Kilmanman church (in Ruins), Graveyard — Report the wrong picture

What is recorded here

Kilmanman church stands in ruins above a Laois valley, marking a seventh-century foundation by St Manman and a later sixteenth-century stone build. Its broken sandstone walls still frame a graveyard where forgotten bodies likely sleep beneath scattered fragments. The missing south wall exposes the interior to rain and memory, suggesting that abandonment did not erase the purpose of the place.

Situated in an elevated position on N side of valley. St Manman founded a church here in the seventh century. Church (19.8m E-W, 9m N-S; wall T 0.9m) built of roughly coursed rubble, mainly sandstone. Featureless N wall; two-light tracery sandstone window visible in E gable. The S wall is almost completely destroyed, no evidence of doorway but evidence of window at E end. Remains of bellcote on top of W gable; also a rectnagular window. Late medieval parish church, probably dating to the second half of the sixteenth century. Several fragments of dressed sandstone visible in surrounding subrectangular graveyard. Holy well (LA002-002003-) in middle of field to S of church. Church located in N quadrant of rectangular shaped graveyard (LA002-002004-). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

St. Manman founded Kilmanman church in the seventh century; the present ruined structure, built of roughly coursed sandstone rubble, dates from a later period and reflects a simple early Christian style. Its elevated position and historical dedication highlight its significance as an early ecclesiastical site.

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