Old Church — Drumard

Situated on a slight rise of a S-facing slope overlooking Burdautein Lough. It is depicted as church ruins on Taylor and Skinner’s map of 1778 (Andrews 1969, 259) and described as an ‘Old Church’ on the 1835 edition of the OS 6-inch map, but there are no historical references to this church. It is a plain rectangular structure (int. dims 10.6m E-W; 4.75m N-S) of roughly coursed and mortared stones, which survive partially at N (L 3m; max. H 2m; T 0.7m) and S (L 4m; max. H 2.5m; T 0.7m) but the other walls are reduced to grass-covered mounds, and there is no dressed stone. There is a robbed opening (Wth 0.4-0.5m; H 1.2m plus) for a window in the S wall but the entrance is not identified. The church is in a circular enclosure (diam. 40m E-W; 37.5m N-S) defined by a scarp (H 0.3m at N to 1.4m at S, downslope) planted with whitethorn, but there is no evidence of a bank, fosse or entrance. Nor is there any evidence of burial. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Monaghan' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1986). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of revision: 29 November 2016