Killiney Church (in ruins) — Killiney

Killiney church and Graveyard/Cill Éinne (Cill Aighne/the church of Aighne): This site lies in the village of Killiney at the base of the Magharees peninsula. The present large rectangular graveyard may enclose the site of an Early Christian foundation (KE036-003003-). Stone foundations, formerly outside the S wall of the graveyard, were locally reputed to be the remains of an 'ancient monastery' (CKFC 1946), but these were destroyed when the graveyard was recently extended (local information). The parish church is first mentioned in the Papal Taxation List (1302-7) for the diocese of Ardfert (Cal Docs Ire, V, 295). In 1473, the church had long been void (Cal Pap Reg, 13, 336) but its inclusion in a list of parochial churches for the diocese of Ardfert in 1622 (TCD Ms 2158, 94) indicates that it was probably subsequently refurbished. The church was in ruins in 1756 (Smith, 70). The modern Church of Ireland church was erected in the early 19th century (OSNB Killiney, book 2, 10), directly S of the latter. A large stone cross stands beside the S wall of the modern edifice. A bullaun stone, now preserved in the yard of the Roman Catholic chapel in Castlegregory, was formerly incorporated in the wall of the graveyard (KAS). Part of a font basin, most likely contemporary with the ruined church, was discovered built-in to an overground tomb in the graveyard, and a fragment of carved stone, also probably from the medieval church, has been reused as a gravemarker near the SE corner of the building. Tobar Einne (KE036-001----) lies about 500m to N of this site. Medieval Church (KE036-003001-): The present remains testify to at least 2 major building periods. The rectangular church, 15.7m 5.67m internally, probably survives in part from the 13th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 15th or early 16th century when a residential tower was added to the SE corner and a garderobe tower to the S wall. The walls are built of split stone rubble and pinnings bonded in a strong mortar. The E gable and greater parts of the N and S walls stand almost to full height, but the NW and SW quoins with attached N and S returns have fallen. The featureless W gable survives to a maximum height of 2.5m. To the later period belongs the ashlar parapet wall with bevelled oversail which crowned the N and S walls; this has now largely fallen but sections of the elaborate drainage system of the roof are preserved. This consisted of transverse water channels discharging, through regular outlets near the base of the parapet, into stone spouts projecting just below eaves level. The parapet wall was returned along the NE quoin as a weathered offset supported by an angle buttress of ashlar construction. A talus of masonry projecting from the external face of the N wall may also be the remains of a buttress. The upper section of the E gable was largely refurbished in the 15th/16th century; two sections of an engaged filleted column, 0.11m in diameter, incorporated in the rebuilding, were probably from the earlier church. The pitch of the S side of the gable was altered by infilling of the original setback for the rafters and the whole was crowned by ashlar coping. A large water spout near the foot of the gable on the S side doubly functioned to carry water both from the roof of the church and that of the tower which rested on the SE quoin. The E gable was lit by a narrow light with trefoil head set back from the external wall face in a double roll moulded frame with pointed head. The jambs, rebated for a shutter which was secured by a draw bar, are also grooved to accommodate a metal glazing frame, the latter probably a reworking. The window was set in an embrasure with widely splayed ingoings and semicircular rear arch, the soffit of which was subsequently lintelled. The rear arch has now fallen and only a single lintel remains. The E sector of the church is largely obscured by overground burials which partly block the embrasure of the S window. The latter has widely splayed ingoings with dressed sandstone scontions and the semi-circular rear arch retains sections of a plaster coat with traces of a pink coloured wash. The round-headed light has an external chamfer and the sill is grooved for a glazing frame, probably again a secondary feature. The rebated jambs are now much joggled out of position and the opening has been loosely blocked with masonry. The W wall of the tower is butted against the dressings at the E side of the ope, and a large drip stone, projecting just below eaves level, delivers across the head of the window. The garderobe tower built against, but not bonded into, the S wall of the church, served the latrine on the wall walk above; the exterior has been heavily plastered in recent years. The chute may have delivered into a subterranean pit or drain. The secondary doorway near the W end of the S wall is now obscured for half its height by raised burials, one of which is butted against the E ingoing. The doorway was formerly fitted with a S porch, now represented only by weathered coping stones projecting from the external wall face below eaves level. A lintelled passage with splayed W ingoing led to a narrow pointed doorway with chamfered limestone dressings. The jambs were rebated for a door secured from within the passage by a draw bar. There may have been an opposing doorway in the fallen section of the N wall; a fragment of a double-chamfered door jamb lies in the graveyard to the S of the church and there are other moulded fragments in the interior. The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 854. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 9 August 2013