Church (in Ruins) — Moyagher Lower

Located in a level landscape. This was probably a chapel-of-ease to Rathmore (ME024-017001-), c. 2.5km to the SSW. A church at Monechurch is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 260). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel of Moyagher as ruinous (Erlington 1847-64, 1, lxxxix). According to Dopping’s Visitation (1682-5) St. Nicholas’ church at Moyagher had been a ruin since 1641 and the graveyard was not enclosed (Ellison 1973, 8). The church was described in 1985 as the grass covered foundations (int. dims c. 21m E W; c. 5.3m N S) of a church with doorways in the N and S walls towards the W end. The chancel may have been narrower and might have been added later. The church is now overgrown in a tended rectangular graveyard (dims c. 50m NW-SE; c. 40m NE-SW) defined by earthen banks with an outer stone wall or facing. The graveslab of Christopher Plunkett, dated 1630, is in the nave (Cogan 1862-70, 2, 261-2). The inscription has been read by B. E. F. Moore (c. 1975, 1, 2) following FitzGerald (1908-09) as: HIC JACET CHRISTOPHER PLUNKETT CUM SUA UXORE CATHERINA BEGG QUOND DE MOYAGHER GENEROS’ QUI ME FIERI FECIT ANO MDCXXX. ET OBIT 19 DIE IULI. The shaft of a cross (dims 0.22m x. 0.13m; H 0.85m) is across the road to the SE in Milltown townland, but it was not noted in 2014 because of overgrowth. 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 revision: 16 December, 2014