Grave Yard — Baile An Teampaill

Dunquin Church/An Teampall: There was a parish church here by the end of the 13th century (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but in 1615 the vicarage of Dunquin was 'waste voyde' (Royal Visitation), and the church was in ruins by 1756 (Smith, 69). The present remains, situated in the graveyard (KE052-014002-) at Dunquin, are those of a rubble-built, rectangular church. Apart from the church, the only features of interest in the graveyard are 2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses. In 2010 a graveyard survey carried out by Laurence Dunne recorded the following details: 'Dunquin Church and Graveyard is situated on the westernmost tip of the Dingle Peninsula, indeed the most western point of the landmass of Europe and consequently the most western Christian church and graveyard in Europe. It is 8.5km west from the village of Ventry and 15,25km from Dingle. Two crosses are also recorded in the RMP in the graveyard (KE052-014003-/004-), while a font (KE052-307----) from the medieval church is currently in the modern church of Dunquin that was built around 1857. This small old graveyard is still in use today although a new burial ground was opened in the townland of Ballyickeen 2km away to the south near the sea. Dunquin Graveyard is raised above the laneway to the church that runs alongside its northern limits by 1.5m and circa 2m outside its western end. The graveyard is enclosed by a random rubble drystone wall of local sandstone. The eastern boundary of earth and some stone that separates the burial ground from the carpark between the modern church is completely covered in dense vegetation mostly of fuchsia and other hedging. The southern boundary which has a wide open drain running downslope beside, is similarly covered with dense vegetation. The graveyard along its shorter western limits rises to almost 2m over the exterior ground and is protected by dense vegetation that is largely gone wild and un-managed. There is only pedestrian access only into the graveyard through a modern galvanised gate. The gate hangs between two robust square piers of local rubble sandstone bedded in cement and soft capped with sod. The centre of the graveyard is higher than its outer limits, substantially so along its western (downslope) limits and also its northern limits where the 2.1m high extant section of the medieval church acts today as a revetment to the large number of burials that now fill up its interior practically to full height. The interior of the graveyard is covered in dense high grass and some briars that covers or partially conceals open and partially collapsed unnamed lintelled graves, that extend throughout the interior as well as several small unnamed and partially concealed gravemarkers. The outer peripheral limit of the graveyard surrounding the old church central area is serviced by the pathway and is not easily traversed in places. The majority of the modern graves are dispersed around this outer band of ground. There is only one unnamed tomb in Dunquin Graveyard (160). There are twelve grass covered unnamed lintelled type mounded graves dispersed around the interior of the graveyard. There were twelve modern named headstones associated with eight formal grave settings recorded at Dunquin graveyard. There were thirty-six unnamed headstones (HWN & Appendix 4) in total recorded in the course of this survey. All of the unnamed headstones are simple grave markers of unhewn local sandstone and are disposed around the graveyard. There were four cross slabs recorded in Dunquin in the course of this survey, two of which were recorded in the Dingle Archaeological Survey as ‘...2 grave-markers in the form of rough stone crosses’ (Cuppage 1984, 366). The two stones correspond with crosses 180 and 184 in this survey. A third similar roughly hewn anthropomorphic type cross (44) of local green siltstone was also recorded partially exposed and askew, abutting a lintelled grave in the interior of the graveyard. The fourth cross-slab (30) comprises a small rectangular sandstone situated in the north-western limits of the graveyard, circa 3.5m from cross-slab (180). The gravemarker is lightly incised with an equal armed cross whose arms extend across the full width of the stone' (Dunne 2010, 2-12). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage, ‘Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey. Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne’ (1986), no. 982. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan and photographs courtesy of Laurence Dunne Revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022