St. Michaels Church (in ruins) — Michaelschurch

In Michaelschurch townland which was formerly part of Damma townland. According to Holahan (1883, 83-6) the church was built by William Smyth who died in 1655, however, he mentions that an inscription of one of the stones states that the church was re-built by John Smyth, who died in 1708 and is buried within the church'. However, Carrigan (1905, vol. 3, 443) states that the church was rebuilt by William Smyth’s grandson Valentine who died in 1700 and was again rebuilt by the latter’s daughter-in-law, Jane Smyth who died in 1747. Carrigan suggests that the church, also called ‘Mickle’s Church’, served as the Mass-House or chapel of the Ballycallan district until towards the end of the 18th century and is mentioned in Dr. Tennison’s Visitation Book in 1731 (ibid. 443, 447). It was dedicated to St Michael the Archangel (ibid.). According to the OS Letters (O’Flanagan ed. 1930, vol. 1, 235-6 (79)) the church ‘is mentioned by Archdall as a rectory belonging to Jerpoint [Abbey]’. In the OS Letters (ibid.), it is described as, ‘consisting of the western gable and a small portion of the south wall. It measures fifty eight feet [17.6m] in length and nineteen [5.8m] in breadth, having a broken topped doorway in the west gable six feet [c. 1.8m] wide; the sides remain to the height of four feet [c. 1.2m], built of small roundish chipped stones. There is a broken round headed window over the place of the door and a broken belfry at the top’. A stone plaque (KK018-051004-) is also mentioned, which, ‘formerly stood in the south wall near the east gable on the inside’ (ibid.). Holahan (1883, 83-6) gives the same dimensions for the rectangular church and states that, ‘the walls were only twenty-three inches [c. 0.6m] thick. A portion of the western gable is about thirteen feet [c. 4m] high. There was a door at the south side, and the altar stood at the east end. The northern side-wall was supported by three buttresses. About sixty years ago the roof fell off this church. The pattern is celebrated on the Sunday after St. Michael's day, the 29th September' (ibid.). Holahan also mentions that two 'headstones' to the Smyth family were formerly mural entablatures (KK018-051004-; KK018-051005-), as the recesses in the wall which formerly contained them are still visible (ibid.). A ‘gable cross’ from this church, illustrated by J. G. Robertson, presumably surmounted the E gable and he also sketched a holy-water stoup from this church (Anon. 1862-3, 187). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 7 July 2020