Kilcummin Church in ruins — Ballinlena

Located in the SE quadrant of a graveyard (MA008-0060007), on a gentle E-facing slope, c. 50m from the rocky shore overlooking Killala Bay.  This Early Medieval church, named ‘Kilcummin Church’ on the 1838 and 1922 OS 6-inch maps, was according to tradition founded by St. Cummin (O’Flanagan 1927, 186 (100)). It consists now of a roofless rectangular building (7.2m E-W; 10.9m E-W; wall T 0.9m) constructed of coursed, mortared stone. The N and S walls (T 0.9m; H c. 3.5m) survive to full height (c. 3.5m) and the gables (H c. 5m) stand to almost full height, missing their tops. The walls are constructed using large, squared blocks of stone, with some large stones set on edge in the wall face. Particularly large blocks (e.g. L 1.4m; H 0.8m) are used in the basal courses of the N and S walls, in the quoins, and in parts in the gables. The church is located on a slight E-facing slope, and is built on a low foundation plinth to compensate for this. The plinth (H 0.4-0.45m), which projects c. 0.2m from the base of the wall, can be seen at the E gable and along E half of the N and S walls. E gable: There is an inwardly-splayed, round arched window in the centre of the E gable. The round arch of the broad embrasure (H 1.9m; Wth at base 0.85m) is defined by two carefully shaped, and closely fitted curved stones; a single carved block forms the arch of the small window or ope (H c. 0.7m; Wth c. 0.39) within the embrasure. Two small grooves are visible on the N side of the exterior face of the window, which would have held fittings for an external wooden shutter. W gable: There is a round arched doorway (H 1.87m; Wth at base 0.86; T 0.9m) in the centre of the W gable. The doorway narrows slightly from base to top. It is framed by very large stone blocks, with some blocks spanning the full thickness of the doorway, with the arch constructed of three shaped, close-fitting stones. A single flat slab paves the threshold. In the interior face of the N jamb of the door, there are two small grooves to hold the fittings for the door, one just above ground level and the second at the spring of the arch. The lower groove retains a small residual lump of iron.  S wall: There is a pointed-arched window (H 1.4m) at the E end of the S wall. The pointed head is formed of two opposing straight-sided stones which lean against each other to create the apex of a triangle. On its exterior face, a stone has been inserted at the base of the embrasure to decrease the size of the ope. There is a flat-headed doorway (int: H 2.3m; Wth 1.25m), now blocked up, towards the W end of the S wall, which appears to be a late insertion. The wall bows inward slightly at this point. A small pivot hole for the door is cut into the single, thin lintel slab that tops the doorway.  N wall: there is a small recess (H 0.35m; Wth 0.35m; D 0.55m) towards the W end of the N wall. Several grave slabs, some slightly displaced, occupy the interior, now largely obscured by overgrowth and loose rubble. Architectural features, such as the large blocks and large edge-set stones used in the wall construction, the round arched windows and the W doorway, suggest an early date for this church, possibly late 11th- or early 12th-century. A few meters to N of the church is a shrine (MA008-006002-) associated with St. Cummin, which incorporates a cross-slab (MA008-006003-), and c. 50m to N is a holy well (MA088-004001-), dedicated to St. Cummin. Attached images: MA008-006001-_01.JPG Church viewed from NW MA008-006001-_02.JPG W doorway (interior) MA008-006001-_03.JPG E window interior) MA008-006001-_04.JPG S wall, showing window and blocked up doorway (interior) MA008-006001-_05.JPG S wall, viewed from SE MA008-006001-_06.JPG E gable Compiled by: Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 15 July 2019