Ecclesiastical enclosure in Ballyallaban

On the grounds of ‘Ballyallaban House’ in level, improved pasture at the foot of a steep NW-facing slope. While there is no known historic record of an ecclesiastical site at this location, the presence of a bullaun (CL005-095002-), a cross slab (CL005-095003-) and a report of human burials there led Sheehan and Moore (1981, 5-8) to examine the area. They recorded a poorly preserved oval enclosure (130m E-W; 95m N-S) defined from NE-E-SSW by an earthen bank (av. H 1m) and tree line, from SSW-NW by an old road and from NW to NE by a modern field boundary. A raised area in the NW sector (diam. 25m), where the cross and bullaun are located, was pointed out to them as the location of finds of human remains and shell middens by the landowner. They interpreted the monument assemblage as the possible remains of an early monastic site and suggested that it may have been abandoned after losing patronage following the reorganisation of the Irish church in the mid-twelfth century. A field inspection in 1999 failed to identify any surface trace of the enclosure. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy and Ros Ó Maoldúin Date of upload: 20 January 2023

An ecclesiastical enclosure in Ballyallaban, likely dating to the early medieval period, is associated with a bullaun stone, suggesting a possible monastic or ritual function. Local tradition may link the site to fairy lore, as is common with such ancient religious or ceremonial places in Irish landscapes.