Balleen Church (in ruins) — Balleen Little

On a slight plateau, just below a hill crest looking onto a slightly lower and larger plateau occupied by Balleen Castle (KK009-037001-) and then across the valleys to the N,E and W. A simple rectangular structure (max. dims. 14m E-W; 6m N-S) of roughly coursed rubble (wall T 0.9m). The central portion of both the N and S wall has largely collapsed, with the wall surviving at either end. The E gable (H 3.5m) has largely collapsed, forming a mound of rubble, very overgrown. The W gable (H c. 5.5m) is largely intact, though the upper portion is obscured by vegetation. Scrub growth obscures the tops of all the walls.The OS Letters (1839) describe, 'a breach in the north wall where the door must have stood, as there is no doorway to be seen any where else. There is a breach in the east gable which has carried away the window, if any there was. There is a small window high up in west gable, about three feet [0.9m] high and two and a half feet [c. 0.75m] wide, covered with a flag inside, about one foot ten inches [c. 0.56m] high and three inches [0.075m] wide on the outside, formed of five cut stones [sketch of flat-headed window opposite the description] (O'Flanagan ed. 1930, vol. 1, 94 (32)). Carrigan (1905, vol. 2, 332) suggests that this church served as a chapel for the castle c. 100m to N. There is no associated graveyard visible at ground level. A sheela-na-gig (KK009-037004-), probably originally from this church or the nearby castle (KK009-037001-), is now inserted in a wall at the nearby farmyard. This monument is subject to a preservation order made under the National Monuments Acts 1930 to 2014 (PO no. 3/1992). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 16 July 2018