Ballycahill Church (in ruins) — Ballycahill (ballycahill Par.),garrynamona,moneydass

Situated on fairly level ground sloping gently to the W, in undulating terrain. Listed in the ecclesiastical taxation of the Diocese of Cashel in 1302 (CDI, vol. 5, 283). A roughly coursed limestone church (ext. dims. incl. tower 9.8m N-S; 21.3m E-W; wall T 1.2m) with base-batter (H 0.8m; T 0.15m); originally a nave and chancel church but no remains of the chancel survive. In c. 1840 a length of the N chancel wall survived (L 8.4m; H c. 0.75m) along with a very small fragment of the S wall (Wth. of chancel c. 5.4m). A pointed doorway in the S wall gives access to the nave with a double-hole machicolation over the doorway. Voussoirs provide evidence of another doorway, now blocked, giving access to the church at the W end of the N wall. The ground floor of an accommodation tower survives at the W end of the nave. This was the priest's residence and it had a separate entrance in the S wall with a flat-headed lintel. The E jamb has been altered and the door widened. The E window of the church has collapsed and the central section of wall has been blocked up with roughly coursed limestone. There were possibly three separate lights as the N splay of the jamb of the N window is visible on the external face of the E wall. Aumbries occur at the E end of both the N and S walls. The S wall has two flat-headed narrow windows set into round-headed embrasures. The N wall has similar lights - that at the W end is blocked up. The Church forms the N boundary of the large rectangular shaped graveyard (TN040-015002). The above description is derived from 'The Archaeological Inventory of County Tipperary. Vol. 1 - North Tipperary' compiled by Jean Farrelly and Caimin O'Brien (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2002). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 22 September 2008