Graveyard in Ballyconra

On a slight ridge in the valley floor with good views in all directions. The field surrounding the church has numerous earthworks (KK009-013005-) indicative of settlement, possibly associated with the church. Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 310-12) describes the various references to the church and parish of Aharney, with its various different spellings since the 13th century. The medieval church (KK009-013001-) is located in the SW quadrant of a large rectangular graveyard (dims. c. 70m NW-SE; c. 75m NE-SW) defined by a low earthen bank (int. H 0.4-0.65m; ext. H 0.8-1.1m; Wth 1m at crest; overall Wth 2.5m) with a high stone content. There is a possible entrance (Wth 3.9m) towards the N end of the E side and another (Wth 2.8m) S of the SE angle. Only the SW portion of the graveyard remains in use and this smaller section of the graveyard (dims. c. 47m NE-SW; c. 44m NW-SE tapering towards the E to c. 25m) is enclosed by a 20th-century stone wall which is not indicated on the 1st (1839) ed. OS 6-inch map but is marked on the 1900 revision. The graveyard is situated in the SW portion of a larger sub-rectangular earthwork (KK009-013005-). Within the former chancel of the church, which was converted into a mortuary chapel, there is a wall monument (KK009-013006-) and a graveslab (KK009-013007-). The more recently enclosed graveyard is densely populated with headstones dating to the 18th, 19th and 20th-century.

On a slight ridge in the valley floor with good views in all directions. The field surrounding the church has numerous earthworks (KK009-013005-) indicative of settlement, possibly associated with the church. Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 310-12) describes the various references to the church and parish of Aharney, with its various different spellings since the 13th century. The medieval church (KK009-013001-) is…