Church in Loughsallagh

Situated on a slight rise on a level landscape. A church at Loughsallagh is not listed in the Ussher (1622) (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxviii-lxxii) or Dopping (1682-5) Visitations (Ellison 1971, 37-9) as a church in the deanery of Ratoath. Cogan (1862-70, vol. 1, 190) records that a church dedicated to St. Michael had been levelled. There is no evidence of a church within an oval graveyard (dims c. 55m N-S; c. 35m E-W) defined by an earthen bank (at SW: Wth 3.2m; int. H 0.5m; ext. H 1.8m) with trees and an outer flat-bottomed fosse or drain (at SW: Wth of top 4m; Wth of base 1.4m; ext. D 0.7m). Cogan (ibid.) records that devotions at St. Michael’s well within the graveyard had been discontinued since c. 1810, but the well remains as a rectangular sunken area (dims 1.1m x 1.1m; D 1m) retained by drystone walling and with a grass-covered mound (Wth 1-1.5m; H 0.2-0.4m) around it on every side, except the W. There is no evidence of veneration. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 12 November 2014