Pallas Church (in Ruins)

Situated on high ground in an upland area with a children's burial ground (TN020:022002) immediately to the E. The present remains consist of only the E half of a small rectangular church (TN020-022001) constructed with coursed sandstone blocks. There is a destroyed window visible in the E wall and only the chamfered sillstone of a single light visible at the E end of the S wall. Internally there is a small aumbry at the E end of the S wall and at the S end of the E wall. Small orthostats to the S of the church may indicate a possible burial area. The church and graveyard (TN020-022003) is enclosed by a low earth and stone bank. Gleeson (1951-2, 97) describes the church as having a fifteenth-century E window with aumbry and piscina now destroyed. According to the OS Letters the church measured 31 ft (9.45m) long by 18ft (5.5m) wide with walls 3 ft (0.91m) thick (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 16-17). O'Hanlon describes a well-preserved building of which two gables survive to full height with partial remains of side-walls (Gleeson 1915, vol. 1, 263). He also noted that the wall construction was of fine ashlar masonry in a cyclopean fashion (ibid.) which might indicate an early date for this building. In the centre of the E gable there was a mullioned window with grotesque head carved over the window sill (ibid.). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of upload: 22 September 2008