St. Patricks Chapel — Ardrass Lower

In the care of Kildare County Council. A 15th century church, 'considerably restored' in 1888 (Harbison 1992, 186). Stands in a possible graveyard (KD011-015003-) near the centre of a possible early ecclesiastical enclosure (KD011-015002-), on the site of a possible early Christian monastery (KD011-015----). This fine rectangular structure (int. dims. L 7.6m E-W; Wth 3.35m N-S; wall T 0.85m) is built of thin, roughly coursed flagstones and has a fine flagstone roof carried on a pointed vault (int. H 4.6m) which has traces of wickerwork centring. String-courses project from the tops of the N and S sidewalls. The entrance doorway (Wth 0.95m; H 1.55m) near the W end of the S wall is pointed-arched with chamfered jambs and is set in a gently splaying embrasure with a flat rere-arch. There is a deep barring-slot hole on the E side of the doorway with a corresponding, but shallow, socket hole opposite. The building is lit by four windows; a single light ogee-head at the E end of the S wall; a double-splayed loop at the centre of the W gable wall; and a twin-light ogee-head at the centre of the E gable wall, with a small rectangular window above which lit a loft carried on shallow set-backs on the E and W gable walls. There are four small rectangular aumbries in the S wall and a piscina recess at the E end of the N wall. Two small square columns on the apex of the W gable are the remains of a bell-cote, and a small square ope in the roof allowed the bell-rope into the building. The church is now enclosed by iron railings [standing only 0.8m outside the walls] during the erection of which a possible graveyard (KD011-015003-) was uncovered. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011