Burial Ground — Stagrennan

Situated on a rise on a slight N facing slope with the W-E estuary of the River Boyne c. 400m to the N. ‘Stagrennan of St. James’ is a possession of the Augustinian priory of Llanthony in Gloucestershire at the Suppression in 1540 (White 1943, 315), and a church is represented at Stagrennan on the Down Survey (1656-8) barony map of Duleek while the terrier or commentary records ‘an old church at Stagrennan’ (D’Alton 1844, vol. 2, 447). However, Stagrennan is not recorded in the visitations of Ussher (1622) or Dopping (1682-5) as a church in the Duleek deanery (Erlington 1847-64 1, lxi-lxviii; Ellison 1971, 33-7). Sixty acres at Stagrinnan were held by John Bellew of Stammeen in 1640 (Simington 1940, 3). The remains of a rectangular building (ext. dims c. 9m E-W; c. 6m N-S) can be traced within a rectangular graveyard (dims c. 50m NE-SW; c. 30m NW-SE) with some 19th century headstones and deciduous trees. The E gable survives but the cut stone from its pointed window arch is robbed. For the Down Survey barony map of Duleek see this web page accessed on 11 June, 2014: http://downsurvey.tcd.ie/down survey maps.php#bm=Duleek&c=Meath The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Meath' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1987). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload/revision: 13 June, 2014