What is recorded here

Bellhill in County Offaly holds a double-banked enclosure where a fifth-century foundation became a priory, then a parish church, then a legal footnote. The earthworks still mark the change: a motte rose inside the sacred boundary, a thatched stone house replaced the canons, and a gun turret may have watched the turbulence from the south-east angle. What is left is not a complete building but a sequence of uses, each one shaping the last.

Unlocated deserted medieval settlement possible that is mentioned in the Civil Survey description of the barony of Eglish where it mentions the 'village of Ardgnegie' (Leober 1988, vol. 1, 3). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 23 May 2011

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.