Church (in Ruins) — Rahin

In undulating countryside. In the 1302-06 Ecclesiastical Taxation of Ireland the 'Chapel de Balylonan' [Ballylinan] was valued at 40 shillings (Cal. doc. Ire., vol. 5, 250). This medieval church was described in the late 19th century as 'the ruins of an ancient church, measuring about 40 feet [12.1m] in length, by 16 feet [4.8m] in width. The western gable, which is nearly perfect, is pierced by a small stone-cased window, 2 feet [o.6m] high by 1 [0.3m] in breadth, and terminates in a bell-turret with opes for two bells. Portions of the side-walls remain, and also the east gable in which there is a deeply-splayed window; another window may be traced about mid-way in the south wall' (Comerford 1886, vol. 3, 74). Today the present remains consist of a poorly preserved ivy-clad rectangular church (int. dims. 13.65m E-W; 5.6m N-S; wall T 0.9m) constructed of roughly coursed limestone rubble. The E gable contains evidence of a broken out splayed window (Wth 1.6m) with a segmental arch. There is an ivy-clad square-headed window at first floor level in the centre of the W gable with ivy-clad double bell-cote above it. A large part of the centre of the N wall no longer survives upstanding while a portion of the W end of the S wall has also collapsed. There is evidence of a broken out doorway (wth. 1.3m) at the W end of S wall. The remains of a broken out window can be senn in the centre of the S wall which was described by O'Hanlon & O'Leary in the early 1900s. Some cut-stone fragments have been used as grave-markers in NE section of graveyard (LA026-003001-) (O'Hanlon and O'Leary 1907, vol. 1, 250). Archaeological testing in the vicinity of the church and graveyard was carried out by Martin Byrne in 2004 under excavation licence no. 04E1558. 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. Compiled by Caimin O'Brien Date of upload/revision: 06 December 2010