Killardry Church (in ruins)

On a natural rise on ground which slopes to E, marshy area in field immediately to E, in pasture. The summit of Knockgraffon motte (TS075-019001-) is visible to ESE. Ó Cearbhaill (2007, 44-6) discusses the derivation of the placename Killardry. The church (int. dims. 5.74m N-S; c. 20.7m E-W; wall T 0.75-1.05m) is placed W of centre within a graveyard (TS075-019003-). It is built of sandstone rubble, randomly coursed, with a later cross-wall (T 0.83m) inserted, possibly shortening the church. The E gable is in good condition, the side walls are relatively intact (max. H 3m) with some collapse but only the foundations of the W gable are visible. In the collapsed rubble on the S wall there is the sill of a two-light window. There are two opposing doorways at the W end of the N and S walls. That in the S wall is a particularly fine round-headed doorway with moulded sandstone surround and remains of a hood-moulding with plain label. The doorway in the N wall is also round-headed and is chamfered externally. There is physical evidence for three windows, two in the S wall and a centrally placed two-light ogee-headed window in the E gable with hollow spandrels within a chamfered box surround with hood-moulding. According to the OS Letters there was a narrow, flat-headed window in the N wall 2m from the W gable, and another window, broken out, near the E gable (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 63). There is an aumbry at the E end of the S wall. A corbel which possibly functioned as a statue rest projects from the E gable, S of the window and beneath window level. The ground level, both internally and externally, is considerably built-up. Headstones, dated 1767 and 1776, have been erected against the cross-wall on the E side. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011