Carrowleckeen Church in Ruins — Knockatemple

At the NE corner of graveyard (MA070-167002-). This medieval church is named ‘Carrowleckeen church’ on the OS 6-inch maps. The remains consist of a ruined and roofless rectangular building (int. 8.1m E−W; W 4.4m N−S) constructed of mortared limestone rubble. The entrance is through a doorway with a pointed arched cut stone surround in the centre of the W gable. The W gable (H 0.4m; T 0.7m) is relatively intact but the apex of the gable has collapsed and quoins have been robbed out. Above the doorway in the exterior wall face, there is a large rectangular recess with chamfered jambs, lintel and sill; the S half of the lintel is missing. Below and either side of this recess are two small lintelled rectangular opes (N ope: Wth 0.32m; H 0.25m; S ope: Wth 0.34m; H 0.4m). Internally the wall fabric around the doorway is missing. The N wall stands to its full height (H 2.83m; T 0.7m), except for the E end of the wall which has collapsed into the church interior. A rectangular lintelled ope (Wth 0.47m; H 0.31m), similar to those in the W gable, is located 2.3m from the W end of the wall, at 1.85m above the interior ground surface. Three mountain ash saplings are growing on top of the wall at the E end of the surviving section. Much of the exterior wall face is obscured by vegetation; and parts of the interior wall face are also vegetation covered. The S half of the E gable (H 3.5m; T 0.8m) stands to almost its full height, but the quoins at the SE angle have been robbed out; the N half of the gable including the central window has collapsed. Two architectural fragments, possibly part of the E window, were noted in the heap of collapsed wall fabric. The E half of the S wall stands to its full height (H 2.9m; T 0.7m), although part of the exterior face has collapsed at its E end. There is small lintelled ope (Wth 0.33m; H 0.34m), similar to those in the W gable and N wall, at the E end of the wall, 1.05m W of the E gable and 2m above the interior ground level, and the splayed E jamb of a window survives at the W end of the surviving section of the S wall. To the W of the latter window, only the lower courses (H 0.65-1.5m) of the S wall survive, and a spread of collapsed wall fabric is visible on the ground to S of the wall. Vegetation, including a young hawthorn bush, is growing on the surviving section of the wall. There are a few stone gravemarkers in the church interior, as well as a wooden cross located along the N wall. The interior ground surface is grass-grown and is strewn with stone rubble. Compiled by: Jane O’Shaughnessy Date of upload: 30 November 2021