Church (in ruins) — Rusheen (ir .by.)

Medieval parish church ruins of Aghavallen (Achadh Mhálainn) stands in the townland of Rusheen, parish of Aghavallen, diocese of Ardfert, barony of Iraghticonnor. In 1302 the papal taxation of the Diocese of Ardfert valued the Church of 'Rut...alyn (recte Kilcydmalyn or Kiltydmalyn)' at 26s 8d. per annum with the tithe valued at 2s. 8d. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 297). in 1427 there is a reference to 'Tatheus Okynneld' [Tadhg O'Kennelly] and the perpetual vicarage of 'Achmalynd' which had been vacant by the promotion of 'Mauricii Okynnelyd' [Maurice O'Kennelly] (O'Connell and Costello 1958, 4). The advowson of this vicarage was held by the Augustinians of Rattoo (KE009-056004-) (ibid.). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details; 'Vicaria de Aghavallen and Lisseltyne. Dermot O Conner minister legens. Valoris 4 libri' (Murphy 1915, 185). Smith (1756, 69) recorded the following details about Aghavallen Church which was 'half vicarial, the church is in repair. Patron, Anthony Stoughton , Esq; Proxy 5s'. In 1841 the Ordnance Survey recorded the following details about this parish and the church ruins; 'This parish is bounded on the north by the Shannon, River on the east by the parish of Kilnaughtin, on the south by the parishes of Murhur, Galey and Lisselton and on the west by that of Kilconly. Is in Irish as locally pronounced by the natives Acha Mhála, of which Acha, the first part, means a field, but the meaning of the second part is uncertain. The old church of this parish is situated on rising ground about half a mile to the north-west of the village of Ballylongford in the glebe of Rusheen. It measures on the outside ninety feet [27.4m] in length and twenty-nine feet [8.8m] in breadth, and its walls are four feet [1.2m] in thickness and about sixteen feet [4.8m] in height and built of thin stones and lime and sand cement. Thirty [10m] feet of the east part of this church is roofed and used as a modern church. The windows of this part have been all modernised. The south wall of the ruined part contains two windows built of cut limestone; one of them placed near the middle is now built up with modern mason work; the other at the distance of eleven feet three inches [3.4m] from it. This latter forms an obtuse arch on the inside where it is five feet ten inches [1.8m] in height and four feet eight inches [1.4m] in width; on the outside it is pointed and measures four feet two inches [1.2m] in height and six and a half inches [0.15m] in width. The doorway is on the same wall at the distance of twenty feet six inches [6.2m] from the west gable; it forms a segment arch on the inside where it is eight feet four inches [2.5m] high and five feet nine inches [1.7m] wide but on the outside it is pointed and formed of chiselled limestone and measures seven feet height [2.1m] and three feet ten inches [1.1m] in width. At the distance of six feet [1.8m] from the west gable there are two windows formed of cut limestone on the same wall, placed over each other; the lower one is quadrangular on both sides and measures on the inside three feet one inch [0.9m] by three feet ten inches [1.1m] and on the outside two feet two and a half inches [0.7m] by six and a half inches [0.16m]. The higher one is also quadrangular an measures on the inside five feet [1.5m] by three feet six inches [1m] and on the outside four feet three inches [1.3m] by six and a half inches [0.16m]. The west gable is surmounted with a belfry now much injured, and has a pointed window under it. There is a small grave yard [KE002-058001-] attached to this church still in use' (O'Donovan 1983, 16-17). Church ruins described by Toal (1995, no. 929) as follows; 'This church is a long rectangular building, measuring externally c 27m x 6m, with walls just over 1m thick. The church would appear to have been constructed of thin stones with lime-and-sand cement, and was probably constructed in various stages, as there is no uniformity in the architecture. When John O'Donovan was writing in 1841, about 9m of the E part of the church was roofed and being used as a modern church. The windows of this section of the church have all been modernised. The S wall contains a doorway, c 8m from the W gable, and two windows formed of cut limestone in the pointed style. The doorway, .9m wide and 2.13m high, forms a segment arch on the interior, while on the exterior side it is pointed and formed of cut limestone. The W gable was surmounted by a belfry with a pointed window underneath it. Due to the fact that this section is badly overgrown with ivy, its features are difficult to determine. Aghavallen Church would appear to be of 15th century date. Originally a Catholic church it was later re-used as a Protestant church. A large number of 19th century landed gentry such as the Crosbies, Sandes, Popes and Colts are buried here'. In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'In 1858 Aghavallen church was closed when a new church was built nearby. As well as the Ponsonbys, Aghavallen is also the burial place of several other notable families of the area including the Crosbies (Rusheen House), Colt, Pope and Sandes families (Bary 1994, 215; Toal 1995, 238). Aghavallen church is a simple medieval rectangular structure similar in scale, thickness of walls, stylistically and architecturally similar to the nearby churches of Kilnaughtin and Carrigafoyle [KE002-043001-], including galleries or lofts at the western end, double entry intra mural stoops inside the south entrance doorway and other shared features. After Aghavallen was closed for use as a church around 1858 it soon became a burial place as the large house-shaped Ponsonby tomb, built in front of the altar at the east end in 1864, testifies. Today the church is in a very overgrown dilapidated condition internally and externally, so much so that Kerry County Council have blocked up access into it and erected a temporary fence and visitors are warned not to approach. Much of the quoins are robbed out in particular the north-west angle which is entirely bereft and also the lower quoins of the south-west corner. The relict remains stand to full height and are constructed of local rubble sandstone as well as some shale flag type stone. However, dressed limestone was used for all openings and quoins, many of which are now robbed out. Internally the side elevations also feature a very finely dressed chamfered limestone corbel course that contiguously project along the uppermost level at the east end of the south and north elevations. The corbel course carried the wall plate onto which the roof timbers were fixed. This feature is similar to Kilnaughtin [KE003-008----], Carrigafoyle [KE002-043001-] and Killeen, Cowpark Church [LI011-065001-] in Limerick (Dunne 2010; Leask 1985, 86-7). The east gable, virtually completely overgrown with ivy, is pierced by a central tall window. Most of its dressed masonry has been robbed out and it may have had twin lights as is found in a similar sized window ope at Kilnaughtin [KE003-008----]. The east window does retain a hood moulding on the exterior that finishes in a wonderful flourish depicting a rose motif terminal on its south or left side. Limited difficult access to the interior of the church was made with difficulty through the east window where the Ponsonby tomb is situated. The interior is completely overgrown and this growth has accelerated unabated since access to the church was blocked off. A rib wall separates the eastern end of the church from the west. It has a single central archway on the ground level and a single window overhead. The north and south elevations are lit by single windows that have been much altered. The interior of the east gable and indeed eastern limits of the south and north elevations still retains much of its render. This later rib-wall, render and window alterations no doubt reflects O’Donovan’s vi