Ecclesiastical enclosure in Johnstown

Situated in pasture, on the W-facing slope of a N-S ridge in undulating countryside, on the landscaped demesne of Johnstown House located 300m to NW. The name Killodiernan is translated as the church of O'Tiernan or Cill Ó dTiarnáin, the Cill placename may suggest an early medieval date for the church site (Clyne 1984, 44). Killodiernan Romanesque church (TN009-040001-) stands in N quadrant of D-shaped graveyard (TN009-040002-) with seventeenth-century mortuary chapel containing the chest-tomb (TN009-040004-) of Dean Denis Harty, Bishop of Killaloe who died in 1667 built against the E gable of the church. The graveyard is enclosed by a nineteenth-century wall with eighteenth and nineteenth-century headstones. Traces of a possible early Christian monastic enclosure (diam. NW-SE 200m approx.) surround Killodiernan Church and graveyard which is visible from NE through E to SE. The best-preserved section is visible from E to SE where it consists of an earthen bank (Wth 4m approx.; ext. H 0.15m) and possible inner fosse (Wth 5m; D 0.2m) located 75m to the SE of the modern graveyard wall. The graveyard wall curves from N through E to SE possibly following the line of a second inner ecclesiastical enclosure (Clyne 1984, 46). See attached plan showing location of monastic enclosure taken from Clyne 1984 and Google Earth orthoimages Compiled and revised by: Caimin O'Brien. Date of revised upload: 13 October 2020