Grave Yard — Meanus (trughanacmy By., Kiltallagh Ed),gransha Lower

The medieval church and graveyard of Kiltallagh (Cill Tulach) is located in the townland of Gransha Lower, parish of Kiltallagh, diocese of Ardfert, barony of Trughanacmy. C. of I. church dedicated to St. Carthach stands in N quadrant of circular-shaped graveyard (diam. c. 46m) the N boundary of which forms the townland boundary with Meanus. Field to SW annotated 'Church Field' on 1841 ed. OSi 6-inch map. Graveyard entered off public road to S with second entrance leading from graveyard at NE towards Kiltallagh House located 137m to the NE. Cloghmacudda (KE047-028001-) 123m to E. In 2016 Test trenching was undertaken by Tracy Collins of Aegis Archaeology Ltd under licence No. 16E0452 in advance of a proposed graveyard extension at St Carthach's Church of Ireland church, which is built on the site of an earlier ecclesiastical site. Six trenches were excavated by machine across the location of the proposed graveyard location. Nothing of an archaeological nature was found. In 1871 it was recorded that the medieval church 'stood where the Protestant church now stands. There are some stones of the old building scatter about the graveyard, and one in the immediate vicinity, hollowed in the shape of an inverted cone, around people pay rounds. This is called Cloch-Mochaeda [KE047-028001-], or the stone of St. Carthage Mochaeda' (Cusack 1871, 453). Saint Cartach's Church (NIAH Reg. No.21304701) described by the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (NIAH) as a; 'Freestanding double-height Board of First Fruits Church of Ireland church, date 1816, with three-bay nave and single-bay three-stage entrance tower to west gable end. Renovated internally and extended, c. 1875, with single-bay single-storey vestry projection added to north elevation. Graveyard to site with various cut-stone grave markers and mausolea, c. 1820-present. Gateway, built c. 1820, to south-east comprising pair of limestone ashlar piers with cast-iron gates' (www.buildingsofireland.ie). Folklore collected from Castlemaine School about the 'The Old Church of Kiltallagh' recorded the following tradition; 'There is an old ruin of a church near my uncles house. There are three priests buried in the middle of the old ruin. On a dark Winters night big light is seen there. There is also a ruin of town to be seen. It is called Clounalassan. It is probably one of the forts owned by Fingen Macuda's father. Not very far from the ruin is a stone called the holy stone [KE047-028001-]. People come to this stone to get cured and leave rags on a tree near it. People say if you took anyone of the rags in your hands you would get the disease the person had. This stone is called Cloc Moc[?] and is situated in the foot- path leading to the Rectory. The people come to this stone generally before dawn and bring a bottle of water from a well nearby. They then say three or four rosaries and wash their eyes in the water. Immediately they are cured and leave a rag or some other token on a tree near the stone as we have already mentioned' (The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0433, Page 034; https://www.duchas.ie/en/cbes/4687710/4686092). Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 23 May 2022