nothing was being harvested:

Alphonse Huppé, Recoleta Cemetery

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021. tombstones in english

Lots of Irish Catholic immigrants came to Argentina along with all the Italians & Spanish. For most of its history, only Catholics could be buried in Recoleta Cemetery so any new arrivals who practiced Catholicism qualified. These aren’t easy to find… pay special attention to nooks & crannies. Simple tombstones with English inscriptions hide among the grandeur of monster-size mausoleums.

The tombstone below reads: “Sacred to the memory of Rose Casey, native of Cº [County] Westmeath Ireland, who died [date unreadable] March 1881, aged 50 years.”

Rose Casey, Recoleta Cemetery

Another reads: “Sacred to the memory of Patrick McLoughin who departed this life on the 29th of Augost [sic] 1862, aged 40 years. His beloved wife dedicates this to his memory.”

Patrick McLoughin, Recoleta Cemetery

Another with a small, neglected statue states: “Sacred to the memory of Thomas Kenny, born in Ireland on the 5th Dec 1796 and died Feb 15th 1857. His children have erected this monument to his memory.”

Thomas Kenny, Recoleta Cemetery

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