Grave Yard — Cinn Aird Thoir (tc Cinn Aird)

Church and graveyard described by Cuppage (1986, 328, no. 863) as follows; 'Kinard church (KE053-053001-)/Teampall Chinn Aird: The parish church of Kinard is first mentioned in the Papal Taxation List (1302-7) for the Diocese of Ardfert (Cal Docs Ire, V, 297), but the presence of 2 ogham stones and a bullaun stone at the site indicate that it probably occupies the site of an earlier foundation. There are no visible remains of the church today. It was situated in a rectangular graveyard in the townland of Kinard East, also known as Cinn Aird an Teampaill. The surrounding district is also known locally as Tearmann Fhíonáin, from the patron saint of the Parish on whose feast-day a pattern was formerly held at the site (OSL; An Seabhac 1939, 150)'. In 2011 a graveyard survey carried out by Ann Frykler and Robert Hanbidge of Headland Archaeology Ltd. recorded the following details: ‘Kinard Graveyard is located within the townland of Kinard East (ED Kinard), Co. Kerry, approximately 5.5 km southeast Dingle on the Dingle Peninsula. The graveyard is located on the northern side of a low mountain and has extensive view to the mountains that form the Dingle Peninsula to the north including the peaks of Mt. Brandon, Slievanea and Cnoc Mhaoilionain. The graveyard is located on a relatively level area at the base of slope that rises sharply to the south. The graveyard is recorded in the Record of Monuments and Places (RMP) as KE053‐053004, and contains the site of a church (no longer visible) listed as KE053‐053001Within the graveyard, two ogham stones are also recorded; KE053‐053002 and KE053‐053005. A bullaun stone KE053‐053003 is recorded as been located within the graveyard, but it is presently located outside the graveyard to the north. The graveyard is sub‐rectangular in plan and is located opposite a minor road junction. A modern rectangular extension abuts the graveyard to the southwest while there is a notable overgrown area occupying the open space between the historic graveyard and the road junction. A sunken pathway leads around the graveyard to the interior of the boundaries. The oldest grave that was recorded within Kinard burial ground was Grave No. 565, a tomb which displays a date of 1888 and commemorates the McKenna family. The primary entrance is located to the east of the graveyard in the north‐eastern corner. This is a later addition, the entrance consisting of rendered square‐profile piers with render capping and supports a recent set of galvanised double‐leaf gates. A secondary entrance is located in the western boundary and provides access between the historic section of the graveyard and the graveyard extension to the west. It comprises of a pair of rendered square‐profile piers. A third entrance consisting of a historic stile is located to the south of the primary entrance. This stile is overgrown and is not in use. The boundary walls surrounding the historic section of the graveyard consist of both roughly dressed mortared rubble stone with rubble stone coping and drystone walling. Rendered rubblestone walls with rendered square‐profile piers enclose the graveyard extension. The drystone walling survives in mixed condition in the different boundaries with occasional areas of collapse to the walls and the coping. There are 20 named tombs represented at Kinard Graveyard. Most of these are concentrated in the north‐eastern corner of the graveyard. The majority of the tombs are modestly constructed with slight variations. Most have external rendering or are built from rubblestone. The exception is the tomb at Grave No. 80 which is unusually constructed from red brick. There are 95 unnamed tombs within Kinard Graveyard. These are scattered throughout the graveyard and generally represent vernacular variations of the tomb design. They are usually constructed from rubblestone and drystone while other subterranean tombs were defined by the presence of a large horizontally laid stone slab. There are 9 unnamed or illegible headstones and plots at Kinard Burial Ground. The majority of these are in good condition and mostly date to the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The headstones vary from simple limestone slabs to modern polished stone examples with cut stone often forming the plinths to the plots with an occasional example of wrought ‐iron railing e.g. Grave No. 82. There are 6 unnamed headstones and plots within Kinard Graveyard. The majority of these are in reasonable condition. A total of 259 unnamed gravemarkers were recorded. No named gravemarkers were recorded. All of the unnamed gravemarkers were made of stone, with the majority consisting of a simple locally sourced stone placed upright in the ground to mark the burial e.g. Grave No. 28. Two architectural fragments, Grave No’s; 398 (Misc. No. 10) and 405 (Misc. 20). A beehive quern stone forms the gravemarker to Grave No. 404 (Misc No. 19). In total 17 lintel graves were recorded during the survey. These graves by definition consist of a number of stone lintels that cover an underground burial chamber, which are in turn usually covered in earth and are not usually visible unless there has been collapse or soil has fallen through the gaps between the lintels. In some cases, a gravemarker marks the presence of a lintelled grave. Miscellaneous No. 09: Carved perforated cylindrical stone (old red sandstone) with carved conical depressions to either end of the cylinder which meeting to the middle of the stone. Unclear function, possibly originally forming part of composite column or pedestal. Miscellaneous No 10: Carved sandstone upright with some evidence of tooling, a carved rebate to one side and a carved line/notch to upper surface, also forming gravemarker to Grave No. 398. Miscellaneous No 20: Tooled limestone block, partially buried and forming gravemarker to Grave No. 405' (Hanbidge 2011, 1-10). The above description is derived from J. Cuppage (compiler) 'Corca Dhuibhne. Dingle Peninsula archaeological survey.' Ballyferriter. Oidhreacht Chorca Dhuibhne (1986), no. 863. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. See attached plan of graveyard courtesy of Robert Hanbidge. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien based on details provided by Robert Hanbidge Date of revised upload: 30 June 2022