Church in Brewel West

To NW of centre in a graveyard (KD032-021001-). In 1837, O’Conor, who co-compiled the OSL for County Kildare, recorded, ‘The churchyard in which this church stood lies in Usk townland [actually lies just outside Usk’s townland boundary, in the townland of Brewel West – no church or graveyard is recorded in Usk.], and is used as a burial ground. It is doubted among the people whether there ever was a church within it, or not, as there are no vestiges of one at present to be seen there, a tradition, however, exists that there was formerly a chapel within this graveyard, and we have on the authority of Archdall, where in his Monasticon, he speaks of the Nunnery of Timolin (KD036-025002-), that ‘William Piro’ who was made bishop of Glendaloch (sic) in 1192, as a further endowment to this Nunnery (i.e. of Timolin) did grant the Church of Uske and its chapels in the rural deanery of Tristledermot’ (Herity 2002, 95-6 [26-7]). According to Ronan (1941a, 53), ‘The Calf family (Vitallus, Veale) got the lands [of Ecclesia de Huske] in early Anglo-Norman times, … .’. In 1630, the church and chancel were described as ‘ruinous … [with] not above seven persons that frequent the church to heare divine service.’ (Ronan 1941b, 96). The levelled remains of a rectangular structure (int. 20.2m ESE-WNW; 6.2m NNE-SSW) are defined by a low stony bank (int. H 0.1m; Wth 2.8m; ext. H 0.6m) along the W side, and elsewhere by low scarps (H 0.4-0.5m) along the N and E sides, where the interior is lower than outer ground level, and by a higher scarp (H 1.8m) along the W, where the interior is higher than outer ground level. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 18 October 2013

The Church in Brewel West is a small medieval church, likely built in the 13th or 14th century, and is dedicated to Saint Brigid. It is significant as a rural example of early Christian architecture in Ireland, though its builder remains unidentified.