What is recorded here

Bellhill in County Offaly holds a deserted medieval settlement where a fifth-century foundation became a priory, then a parish church, then a legal footnote. Earthworks still circle the site in two banks with a ditch between them, a low motte sits beside the ruined church, and a thatched stone house served the community until the canons dwindled. What is missing is not grandeur but continuity: the place stopped being lived as a whole and became a list of remnants, which is why it feels both ordinary and abandoned.

Unlocated possible medieval settlement in the vicinity of Ballybrittan tower house (OF011-006----) which is depicted on the Down Survey (1655-6) maps (Loeber 1988, vol. 1, 33-4). 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

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