Ballinalacken Church (in ruins)

On a NW-facing slope of the Slieveardagh hills with higher ground to the S and E and good views of lower ground to the NW and W. Nearby St Patrick's Well (TS048-042002-) is to the S of the church, just across a stream running along the S wall of the graveyard (TS048-042004-) (L 80m; Wth 20m). According to the papal letters, Ballinlacken church was vacant in the year 1491 (McCormack 1989, 14). Only half of the E gable (ext. dims. L. 4m; wall T 0.8m; H 3m; int. L 2.2m), the lower wall-footings (H 0.6m) of the S wall (ext. dims. L 17m) and W gable ( ext. dims. L. 5.8m; H 1.8m) of remain of a simple rectangular church (approx. dims. ext. 7m N-S; 17m E-W) built of roughly coursed limestone rubble. Nothing visible remains of the N wall of the church. The graveyard is enclosed by a roughly coursed limestone wall (H 1.2m ; wall T 0.45m), with 18th and 19th-century headstones inside and to the S of the church, but no grave-markers in the SE quadrant. Two architectural fragments (TS048-042003-) from the church, a chamfered jamb stone with a glazing-bar hole from a window and the central head of a twin-light limestone window with decoration on its external face in the form of a marigold pattern within an incised circle, is located SW of the church, have been re-used as grave-markers. The latter may have been from the original E window of the church, and is locally believed to be the grave-marker of a pauper's grave. Two other architectural fragments (TS048-042005-), most likely from the church, have been reused as stepping stones in the stream to the S, between the graveyard and the holywell. Both fragments have roll-mouldings and appear to be from a doorway, probably of 13th-century date. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 11 May 2015