Abbey (in Ruins), Grave Yard

Situated in gently undulating terrain. Poorly preserved foundations of 'Whaley Abbey' (dims. c. 10.4m E-W; c. 7.7m N-S), a rectangular structure of uncoursed rubble. Reputed to be the site of the Abbey of Ballkine (Ronan 1927, 109). It is in the centre of a rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 50m E-W; c. 35m N-S) defined by a modern wall. Within the church is an early medieval graveslab (L 1.56m) with a full-length ringed openwork cross on the upper face. A second slab from the site with a ringed interlace cross and an inscription 'OROIT DO FACHTAIN' is now in the NMI (Braybrook 1879-81, 407). Several mid-18th and early 19th-century headstones also occur within the church. (Price 1946, 64). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 17 December 2008