Kilcloony Church in ruins

On a slight rise in undulating pastureland. On inspection in October 1984, only the low grassed-over foundation lines (max. H 0.5m) of this very poorly preserved rectangular church (15.4m E-W; 4.6m N-S; wall T 0.8m) survived. It was constructed of roughly dressed stone and gravelly mortar. Gaps were noted towards the E end of the S wall (Wth 1.3m) and the W end of the N wall (Wth 0.9m). No architectural features survived. A curving earthen bank encircling the foot of the rise from E to SW appeared to be part of the landscaping associated with Quarrymount House to the NNE. There was no evidence of an associated graveyard. On the basis of the lack of any grave-markers and the fact that no burials came to light during road developments within 1.8m of the church in 1997, FitzPatrick (2019, 27) has suggested that the building may have had an alternative function and that it may have been the school house of Ó hUiginn ollamh. FitzPatrick (ibid., 28) further suggests that the medieval church may have been located in Kilcloony graveyard (GA016-063001-) c. 650m to the SE (see GA016-063005-). Kilcloony Castle (GA016-062001-) lies c. 280m to the S. Compiled by: Olive Alcock Date of upload: 2 December 2022