Sarsfield Memorials has been pleased to restore two graves in Ford Cemetery, Litherland, on behalf of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.

The two memorials are situated in the same section of the cemetery. One of them, in the style of a Celtic cross, is over 140 years old but you would not guess that from how it looks now. This plot contains the remains of three parish priests from Holy Cross church, which stood in Great Crosshall Street until 2001.

One of the priests, Daniel Madden, died in 1883, aged only 35. Madden was born in Limerick in 1848. He came to Liverpool in 1872 and was stationed at Holy Cross, which was his first and last mission. He was reported to have the warmly sympathetic trust of his people. It was while tending to them that he caught typhus from which he died.

A more modest memorial marks the grave of Father Michael O’Ryan, another former priest at Holy Cross. A native of Co.Tipperary, he was ordained in 1917 and went to Holy Cross in 1919, spending eleven years there. He returned to Ireland for three years before being appointed as the first parish priest at St Teresa’s in Norris Green in 1933.

Whilst at St Teresa’s, O’Ryan oversaw the building of the new church, which had a capacity of 1,000 as well as the presbytery and school.  In 1939 he left to become the Provincial of the Anglo-Irish province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (O.M.I.) but returned in 1945, staying for two years. O’Ryan was Assistant General of the O.M.I. from 1947 to 1953, then spent three years in Australia as a Provincial there. His last priesthood was at St Mary’s in Leith, Edinburgh, a post he held at the time of his death in October 1958.

As you can see from the photos, the Carrera marble memorials have been restored to a very high standard and really stand out in their section at Ford Cemetery. We have taken great care to do this using the most suitable materials. If you are interested in having a family memorial restored, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be more than happy to assist.