Rathcoole Church (in ruins)

On the crest of a small hill in rolling, mainly reclaimed, grassland. Very good views in all directions. Centrally placed within a graveyard (KK015-019002-) are the remains of a church (dims. 6.6m N-S x 17.8m E-W) standing on a flat platform (dims. 9m N-S; 20m E-W; H c. 0.8m; H to W c. 1.75m as ground falls away steeply). Built of well-coursed stonework, only the W gable, surviving almost to apex level, and a length of 9m of the western end of the N wall (H c. 1.75m; T 0.74m) survive to any height, the remainder being visible as wall-footings. The quoins are very roughly hammer dressed. In the W gable there is a small ivy covered window which Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 273) describes as being flat-headed and chamfered. According to Carrigan (ibid.) the patron saint was St. Thomas the Apostle. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 29 February 2016