Kilconly Church (in ruins) — Kilconly North

Kilconly (Cill Chonla) medieval parish church ruins are depicted standing in NW corner of graveyard (KE001-028001-) on the 1841 ed. OS 6-inch map with stream forming S boundary of graveyard which also marks the townland boundary with Kilconly South. On this map the church and graveyard are shown standing in the S quadrant of Glebe Land the boundary of which is shown in dotted outline. In 1302 the papal taxation of the Diocese of Ardfert valued the church of 'Kilcoula' at 20s per annum with the tithe valued at 2s. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 296). In 1505 there is a reference to Edmund Fitzmaurice canon of Ardfert and the parish church of Kilconly (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 45-6). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details; 'Treasurer of the said church of Ardfert Mr. Christ[opher] Hicson minister who hath united to the said Treasurershipp the vicaradge of Kilconley. Minister legens. Valoris 5 libri 10 shill. House ruyned' (Murphy 1915, 182). In 1841 the Ordnance Survey recorded the following details about Kilconly Church; 'This parish is bounded on the north and west by the mouth of the Shannon, on the east by the parish of Aghavallen, and on the south by those of Lisselton and Killahinny. Is in Irish Cill Chonnla which means cell or church of Saint Connla, whose name is set down in the Irish Calendar at 10 May; but his day is not remembered here at present. (The only thing remembered of Saint Connla in this parish is that he killed a huge serpent which took up its habitation in Lisnapeasna, about a quarter of a mile to the east of the church). The old church of this parish is situated in the townland of Kilconly (to which it has given its name) in a glen on the north side of a mountain stream. It is in good preservation, and measures on the inside forty-two feet six inches [13m] in length and twenty-two feet [6.7m] in breadth, and its walls are four feet [1.2m] in thickness, and nine feet [2.7m] in height and built of small hammered stones and lime and sand cement. The east window is formed of hammered stones and measures on the inside (where it forms a segment arch at top) seven feet [2.1m] in height and four feet two inches [1.2m] in width; and on the outside (where it is rectangular, and placed four feet [1.2m] from the present level of the ground) four feet ten and a half inches [1.3m], and five and a half inches [0.14m] in width. At the distance of three feet six inches [1m] from the east gable there is a window on the south wall, which is broken on the inside but perfect on the outside, where it is rectangular and formed of hammered stones, and measures three feet nine inches [1.1m] in height and five inches [0.12m] in width. The doorway is on the same wall at the distance of thirteen feet [4m] from the west gable; it is built of thin hammered stones and forms an obtuse arch on the inside and a semi-circular one on the outside; on the inside it is seven feet six inches [2.3m] in height and four feet eight inches [1.4m] in width and on the outside six feet six inches [2m] by three feet six inches [1m]. This church is not more than three or four centuries old; it stands in a small grave yard which is still in use.'(O'Donovan 1983, 21-2). Kilconly Church described by Toal (1995, no. 926) as follows; 'A small rectangular church measuring 15.4m x 8.5m externally with walls just over 1m thick, it is constructed of small hammered stones with lime-and-sand cement. A gradual batter can be noticed. The S wall contains the doorway, which is situated 5.3m from the W gable. It has a round-headed arch, which is slightly recessed on the outside, measuring 1m in width and 2m in height. The S wall also contains a small rectangular window which is recessed. It measures 0.3m x 1.2m and is situated 2.5m from the E gable. The E gable contains a narrow oblong window which measures 0.3m x 1.4m and internally it has a plain splayed arch'. In 2007 a church and graveyard survey carried out by Karen Buckley and Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'the church has remained in a remarkably good state of preservation. However, recent cultivated vegetation has gone wild and has taken hold on several areas of the church exterior and interior. The church is built upon a north-south slope and consequently, the southern elevation is battered from the roofline to the base. A rectangular slit window ope is located on the southeast corner of the southern elevation. It is comprised of undressed stone with a simple flat lintel and sill. It is slightly set back from the wall. There is a distinct outward slump directly beneath this window and some modern cement repairs are visible but urgent attention is required. The adjacent graves on the exterior and interior of the wall are most likely undermining the wall. The partial remains of a rectangular window are located on the southwestern corner of the elevation. However, it was only noted when inside the church due to the overgrowth on the exterior. Six modern memorial plaques are fixed in concrete onto the elevation at varying heights. The south-east window has splayed ingoings with a socket for a shutter visible on the western corner of the split lintel. There is no evidence for the base of this socket on the window sill as it has been rendered. The interior lintel of the splayed embrasure is missing and the area of slump visible on the exterior, directly beneath the window, is also visible on the interior. The adjacent graves are most likely undermining the wall. A square recess is located on the corner where the southern wall meets the eastern wall and is located 0.7m above present ground level. It may have originally functioned as a piscina but rubble stone and waste cement has been dumped within it. The remains of the rectangular window located on the southwestern corner of the elevation are partially obscured by vegetation, but a splayed embrasure was noticeable. Two modern memorial plaques are fixed onto the wall with the kerbing of one the associated formal grave settings abutting the wall itself. A doorway, comprised of a circular arch of 22 voussoirs, is located towards the western end of the southern elevation. The arch is slightly recessed from the exterior of the elevation and has slipped slightly on the western side. The interior arch is a flattened segmental type and the arris of the arch has been removed. Splayed ingoings are present on the western side of the doorway while the eastern side is composed of straight ingoings. The socket for the drawbar is situated on the western side of the doorway while it would have extended into the eastern side. A broken holy water stoup of local sandstone is noticeable to the immediate east of the entrance. The west gable survives to full height and is in a good state of preservation. It is composed of well matched, roughly coursed, flat rectangular blocks of sandstone. Three through apertures are located 1.2m above present ground level and these may have allowed light to penetrate into the church interior or a listening posts for the less well-off parishioners attending mass. Several put-logs are visible on the upper level of the elevation. The interior of the western elevation is featureless apart from the through apertures that may have allowed light into the church as well as allowing sound to travel outside. Modern vegetation is well established on wall, especially on its upper levels. A modern headstone plaque is fixed onto the wall at the northwestern corner and is partially obscured by the overgrowth. The east gable survives to full height and is in relatively good condition. The elevation is lit by a centrally disposed single narrow rectangular slit window ope of undressed stone, located 1m above present ground level. Several put-logs are present on the upper levels of the elevation. A modern concrete plaster panel is located on approximately 60% of the wall and tapers in height (from s