Settlement cluster in Ballyconra

In flat undulating lowland, in pasture. A row settlement identified by geophysics (Nicholls 2017 unpublished Geophysical report; Deery and Crowley 2017 unpublished EIS) carried out in advance of a proposed solar farm. Located c. 250m N of Barney church (KK009-013001-) and graveyard (KK009-013007-) and c. 800m WSW of Ballyconra castle (KK004-033----). The parish terrier accompanying the Down Survey maps (1655-6) notes that in Ballyconra townland there was, ‘a castle partly in repaire, a weare and cabins with an old church’ (http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down-survey-maps.php#bm=Galmoy&c=Kilkenny&p=Agharny). The row (L c. 500m), fronting onto a street, consists of a series of conjoined rectangular plots (dims. c. 40m N-S; c. 15-20m E-W), aligned roughly N-S, with a house at the S end of most, if not all plots. The W end of the row (L c. 200m) consists of 11-12 plots of more or less equal proportion, while the E end has less clearly defined plots. The row is aligned roughly E-W, though the E end curves upwards towards the N. There are a number of field boundaries running roughly northward beyond the plot boundaries. The most westerly of these bisects a possible earlier enclosure (KK004-054----), which is just one of a number of enclosures (KK004-043----; KK004-044----; KK004-045----; KK004-047----; KK004-048----; KK004-049----; KK004-050----; KK004-051----; KK004-052- and KK004-053----) which were identified in the vicinity by geophysics. The settlement is not visible at ground level, however, earthworks (KK009-013005-), probably related to this settlement, are visible in the adjoining field to the S, surrounding the church and graveyard. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 September 2018