Site of Church — Curraclone

Situated on a low rise of ground with good views in all directions. The Stradbally River lies 40m W of the church and graveyard. Poorly preserved ruins of a church with 18th century mausoleum belonging to the Walsh family of Ballykilcavan at E end stands on the highest ground in the N quadrant of a sub-circular shaped graveyard (LA014-035002-). The rectory of ‘Corclonne’ [Curraclone] was listed in 1540-41 as ‘from time immemorial been occupied by the Irish called the Mores, paying before the dissolution 60 marks (20 li.), and since the dissolution only 28 marks (9.li. 6.s. 8.d.) (White 1943, 162). Medieval church ruins of ‘Chorclone’ are depicted standing beside the Stradbally River on the 1563 map of Laois and Offaly (Hore 1863, f.p. 345). In 1568 Queen Elizabeth granted Sir Edmund Butler of Cloghrenan, Co. Carlow a 61 year lease which included the rectory and tithes of ‘Corclone’ (Curraclone) (Nicholls 1994, 150-1). The rectory and tithes of Curraclone formerly belonged to the priory or monastery of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Connall [Greatconnell / KD023-016----], Co. Kildare whose lands were granted to Edward Randolph in 1551/2 on a 61 year lease at a rent of £112 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries (Cal. pat. rolls Ire., Jas I, 139-40). The failure to pay the rent due on these lands resulted in the lease being forfeited and the lands were subsequently granted to Sir Edmund Butler of Cloghrenan, Co. Carlow. The rectory of Curraclone passed into the hands of the Hartpole family and in 1620 George Hartpole of Monksgrange granted half of the rectory of Curraclone to Patrick White (Cal. inq. post mortem, 13 Car. I). Described in the late 19th century as the 'ruin of this old Parochial Church is still to be seen, though only a small portion of the walls remains. The east end has been appropriated and converted into a mausoleum by the Walsh family. The grave-yard in which it is placed, is still used'(Comerford 1886, 375). O'Hanlon and O'Leary (1907, 223) recorded that 'only one gable of it now remains; and this was repaired in the beginning of the late century, to preserve it from total ruin. A doorway is in it, and this exhibits two concentric arches at top. In the rude process of repairing, plaster was put over the masonry, which renders the ruin an unsightly object. An earlier church stood there, the foundations of which are now scarcely recognizable. Yet, the remains are in the centre of the grave-yard, and they rise considerably over the surface. At the end of the church-now unroofed and disused, as a new Protestant church on an elevated site has been erected near it'. It is not clear if the present church dates from the medieval or post-medieval period. It is possible that present ruins may be the remains of the medieval church which was been rebuilt or modified in the post medieval period, as a place of Protestant worship. Present remains consist of a poorly preserved church ruins (approx. int. dims 5.5m N-S); only the ivy covered W gable (ext. L 7.2m; wall T 0.85m) with arched doorway (Wth 1.25m) covered with render is clearly visible, the N and S walls have been levelled and only the wall footings survive although these footings are impossible to trace due to dense cover of vegetation at time of visit. This doorway appears to have been inserted or rebuilt in the post-medieval period based straight joint visible, style of archway over doorway and lack of dressed cut stone. An external buttress (dims. 0.6m x 0.6m; H 2.3m) has been built up against external face of W wall immediately S of the doorway. No remains visible of the E gable. An 18th century burial vault (ext. dims. 6.03m N-S ; 7.6m E-W) of the Walsh family of Ballykilcavan, dated 1794, lies at E end of church ruins. A date stone with the initials G. W. H [General Hunt Walsh of Ballykilcavan] has been inserted into E wall of vault directly above flat headed doorway. The date and initials appear to be inscribed onto the head of a pointed limestone window which was reused as a date stone for the burial vault. The W wall of the burial vault stands inside the E end of church ruins and is 10.5m E of the W gable of the church. A cross-inscribed stone (LA014-035004-) with a simple Latin cross on E face was found among uninscribed gravestones in S quadrant of graveyard (LA014-035002-). A gravestone immediately N of it is a reused architectural fragment (LA014-035005-), possibly from the earlier church. A substantial earthen enclosure (LA014-035003-), retained by an earthen bank with a shallow external fosse to N, enclosing the Glebe land on 1841 edition of the OS 6-inch map, may be remains of an outer ecclesiastical enclosure (Fitzpatrick 1991, 213-5). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Laois' (Dublin Stationery Office, 1995) compiled by P. David Sweetman, Olive Alcock and Bernie Moran. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 12 March 2015