What is recorded here

Dotted outline is an ecclesiastical enclosure in County Offaly, Ireland, where a ruined sandstone church leans beside a circular earth bank that may have marked an Early Christian boundary. The Headache stone still accepts small offerings in its central socket, perhaps because people believe touch or placement there eases pain. Its bulbous base and worn edge suggest it stood as a cross or marker before becoming part of the wall, carrying prayer into ordinary building.

Situated on the S facing slope of rising ground overlooking river to the S. Rectangular undivided church (OF042-014----) built with uncoursed sandstone rubble with S, E and W walls surviving and grass covered wall footings of the N wall. At the base of the S wall at the E end of the church there is a circular shaped stone (diam. 0.75m) with central socket (diam. 0.12m; D 0.21m) which has a bulbous shaped convex base. The stone is now used as part of the fabric for the wall construction. The socket has votive offerings placed inside it by people visiting the church and is known locally as the 'Headache stone'. It may have been a possible base of a cross. The graveyard (OF042-014001-) is enclosed by a circular earth and stone bank (Wth 2m: ext. H 1.3m) possibly an Early Christian enclosure. The evidence from the church would suggest two building phases possibly an early medieval phase represented by the two blocked up windows and a later medieval phase represented by the surviving limestone window. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

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