This substantial stone memorial measures 2.16 metres long, 0.93 metres wide and 8 centimetres thick; its weathered surface bearing witness to nearly four centuries of Irish history.

The graveslab commemorates Major Richard Samsone, who died on 6 March 1652, and his daughter Ann Wray, who passed away on 11 September 1678. The inscription, though worn by time, tells a poignant story spanning 26 years between father and daughter’s deaths. Major Samsone died during the tumultuous period of the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland, when the country was torn apart by war and political upheaval. His military rank suggests he may have been involved in these conflicts, though which side he fought for remains unclear from the inscription alone.

Today, the graveslab rests exposed to the elements in the graveyard, having been removed from its original position within the church at some point in the past. Such memorials were typically reserved for prominent local families who could afford elaborate stone carvings and prime burial locations within the church itself. The survival of this particular graveslab offers visitors a tangible connection to Fahan’s 17th century community and the families who shaped its history during one of Ireland’s most turbulent periods.