Church in Kilmacteige

In undulating pasture, on an E-facing slope. There is no evident trace in Kilmacteige graveyard (SL036-021003-) of the medieval parish church (SL036-021002-) which had disappeared by 1836 (OSL, 389). In the NW quadrant is the roofless ruin of the 18th/19th-century C of I parish church. This is a small gable-ended rectangular structure (ext. 14.7m E-W; 7.02m N-S) whose walls (T 0.60m) are built of rendered random-rubble limestone, with ashlar (limestone) details. There is a square-headed doorway in the W gable, two round-headed windows in the S wall, and a single large round-headed window in the E gable. According to Mason (1816, vol. 2, 358), it was damaged in the rebellion of 1798, 'but has since been put into decent repair' though it contained only 'four pews'; it was again in a state of disrepair by the 1830s (Bowen 1970, 211). Pilgrimages from this church to 'Tober Keerann' holy well (SL036-020----) were held on the last Sunday in July (ITA). Wood-Martin (1892, 357, n. 1) recorded a number of possible bullaun stones (SL036-021006-) in the immediate vicinity of the church. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008