R. C. Chapel in ruins — Ballynakill (ballymoe By.)

Within S half of an early ecclesiastical enclosure (GA007-035002-). Though marked as 'Abbey' on 3rd ed. of OS 6-inch map (1930), the remains are those of a probable medieval parish church and later Blake family side-chapel. On 1st ed. of map, the church is labelled 'R.C. Chapel (in Ruins)', suggesting that it was reused in the 18th C. What remains is a poorly preserved rectangular building (E-W; L 22m, Wth 7.6m ext.) with only E gable and sections of S wall surviving to any height. Traces of a centrally placed doorway are evident in W gable and there are two window opes in E gable: these features probably date from the 18th-C refurbishment. There are also two small flat-headed windows at either end of S wall. A blocked ope is visible above SW example, suggesting the former presence of a loft at W end of the church. The rectangular side-chapel (L 9.5m, Wth 6.2m), in good condition, opens off E end of S wall. It is entered via a fine round-headed 16th-C doorway. Opposite it, in S gable wall, is a four-light traceried window of coeval date, now blocked internally by an 18th-C monument to John Burke of Glinsk. There are also two windows in E wall, one with an opposite number in W wall. Set vertically into the wall in SE corner is the fine effigial tomb slab of 'William Burke', of 15th-C date, which has engendered much comment (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 70-72; Knox 1902b, 103-8; Crawford 1907a, 307-8). The 'crude cross and crucifixion' referred to by Crawford (1908, 182) is now located in a wall close to the present Catholic church in Glinsk. (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 364) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Galway Vol. II - North Galway'. Compiled by Olive Alcock, Kathy de hÓra and Paul Gosling (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1999). Date of upload: 05 August 2010