Kyletabreeheen (in Ruins), Grave Yd. (Disused) — Derrykearn

Featureless church (L c. 15.9m, Wth c. 6.8m), consisting of a chancel and collApsed nave within a large subrectangular graveyard (LA023-007004-). The interior of the church was also used for burial and contains post-1700 headstones. Situated on the summit of a gentle N facing slope in an area of tillage and rough pasture. Particularly good views from S through W through N to E. Clear view of Sliabh Bloom mountains from SW through W to NW. Kyletabreeheen is a small ruined single-chambered rectangular church (int. dims. 5.6m N-S x 8.5m E-W; Wall T 0.5m) poorly built with roughly coursed limestone rubble. Only the E end of the N wall remains standing to a height of 1.3m over the interior and it appears to have been rebuilt in recent years. The E gable stands to a height of 0.95m over the exterior. The greater part of the S wall has collapsed outwards leaving only a 1.1m stretch surviving 1.3m high at its E end only. The return of this wall, at its SE end, has a finished face defining an entrance which was constructed in the last century to accommodate a 19th century memorial to the Phelan family. The top of this wall is capped with a large roughly cut and rebated jambstone which is most liekly a re-used fragment from the original doorway into the church. The W gable is largely obscured by the accumulation of humus over its outwards collapse, however its internal face is still visible standing to a height of 1.1m over the interior at its S end. No windows survive. The substantial mound (dims. 15.5m N-S x 24.5m E-W) around the church was created by the collapse of its walls. This upstanding building may only date from the 19th century when it was built as a 19th century burial enclosure for the Phelan family, it may have re-used fragments from an earlier church or may have been built on site of earlier church. The upstanding walls only measure 0.5m and are too thin to belong to a medieval church. On the first edition of the OS 6-inch map this building or a building within this area is depicted as 'Church (in Ruins)'. This church was probably re-built and converted into a private burial enclosure in the 19th century when the Phelan family erected a memorial that still survives inside this building at the W end of the structure. 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. Date of upload: 17 December 2007