Church (in Ruins)

Dedicated to St Canice and known as Kilkennybeg, the Little Church of St Canice. (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 131-132). Situated in undulating countryside. A church (L c. 19m, Wth c. 14m, wall T c. 0.9m) with evidence of a narrow ope in E gable, and remains of a broken-out doorway in W gable with narrow flat-headed ope overhead. Only the foundations of N wall survive. Headstones in the surrounding subrectangular graveyard (LA022-018002-) posdate 1700. No other features visible; remains appear to be that of an early church (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 131-2). Described by Carrigan as 'The Church of Lismore is 46 ft. 9 in. long, internally by 22 ft. 4 in. wide, and had no division into nave and chancel. Part of the east gable has fallen, bringing with it most of the east window, whichh, judging from what remains, was a few feet high and very narrow. The north side-wall is very much damaged; the western half stands to its original height, about 9 ft., is 34 in. thick and is excellently preserved. The west gable is 27 and a half ft. wide and 32 in. thick. The entrance door is in this gable, but, strange to say, not in the centre of the wall, being 4 and a half ft. nearer to the north than to the south end. It is round headed, inside and outside, the arch being turned with thin, small flags laid on end; it is 5 and a half ft. high; one of the sides is broken away, but the remaining side shows a decided incline after the usual fashion of Celtic doors. As far as it is now possible to form an estimate, the original width of the door, at the ground, must have been 3ft. 3 in. and at the turninb of the arch 3 ft. 1 in. In the centre of the same west gable, high up, there is a small, very narrow window, flat at top, and splaying internally; its sides are broken and its dimensions, consequently, cannot be taken. The east gable and the adjoining half of the south side-wall, batter to a height of three feet, are built of stones of ordinary size, and present no appearance of very high antiquity. The remaining half of the south side-wall and the west gable, rise perpendicularly from their foundations, are built of very small, thin flags and hardest grouting, and, taken in connection with the inclined entrance door, must be assigned to a date anterior, perhaps by some centuries, to the Norman Invasion' (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 131). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

The church at Lismore, dedicated to St Canice and known as Kilkennybeg, was likely built in the early medieval period, possibly between the 7th and 10th centuries. Its significance lies in its association with the spread of Christianity in the region and the veneration of St Canice, a prominent early Irish saint.