Ecclesiastical enclosure in Killappoge

It is identified with a St Mo Lappog, of whom nothing was known, by J. O'Donovan in the 1830s (O'Flanagan 1931 vol. 1, 112), and it was also known as Dromyn (D'Alton 1845, 89). Mo Lappog or Lapán is a familiar form of Labhraidh – he who speaks – and four instances are known in Ireland but there is no saint of the name (Ó Riain 2011, 391). It is situated on top of a knoll. An ecclesiastical enclosure (RO010-062003-) is visible as a D-shaped grass-covered area (dims c. 65m N-S; c. 50m E-W) defined by an earthen bank (Wth 4.5-4.7m; int. H 0.1-0.4m; ext. H 1.1-1.65m) SE-SW, and a scarp (H 1.4-1.7m) elsewhere. There is no evidence of a church (RO010-062001-) or burial, although a rectangular graveyard (RO010-062002-) (dims c. 30m E-W; c. 30m N-S), of which nothing is now visible, is marked on the 1837 ed. of the OS 6-inch map, and human bones and copper ornaments were found there c. 1860 (OS Name Book). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revised upload: 8 June 2015

Ecclesiastical enclosure in Killappoge is a likely early-medieval ringfort associated with St Mo Lappog, a figure noted by 19th-century scholars though otherwise obscure. The site, also called Dromyn, reflects a blend of Christian and pre-Christian traditions, with its name and setting suggesting a possible connection to both monastic activity and local fairy or otherworldly folklore.