Monastery (in Ruins) — Aghanagh

On the S side of a lane and on the N side of Ballinafad Bay, overlooking Lough Arrow to the E; in the centre of Aghanagh graveyard (SL040-171002-). The ruin of a rectangular church (ext. c. 18m E-W; 9m N-S), whose walls (T c. 1.07m; H c. 3m) are standing, though covered with ivy, except for the E wall which is missing. The walls are of random-rubble limestone, with some larger stones (c. 1m x 0.7m) evident along the external base of the S wall. A window embrasure, near the E end of this wall, has a chamfered light with a pointed arch (H 1.14m; Wth 0.12m). A gap (Wth c. 2m), visible through ivy high up on the W wall, may also be a window ope. Below this the masonry has been rebuilt. A doorway, near the W end of the N wall, has a limestone surround in two plain orders and a rounded arch (Wakeman 1885-6, 48) and is probably an insertion. The interior is covered by dense scrub overgrowth. It contains some 20th-century headstones and low uninscribed grave-markers. A burial vault, near the E end of the S wall, directly under the window, has its opening blocked by a late medieval graveslab (SL040-171005-). A similar graveslab (SL040-171006-) was noted here in 1847 (Wood-Martin 1882, 206, n. 1). A broken font (SL040-171004-), mentioned by Wood-Martin (ibid.) as being inside the door of the church, was not located. A cross-inscribed stone (SL040-171008-) lies to the SE. A church is said to have been founded here by St Patrick (Gwynn and Hadcock 1970, 372) but the present ruin is the medieval parish church of Aghanagh. Architectural fragments have recently been assembled in a pile in the interior of the church (pers. comm. M. B. Timoney). A rectangular enclosure (SL040-141----) which, according to local information, was used as a children's burial ground (SL040-141001-), is immediately to N on the opposite side of the road. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008