John Martin's grave, St Bartholemew's Cof I Churchyard, Donaghmore Road, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1SE

The grave of John Martin, a prominent 19th-century Irish political figure, stands on the north side of St Bartholomew’s Churchyard. The plot is enclosed by a chamfered granite dwarf wall that originally supported railings. The plot itself is cemented over, and two early to mid-19th century family gravestones lie flat at the lower end. The main memorial is an upstanding stone of polished Newry granite, bearing an inscription commemorating John Martin’s birth on September 8, 1812, and his death on March 20, 1875, and referencing his dedication to Irish causes.

The Martin family reputedly arrived in the Loughorne townland in 1736 as tenants. John Martin's parents, John and Jane, married early in the 19th century and resided at Loughorne Cottage, a now ruinous property off the Manse Hill Road. John Martin, their second son, was born in 1812. A prosperous farmer, he initially trained as a doctor but later inherited Loughorne House from his uncle, leading him to pursue a political career. A Presbyterian, he supported political causes and became a notable "Young Irelander" and Secretary of the Home Rule Party, ultimately facing exile in Tasmania for his political views. He later served as a Member of Parliament for Meath and maintained a lifelong friendship with John Mitchell. In 1868, he married Henrietta, John Mitchell’s sister. He collapsed during the funeral of John Mitchell in 1875 and died nine days later at Mitchell’s residence, Dromalane House. The monument is situated near a Celtic Cross, a Scheduled Monument.