Graveyard in Castledillon Upper

According to the OSL (Herity 2002, 12 (35, 36)), ' … there lies in an open field, a graveyard without a fence and within it a portion of a wall, the only remaining part of an old church (KD014-016----) that stood there.' OMURETHI (1909-11, 206-7, 209) records, ' Castledillon … was originally called "Diseart Iollathan" (later corrupted to "Tristledelan"), that is St. Illan's Hermitage, from a Celtic saint of that name … venerated on February 2nd. … a dilapidated rath-like earthwork … is the churchyard in question … unenclosed, so that cattle have free access to it. … On the south side of the church site there is a small patch of ground occupied by graves, only now to be distinguished by rough headstones torn from the former building; among them is a single, well-cut headstone … Spellicy … 1758.' In a large D-shaped area (ext. diam 52m E-W) with straight W side (L 61m) which is a possible early ecclesiastical enclosure (KD014-016004-) which also contains a church (KD014-016----), a possible children's burial ground (KD014-016005-), is the site of a possible early Christain foundation (KD014-016003-), and is the original location of the fine, 13th century 'Castledillon Stone' effigy (KD014-016002-). The enclosing bank had been topped with concrete posts, most of which have fallen, and several gaps give access to the site, the original possibly in the N sector. The 1758 Spellicy headstone survives just inside the enclosing bank at E, and the remaining visible burials appear to be concentrated in a small area to the S of the church, marked by small, uninscribed field stones suggesting a Children's Burial Ground (KD014-016005-). Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 10 June 2011