Church (Site of)

Possibly an early ecclesiastical site, identified by J. O'Donovan in 1837 as Cill Beo Aid (O'Flanagan 1931, vol. 1, 41), and situated on a slight E-facing slope. The church as marked on the OS 6-inch map is a rectangular structure (int. dims. 6.8m E-W; 3.4m N-S) defined by a stone spread with one large stone (L 1.1m; H 0.4m) on the inner face of the E wall but the W wall is missing. It may be a house site but it is inside the perimeter of an ecclesiastical enclosure (RO015-047003-) at SE and is marked as an RC church on the 1837 ed. Of the OS 6-inch map. The enclosure is a subcircular grass-covered area (int. dims. 96m N-S; 83m E-W) defined by a grass-covered stone spread (Wth 4-5m; int. H 0.3-0.6m; ext. H 0.1m at W to 1m at E) which is truncated by an E-W stone wall and townland boundary at N (L 40m) but nothing survives N of this in Ballynahowna. The enclosure is bisected by a N-S relict field boundary represented by a grass-covered stone spread (Wth 2.7-3m; H 0.3-0.4m). This is part of a later field system (RO015-047007-) which extends beyond the enclosure but includes two small fields (int. dims. 25m x 31m: 15m x 8m) within it. In addition there are two house sites associated with the fields within the enclosure. At the centre of the enclosure is a grass-covered area (RO015-047004-) (ext. dims. 8.8m E-W; c. 8m N-S) defined by low scarps, with a small quarry S of it. Attached to the W of the central field boundary is a house (RO015-047005-) (int. dims. 8.8m N-S; 4m E-W) defined by low banks or scarps. Just to the W of this is a childrens burial ground (RO015-047002-), consisting of a small rectangular stone-lined grave (int. dims. 1.2m N-S; 0.8m E-W) with other stones extending from it to the W. A small Latin cross (RO015-047006-) (H 0.32m; Wth 0.25m) is associated with it. (Martin 1992, 19) Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 24 August 2010