Donaghpatrick Church in ruins — Donaghpatrick

On a low hillock in gently undulating grassland, it stands in W part of a modern rectilinear graveyard. As the td. name suggests, this is the site of an early church founded by St Patrick (Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 380, also 349). The standing remains are those of a rectangular medieval parish church (E-W; L >17.5m, Wth 6.8m), in fair condition, probably incorporating parts of an early oratory. Apart from E gable which is completely gone, the other walls still stand to full height. Evidence for the oratory is preserved in the large masonry visible externally at base of N wall and the head of small semicircular window built into E end of same wall. The original doorway of the medieval church was probably at W end of S wall where there is now a flat-headed doorway. There is also a later flat-headed doorway at E end of frayed N wall which probably gave access to an annexe or sacristy to N of the church. There are single-light round-headed windows towards E end of S wall, and centrally placed in W gable. Above the latter is a twin-light round-headed window. When coupled with the corbels and beams holes visible internally at this end of the church, it indicates the former presence of a loft. The OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1927, Vol. 1, 147) state that this gable 'contains a small Belfry' but no trace of it survives. Set into the floor just inside S doorway is a small stone basin. A field system (GA042-122003-) is associated. (Hardiman 1846, 370) 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