What is recorded here

Enclosure in Leggetsrath East preserves a vanished church through a low earthen ring and a granite pillar standing one metre above grass. The pillar is not a random marker but the surviving shaft of a high cross, its ringed cross-head recovered from beside it. neighbouring fields still use church names, as if the land kept repeating the shape of the building after the building disappeared.

Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 226-7) describes the church at Leggetsrath East as being, ‘in a field called the “churchfield.” All traces of it have been obliterated; but the circular earthen rampart, about 30 yds. [c. 27m] in diameter, that enclosed it, is still distinctly traceable. In the very centre of the enclosing ring, is an ancient pillar-stone of granite, standing to a height of 3½ ft. [c. 1m] over the ground’. He also mentions that, ‘The next field to the south of the “Church field” is called the “Killeen,” or Little Church, from its proximity to the site of the old church’ (ibid.). According to O’Kelly (1969, 91), ‘the field adjoining [the enclosure] to the east in Cellarstown is called “the Cillín”’. There is no visible trace of a church (KK019-030001-) at ground level, however, the enclosure survives as a roughly oval area (diam. c. 28m N-S; c. 33m E-W) defined by a low earthen bank. It occupies the N portion of a small square field (c. 53m NE-SW and NW-SE) under grass. Further investigations within the enclosure (Prendergast 1964, 5-16) revealed a large ringed cross-head, suggesting that the pillar stone is the shaft of a high cross (KK019-030003-). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 5 October 2020

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.