What is recorded here

Grave Yard in County Cork holds a ruined tower and mid-19th century headstones inside a ditch-bound rectangle, marking a parish church already broken in 1615. The Church of Ireland rebuilt Riverstown there in 1829, then local memory claims its stones helped refashion Butlerstown House after 1923. A laneway from the west still gives access, while the surviving tower rises beside whatever human love, fear or pride first shaped the place.

Approached by laneway from W; subrectangular graveyard (c. 60m N-S; c. 60m E-W) enclosing site of ancient parish church (CO064-054002-), in ruins by 1615 (Brady 1863, vol. 1, 26). In 1700 the church described as 'built with stone and clay; half the walls are down; the churchyard is fenct with a ditch'. C of I church of Riverstown built here in 1829 (Lewis 1837, vol. 1); according to local information demolished in 1923; stones used to rebuilt nearby Butlerstown House. Short section of W wall of church survives with tower attached; hexagonal with spire, on rectangular base (2.9m N-S; 3.8m E-). Inscribed headstones date from mid-19th century; in occasional use. Parish 'sometimes called Kilroan' (Lewis 1837, vol. 1, 132), 'better known as Ballylucra' (Coleman 1907-9e, 258); Ruown well (CO064-053----) to W. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

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