Indicated — Kilbride (kilcoursey By.),lissanisky

The medieval ruins of the church (OF008-009001-) of Kilbride [Cill Bhríde], known locally as ‘St. Bridget’s Abbey’ forms the N boundary of Kilbride graveyard (OF008-009003-) with the site of a possible convent or church standing along W boundary of graveyard 60m S of the parish church ruins (OSL 1840, 134). Wall footings of a second medieval church (OF008-009004-) formed N boundary of earlier graveyard to the S of St. Bridget's abbey. Cogan (1867, 496) recorded that a 'church and convent were founded here by St. Bridget, and there is a tradition amongst the people that this was the first church erected by her after her religious profession, on the hill of Usny [Uisneach]'. The ruins of two ecclesiastical buildings are shown at this location in the townland of ‘Kilbride & Killocollni/Killecolline’ on the 1654-57 Down Survey map of Kilcoursey Barony (NLI MS 716). The terrier of the Down Survey map of Kilbride parish recorded that there were ‘the Ruines of two Churches’ (ibid.). In the 19th century the stones from both ecclesiastical buildings were used to construct the Sisters of Mercy Convent (Saint Brigid’s, Kilcoursey) located 1km S of the graveyard. This event was described as following; ‘There are still some remains of an old monastery (OF008-009002-) and chapel; and the fragments of a church (OF008-009001-) in the cemetery, quite contiguous, measure fifty-two [15.85m] in length by twenty-four [7.3m]. Some years back, with the permission of the church-warden of that day, many of the stones of convent and church were carried away to build a house, and, by the providence of God, this house has been converted into a convent the Sisters of Mercy are living there to-day’ (Cogan 1867, 496). On the 1838 ed. OS 6-inch map the possible convent is depicted as a narrow rectangular building aligned N-S standing on the W boundary of the graveyard. A second building possibly a medieval church (OF008-009004-) located to the NE of this building is visible in the graveyard. Only the lower wall footings of this ecclesiastical building are visible in the centre of the graveyard. The long axis of the possible convent building is orientated along a N-S axis with a post-1700 stone walled burial place or mortuary house belonging to the Holmes family of Greenville at S end of building annotated 'Convent' on the OS 6-inch map. Possible convent site described in 1942 as following; ‘The graveyard (OF008-009003-) is a long strip of which the central part seems the oldest and is the most raised. The ‘convent’ consists of several poorly built walls up to 5’ [1.5m] high. I can make nothing of them, and they have no features; they suggest a series of grave enclosures rather than a monastic building’ (Oliver Davies ITA Survey). The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien Date of revised upload: 02 May 2019