Burial Ground — Kilsarkan East

Kilsarkan graveyard described in 1987 by the Castleisland District Archaeological Survey as follows; ' Situated in the northern portion of the townland on a steep north facing slope. The graveyard is bordered immediately on the east by a bohereen. The surrounding land is under pasture. Kilsarkan Church [KE049-086001-], of which only the east gable and portion of the south wall remain standing, is situated in the northern portion of the graveyard. The graveyard is enclosed by a stone built wall, a pathway runs immediately inside the wall. The entrance to the graveyard is located at the NE end of the E wall. The graveyard appears to be roughly rectangular in outline. According to local information the church and graveyard were cleaned up for mass about 5 or 6 years ago. A 'Cave' was uncovered behind one of the old tomb stones at that time. It was infilled with old stones. According to local information a single tombstone is located immediately inside the gate of the graveyard. Two tombstones are situated close together while a third lies to the southwest of these two. The Cave' was located behind the latter. The graveyard measures 68.8m in length from east to west and 54m in breadth from north to south. (Measured from the internal face of the stone wall on either side)’ (SMR File). Kilsarkan East church (KE049-086001-) and graveyard was surveyed in 2007 by Laurence Dunne and described as follows; 'Situated on an elevated site which slopes from south to north, there are expansive views to the north, west and east. A complete limestone mortar was noted on a pathway under a modern shelter-prayer area in the NW corner of the graveyard. The graveyard is bounded by a well built, forward pointed sandstone wall with a well matched stone coping which is present on c. eight metres of the wall, on the southern side of the southern entrance pier, and is missing elsewhere. The boundary wall is approximately 1.6m in height with a maximum thickness of 0.45m. The northern end of the graveyard wall contains flag-like stones with some large sandstone blocks which may originally have formed the church. A squeeze-stile is located immediately south of the entrance gate which is an original iron gate, painted white, set between two squash piers with no capping. One vault was recorded within the graveyard. The 1st edition OS map 1842 depicts three vaults to the west, southwest and southeast of the ruined church. The vault recorded today lies to the east of the church, immediately inside the entrance gate. The Roche family vault records the death of Redmond Roche in 1894 and Mary Dooley Roche in 1986 on separate commemorative plaques' (Buckley and Dunne 2007, 2-4). See attached photographs courtesy of Laurence Dunne Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Laurence Dunne Date of upload: 20 April 2022