What is recorded here

Graveyard in Rathealy holds no visible markers because a later enclosure cut across its northern edge and stopped new burials around 1820. The medieval church ruins still lie slightly south of centre, exposed only when grass and memory are read together. A forgotten church may have stood there long before the graveyard, but the absent graves and broken wall leave more unanswered than they answer.

In rolling grassland at transition from slope of valley side to fairly flat valley floor. Moderate views along and across valley. A rectangular graveyard (dims. 45m NE-SW; 34m NW-SE) defined by an earthen bank (H 0.5-0.7m; Wth 1.5-2m). The ruins of a medieval church (KK013-060001-) lie within the graveyard, slightly S of centre. According to Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 496-7), 'there is a graveyard here, but there is not a monument of any kind, nor has there been any interment since about 1820'. There are no grave-markers within this graveyard. On an aerial survey by Simon Dowling (30 December 2014) the graveyard can clearly be seen, with a later rectangular enclosure (dims. 52m NE-SW; 37m NW-SE) immediately to the N, the S side of which cuts across the northern boundary of the graveyard. The aerial also shows a rectangular structure (KK013-060005-) towards the E end of the N boundary of the graveyard, defined by a fosse. The attached image is uploaded courtesy of Simon Dowling. KK013-060002-_01.jpg Aerial view of graveyard and associated features (Photograph: S. Dowling, 30 December 2014). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 25 June 2015

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