Newtown Church

In low-lying pastureland overlooking a large marsh immediately to the S. This multiperiod church is part of the important early monastic site associated with St Sorney at Drumacoo (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 34). Now a National Monument, it consists of a rectangular ruined building in which three phases of construction are evident (Leask 1960, 73-6). The earliest phase consisted of a small rectangular church (E-W; L 8.8m; Wth 5.7m ext.), the 'semi-cyclopean' masonry of which is still visible in the W and N walls of the present church. The only surviving architectural feature of this phase is the trabeate doorway now standing off-centre in the W wall. In the second phase, dating to c. 1235 (ibid., 74), the church was greatly expanded (L 20.45m; Wth c. 8.55m) and the doorway was changed to the S wall. This and the two fine single-light E windows, which were flanked to the N and S by a pair of pointed aumbries, are fine examples of Transitional-style architecture. There is also a window in the N wall but it was subsequently blocked up. In the third phase, the S wall was rebuilt inside the line of the S wall of the secondary phase, thus narrowing the whole church (Wth 7.2m). The doorway was re-inserted into this wall (ibid.). There are two single-light windows to its E. During the course of the reconstruction of this wall, the S aumbry of the S pair was blocked up as was the S window in the E gable. A roughly quadrangular graveyard (GA103-118003-) surrounds the church. In 1830 a large mausoleum (GA103-118004-) for the St George family was built within it, directly outside the E end of the N wall of the church. A small section of the graveyard to its W was also enclosed for the burial of members of the family (ibid., 73). Features associated with St Sorney include a 'Bed' (GA103-118006-) which lay c. 15m to the S of the church, within the graveyard and close to its S boundary wall, a holy well (GA103-118005-) c. 35m to the SW and a 'Bush' (GA103-118002-) c. 125m to the ENE. A cross-slab (GA103-118012-) was recovered from the graveyard and there is a bullaun stone (GA103-118007-) c. 100m to the NE. Fragments of another cross (GA103-118008-) and a possible associated leacht (GA103-118013-) lie c. 165m to the ESE. There are also documentary references to a 'guest-house' and a 'leper-house' (GA103-118014-) here in the 13th century (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 349). (Hamilton 1904; Killanin and Duignan 1967, 317-18; Harbison 1975, 90) Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG Date of upload: 15 December 2016 This monument was taken into Guardianship under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 - National Monument 254.