What is recorded here

Ballycahane is a Church of Ireland site in County Limerick where a 19th century church stands in ruin above a medieval Christian foundation. The newer building took stones from the older graveyard church, so both faiths and centuries are mixed in the same walls. It is not a hidden chamber or finished shrine, but a changed place where worship, memory and reuse became one.

19th century C of I church built on site of medieval church of Ballycahane. In 1840 the Ordnance Survey recorded that 'no old church ruins exist here; the present parish church was built in 1830 and it is said the walls of an old church that stood in the graveyard [LI022-076002-] were pulled down to supply materials for its erection' (OSL 109). Ruins of 19th century church described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage as a 'Freestanding Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, built in 1823, having three-bay nave elevations, three-stage square-plan entrance tower and projecting side chapels to north and south elevations. Now in a state of ruin' (www.buildingsofireland.ie; Reg. No. 21902210). Westropp (1904-5, 381) recorded the following details on Ballycahane; ‘A parish and prebend, in Pubblebrian. Ballycathan, 1291, 1322. Lawsuits are recorded of Anastas, widow of Henry Berkeley, of Balycathan, 1323, and Nic. Laundry, and David Fitzgerald, as to Balychatan, jux. Adar, 1324 (Plea R. 142 of xvi Ed. II, m. 4, and 148 of xvii, m. 4); Barth. Dulardi, scholar of Canon Law, held the canonry or prebend of Bali Cathain, in Limerick (Cal. Papal Pet. I. Jan.), 1361; Balycathan Prebend, 1418; Ballikahan, in Kenrymore, 1586 (Peyton, p. 222), D.S. (B) Site - The I. C. church was built on the old site, 1830, and its tower in 1823 (O.S.L. 14, E. 8, p. 381). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 03 January 2019

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