St Michaels Church (in Ruins) — Athy

In a graveyard (KD035-022014-) to the E of and outside the medieval town of Athy (KD035-022----). According to Bradley et al. (1986a vol. 1, 50-54), the foundation date is uncertain, the earliest reference being in 1297 or 1298 when the dedication to St. Michael is given, probably in deference to the S. Michael family, Lords of Athy, and the likely founders. In 1311, John PouKoc and Alice Heyne were charged with entering the church “by a window which he first broke” and stealing goods including silver, textiles and foodstuffs from various chests deposited by different individuals. In 1569, a reference to the rectory of St. Michael notes that it had belonged to “the late hospital of St. John” [KD035-022006-]. The Royal Visitation of Dublin, 1615 (Ronan 1941a, 48) and Archbishop Bulkeley’s Visitation of Dublin, 1630 (Ronan 1941b, 93) both note that the church was in good repair, and in 1630, those who frequented divine service were numbered at 150. The earliest register of the parish of Athy notes that subscriptions for repairing the church were collected in 1677. The ivy-clad remains of a ruined rectangular structure (27.8m E-W; 9.8m N-S) built of roughly coursed mortared limestone rubble survive. Entered originally through a round-arched doorway in the S wall which was subsequently blocked, probably in the 15th-century, when a smaller arch was inserted. This also probably coincided with the insertion of a second doorway in the N wall opposite. The N wall also contains two robbed out windows. The E gable wall is reduced to foundation level, apart from the NE angle, while the W gable wall (T 1.2m) survives to full height and contains a square-headed window, with a second similar window above suggesting the existence of a loft. A font is said to have been buried within the church and two 13th-century grave slabs (KD035-022016- and KD035-022017-) and a 16th/17th-century crucifixion plaque in the church were removed to the Athy Heritage Centre and Museum in Emily Square. Compiled by: Gearóid Conroy Date of upload: 11 December 2013