Church (in Ruins) — Liscartan

Situated on a level landscape, at the crest of a slight slope down to the NW-SE River Blackwater, which is c. 100m to the NE. A church at Listcartan is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire. 5, 256). In the Papal Registers (vol. 11, 15) there is a reference to the chapel of Listarch in 1305 (Leslie 1908, 105). Ussher (1622) describes the church and chancel as reasonably well repaired (Erlington 1847-64 1, lxxx). According to Dopping’s Visiation (1682-5) this parish church was dedicated to St. Nicholas, and the walls of the church were standing but it was not enclosed (Ellison 1972, 10 11). This is an undivided nave and chancel church (ext. dims 17.6m E-W; 7.7m N-S) which dates largely to the 15th century but was repaired in the 18th century when large, round-headed windows (Wth 1.1m) - three in the S wall, and two in the N wall - were inserted. The interior is overgrown, but two doorways are towards the W end of the nave, that on the N is robbed while that on the S is blocked. A lintelled and chamfered doorway (Wth 0.64m; H 1.6m) in the N wall leads by a stairs housed in an external projection (Wth 0.7m; L 7.6) to a rood-loft. The double-light cusped ogee-headed decorated windows in the E and W walls are original, that on the W wall with the heads of a king, queen and bishop decorating the hood. The double belfry on the W gable is perhaps added. One headstone just S of the church and dating from the 1760s is the only indication of a graveyard. Liscartan tower house (ME025-009001-) and fortified house (ME025-009002-) are c. 60 and c. 80m to the SE. 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: 15 December, 2014