Grave Yard

The parish church of Kilcloon is situated on a slight rise in a level landscape. At its suppression in 1540 the tithes of Kilcone and Balradan were amongst the possessions of St Peter’s Augustinian abbey in Newtown Trim (ME036-049003-) (White 1940, 297). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel at Kilcloane as ruined (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxix). According to Dopping's Visitation Book (1682-5) the church and chancel were ruined and it was not enclosed (Elliot 1972, 5). Cogan (1862-70, vol. 2, 359) says the foundations measured ’69 feet by 13 feet, 3 inches (c. 21m x c. 4m)’. There are no visible remains of the church now apart from one piece of a sandstone window surround (dims 0.29m x 0.18; L 0.81m) in a D-shaped graveyard (dims c. 60m NNE-SSW; c. 55m WNW-ESE) with straight sides at W and S. The perimeter is defined by an earthen bank (at NE: Wth 4m; int. H 0.8m; ext. H 2.4m) and outer fosse (Wth of top 5.3m; Wth of base 2m; ext. D 0.8m) on every side except the S where there is a WNW-ESE section of a small N-S stream and a public road. The headstones date from c. 1760 to the present. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 10 April, 2015