Church (in Ruins) — Dromard

In the NW quadrant of a graveyard (SL019-150002-). O’Rorke (1889, 398) records the tradition that Saint Patrick established a church here. A church is shown in the N end of Dromard townland on the Down Survey Parish map (1656-9). The graveyard (SL019-151002-) is not shown. On the 1837 OS 6-inch map, the church is indicated as a rectangular ESE–WNW building, annotated ‘Church’, with the W wall of the church incorporated into the N end of the W wall of the graveyard. On the 1913 edition, a small square building, annotated ‘Church (in Ruins)’, is shown abutting the W wall of the graveyard. The church building is no longer evident. However, a roughly rectangular area (c. 7m E–W; 2-3m N–S) of level, grass-covered ground can be seen at this location, which may preserve part of the footprint of the church. At the W end of the level area, an ivy-covered heap (c. 4m N–S; c. 3m E–R; H 1.6m) of stone rubble abuts the graveyard wall. As indicated on the OS maps, it is likely that the graveyard wall incorporates remnants of the W gable wall of the church, however, it is not possible to confirm this due to the dense ivy-cover on the wall. Immediately to N of the site of the church, the graveyard wall and the original entrance were removed when the graveyard extension to W was added. There are two holy wells (SL019-15101-; SL019-151002-) c. 130m to S; and an enclosure (SL019-149001-) 170m to NW. Revised by : Jane O'Shaughnessy Date of upload: 8 December 2014