Derryco Church (in ruins) — Derryco

Medieval church ruins of Derryco (Doire Chua/ Doire Mochua?) stands in the townland of Derryco, parish of Rattoo, dicoese of Ardfert, barony of Clanmaurice. In 1302 the papal taxation of the Diocese of Ardfert valued the Church of 'De Fyngo' at 6s. 8d. per annum with the tithe valued at 8d. (Cal. doc. Ire., Vol. 5, 296). In 1615 the Royal Visitation of the Diocese of Ardfert recorded the following details; 'Dericoe parsonadg. Houlden by Mr. Stoughton in the right of Rathmore [Rattoo] Abbey [KE009-056004-] as he pretendeth and challenged to belong to the chantorshipp of Ardfert. Valoris 25 shillings' (Murphy 1915, 187) In 1841 the Ordnance Survey described the church ruins at Derryco as follows; 'the ruins of a remotely ancient church, the walls of which are not unlike those of the cahers on the Aran Islands. It was fifty feet [15.2m] in length and twenty-two feet [6.7m] in breadth. Its east gable and twenty five feet [7.6m] of the side walls remain and the foundation of the west gable is traceable. The east window is perfect on the inside, but was disfigured on the outside a short time since to obtain stones for building a tomb within the church; it is semi-circular at the top on the inside and formed out cut sandstone of a brownish colour, and measures eight feet eight inches [2.6m] in height and four feet six inches [1.4m] in width; its dimensions on the outside cannot be determined, but it appears that it was only a few inches in width. At the distance of four feet eight [1.5m] inches from this gable there was another window on the south wall, now destroyed; its width on the inside was four feet six inches [1.4m] and it appears that it was built of the same kind of stone with the east window. The side walls of this church are three feet nine inches [1m] in thickness and about eleven feet [3.3m] in height, and built of blocks of sandstone evidently found on the sea shore, but none like them are to be seen in the immediate vicinity. The cement is very good though the external face of the walls look as if they were in the Cyclopean style. The patron saint of this church is mentioned in the Feilire or Festilogy of Aengus at 6 October, and the church described as in Ráth muighe Tuaiscirt in the country of Ciarraighe Luachra, that is, at Doire Mochua on the brink of the River Fial (now Feale) ' (O'Donovan 1983, 32-3). Derryco church ruins and graveyard described by Toal (1995, no. 936) as follows; 'Derryco Church (in ruins), graveyard (KE009-022001-). This is a small, ivy-clad church, situated in a graveyard. According to local tradition it was once the site of an early monastic settlement (KE009-022002-), although nothing else is known of this early site. The remains of the church consist of the N, S and E wall. The W wall has completely disappeared, so the full dimensions of the church could not be taken. The church measures 6.5m wide internally and the walls are 1m thick. In the remaining 9m of the S wall, 2.6m from the E gable, there is a 2m wide slit window that splays inwards; the top of the window has been destroyed. A narrow slit window which splays inwards exists on the E gable. It displays a simple semi-circular arch over the window. It is 2m high and 0.25m wide on the exterior side expanding to 2.25m high and 0.92m wide internally. A modern buttress has been erected to support the E gable'. In 2011 a graveyard survey carried out by Ann Frykler and Robert Hanbidge of Headland Archaeology Ltd. recorded the following details: 'The graveyard is located on a level flood plain at the southern side of the tidal estuary to the Cashen River which in turn flows into the mouth of the River Shannon. In the immediate vicinity of the graveyard, the land is relatively level and remains so in the lower portions of the Cashen River basin. Beyond this river basin, the surrounding land rises gradually and becomes more undulating with significant rises including Knockanore Mountain, the highest mountain (267m) in North Kerry region, located approximately 6 km to the northeast. Situated within open pasture and considering the surrounding topography, this graveyard is quite open to the elements in all directions. Substantial marshy areas approximately 70m to the north‐west, which partially extend to the south‐west of the graveyard, suggest that the immediate vicinity of the graveyard formed almost an island/promontory within the Cashlan River Estuary. Within the central area of this graveyard [KE009-022001-], is located the ruin of a church [KE009-022----] of which only the north, south and east walls remain. For the most part, the church walls survive in reasonable condition with the addition of a later buttress to the easterner gable providing additional support. The church ruin is in reasonable condition with only the north, south and east walls remaining. The west wall has completely disappeared, so the full dimensions of the church could not be recorded. The church is orientated on an east/west axis. From what remains, the church had a minimum length of 9.6 m and measured 6.6 m wide (internally). The walls measured c. 1.15 m wide and consist of roughly dressed rubblestone with a lime and gravel mortar. Maintenance work to the western termini of the north and south walls has resulted in unusual bowed terminals. A later addition of a rubblestone buttress to the east adds support to the east elevation of the church. The partially ruinous steep pitched wall that forms the east elevation indicates that the church once had a pitched roof. Within the walls, two narrow windows survive, one to the east end of the south elevation and the second centrally located within the east elevation. Both windows are splayed to the internal elevations with roughly dressed rubblestone forming the internal reveals and sills. The top of the southern window has been destroyed as the southern wall only exists to the impost level of this window. The eastern window survives in greater condition featuring dressed rubblestone surrounds and displays a more modest round‐headed arch at the top (partially hidden by ivy). Within the church, there are a number of burials which have caused the floor surface to rise very slightly in comparison to the exterior. The oldest inscribed burial (Grave No. 50) in the graveyard is located inside the church. Two square‐headed recesses are located flanking the eastern window at sill level to the interior of the east elevation. third interior recess is located in the east corner of the south elevation directly above the top of Grave No. 50. The location of such a recess in the eastern corner of nave is interesting as similar recesses are often associated with the presence of a piscine which is often located below the recess. However the presence of Grave No. 50 in the eastern corner of the church blocks off any access to investigate if a piscina is present or not. There are no other visible features identifiable within the church ruin. However excessive overgrowth, especially ivy, has completely covered the northern and eastern walls particularly to the exterior of the east elevation. Ivy growth is present on the southern wall, although its growth has been recently curtailed' (Hanbidge 2011, 13). See attached plan of church and graveyard courtesy of Robert Hanbidge Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 9 June 2022