Church in Castlejordan

Situated on a slight rise above a N-S section of the WNW-ESE Castlejordan River, which is c. 180m to the E. A church at Kirnegedach is listed in the ecclesiastical taxation (1302-06) of Pope Nicholas IV (Cal. doc. Ire., 5, 257). The rectory of Castlejordan was owned by the Augustinian abbey of Ballyboggan (ME046-018----) at its suppression in 1540 (White 1943, 312). Ussher describes the church and chancel of Castlejordan as altogether ruined (Erlington 1847-64, 1, xcix). According to the Dopping (1682-5) and Royal visitations (1693) the church and chancel of Castlejordan [alias Kernekedah] were in good repair. It had a slate roof, glass in the windows and a clay floor. It had a font but the condition of the graveyard is not recorded (Ellison 1973, 11). A Church of Ireland church was built in 1826 at Castlejordan or Gungedagh (Lewis 1837, 1, 299), but this is now reduced to the W tower and the W gable. There is no trace of the medieval church in the subrectangular graveyard (dims c. 60m E-W; c. 40m N-S at E to c. 70m N-S at W) defined by masonry walls on every side except the W where there is a wide moat (Wth of top c. 6-8m; D 2-3m) that is part of a WNW-ESE mill-race, which enters the Castlejordan river c. 200m to the SE. The headstones date mostly from c. 1775 to 1914, but the headstone (Wth 0.5m; H 0.77-0.87m; T 0.18m) to Francis Digbie has an English inscription in roman capitals carved in false relief and the date 1?62, probably 1562. The castles (ME052-004----; ME052-005----) are c. 135m and 115m to the SE respectively, and the motte and bailey (ME052-002----) and castle (ME052-002001-) are c. 190 and c. 135m to the SW respectively. 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: 13 April, 2015