Ecclesiastical enclosure in Bordwell Big

Not marked on the 1839 or 1908 eds OS 6-inch maps. An Early Christian foundation was established here (Carrigan 1905, 58). In the thirteenth century the church was granted to the Augustinians of St. Thomas's Abbey, Dublin by Thomas de Hereford. In 1345 the Irish of the Slieve Bloom burned the church (LA028-034001-) (Dowling 1981, 15). In a low lying area. A short stretch of a bank and fosse at W, and a shallow fosse (Wth c. 10m, D c. 0.3m) from NW-NE, outside the graveyard (LA028-034002-) wall, indicate the line of an early enclosure (LA028-034003-) around the site. Area around church and graveyard and ecclesiastical enclosure was investigated by Dominic Delaney in the year 2000 under excavation licence no. 00E0159. 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

An ecclesiastical enclosure in Bordwell Big, likely dating to the early medieval period, was established as an Early Christian foundation and later granted to the Augustinians of St. Thomas's Abbey, Dublin, in the thirteenth century. Its association with monastic orders suggests a long history of religious use, though no specific folklore is recorded.