Ecclesiastical enclosure in Timoney

Situated on a break of slope with land falling away to the SW, in very undulating, rough pasture with a lot of outcrop and drainage activity. An ecclesiastical site founded by Augustinian canons in the twelfth/thirteenth century (Gleeson 1915, vol. 2, 347). Referred to as the 'rectory of Twomahone' in the Royal Inquisition of 1568 (Stout 1984, 106). Present remains consist of the ivy-clad ruins of a medieval church (TN018-010001-) standing in the N quadrant of a graveyard (TN018-010003-) both of which stand in the centre of a large enclosure. According to the OS Letters the large graveyard was 'not enclosed by any wall or mound' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 91). An aerial photograph taken in 1973 (GSIAP, S 81/80) shows a large curving earthwork 50m to the E of the church and graveyard. This may be part of a larger ecclesiastical enclosure (diam. N-S 115m) which originally surrounded the site. Present remains of the earthwork are visible from N-E-S, the circuit of this earthwork is not visible elsewhere due to the nature of the terrain which consists of a lot of rock outcrop forming natural terracing and which appears to have been quarried out in places. NE of the church there is quite a substantial earthen bank (Wth 2.3-5.6m; int. H 1.43m; ext. H 0.9m) and a wide, flat-bottomed fosse (W 3.3m; D 0.64m) with quite a steep counterscarp, elsewhere the inner bank has been reduced to a scarp. A possible causewayed entrance can be seen at E. It is not certain if this earthwork fully enclosed the church and graveyard as there is no evidence of any enclosing element from S through W to N. Bing Maps aerial photographs (http://binged.it/1KTbnhG) taken in November 2011 possibly indicates the line of the levelled enclosure from S through W to N. The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). The attached Bing Maps image (TN018-010002-_05.jpg) shows faint outline of possible circuit of levelled enclosure from S-W-N. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien & Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 13 February 2015