What is recorded here

Clonmeen Burial Ground in County Laois probably served St. Kieran before the church vanished without a trace. The little meadow keeps only unnamed stones and a rough limestone bowl beside a stream, waiting for water or rain. Most people walk past the quiet field, but the missing building still shapes the place because memory can occupy space that eyes no longer see.

Church probably dedicated to St. Kieran (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 139). Situated in undulating countryside. No visible surface remains. Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 138-9) refers to a church here but stated there were no remains of it in the graveyard (LA027-001003-). He also refers to the bullaun stone (LA027-001002-) which has a bowl-shaped hollow (diam. c. 0.36m; D 0.15m) cut into a large limestone rock. It lies outside the graveyard to NE. Described by Carrigan as 'known as Clooneen (the little meadow), is 'Clooneen graveyard'. The church of Clooneen is gone, leaving no trace behind. Part of the churchyard (LA027-001003-) has been enclosed by a stone wall by the Board of Guardians. There are several headstones, but none inscribed. Interments are very rare. Outside the graveyard wall, to the north, beside the little stream, is a holy water stone (LA027-001002-) of the most primitive description, being nothing more than a bowl shaped hollow, 14 in. in diameter and 6 in. deep, cut into the extremely rough surface of a bluish limestone rock several feet long and 2ft. Wide' (Carrigan 1905, vol. 2, 138-9). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 17 December 2007

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