Church (Site of)

Situated at the S edge of a fairly level landscape with a small canalised stream c. 70m to the S. This could be a chapel-of-ease to the parish church of Moymet (ME030-021-----) c. 2.5km to the WSW, which was impropriate to the Augustinian priory at Mullingar. At the Suppression in 1540 Skyrowan is listed among the townlands of Moymet, but there is no mention of a church there (White 1943, 289). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chapel of Moymet as repaired (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxxiii), but Iskaroon is not mentioned by Dopping (1682-5) (Ellison 1972, 10). Cogan (1862-70, 2, 369) says the cemetery was discontinued and the church was dedicated to St. Bridget, whose well was just to the W under an elm tree, although Kilbride townland where no church site is known is c. 1km to the W. The church is marked as a small structure on the 1836 ed. of the OS 6-inch map within a subrectangular graveyard (max. dims c. 55m NW-SE; c. 40m NE-SW), which is no longer evident. The grass covered foundations of a small building (dims 14m WNW-ESE; c. 6m NNE-SSW) survive on a mound (dims c. 25m WNW-ESE; c. 15m NNE-SSW) defined by scarps (H 0.4-0.7m) with traces of a bank N-E, c. 10m distant from church. There is a tree at the centre of the church with a plaque (Wth 0.45m; H 0.4m) commemorating Robert Baron Trimbletown dated 1687 at its foot, but the plaque was once at the well (ibid.). 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 revision: 5 January 2015