Church in Ruins — Ballinure

In grassland on a slight N-facing slope of rising ground with good views in all directions. The terriers of the Down Survey parish maps (1655-6) mention 'Ballinure whereon stands a Ruined Church'. An ivy-covered rectangular church (ext. dims. 8m N-S; 19.5m E-W; wall T 0.8m) is built with roughly coursed limestone rubble in the centre of a hexagonal-shaped graveyard (TS053-051002-). The N wall of the church no longer survives to any height except the W end which is incorporated into a barrel-vaulted two-storey priests residence (int. dims. 5.6m N-S; 3.6m E-W; wall T 0.8m) at the W end of church. Both the E and W gables stand to full height, while the S wall survives to approx. 2m high. There are no windows visible in the S wall, while a broken out E window is not visible due to the dense cover of ivy, though according to Hassett (1990, 33) it was a two-light window. The W gable and S wall are also covered in ivy, making examination impossible. Evidence of a base-batter is visible on the E gable. A barrel-vaulted chamber at the W end of the church is accessed via an elliptical-headed doorway in the centre of its E wall, but there is no access from inside this chamber to the upper floor. There are 18th and 19th-century memorials inside the barrel-vaulted chamber, and three corbels on the W wall and two on the E wall. These corbels (Wth 0.3m; H 0.2m) are not directly opposite each other and may have acted as shelving supports on the side walls of the priest's chamber. The doorway into the chamber was constructed with chamfered punch-dressed limestone jambs with drafted margins of 16th/17th-century appearance. The concentration of memorials of 18th and 19th-century date is to the S and W of the church. The double belfry on the W gable was not visible due to dense cover of vegetation. According to the OS Letters (1840s), this belfry had been surmounted by a stone cross which was subsequently removed (O'Flanagan 1930, vol.2, 180). Davis White (1892, 45) mentions that the gable and ground adjoining had been used as a ball court. It is not clear if the barrel-vaulted priest's residence has been inserted into, or is contemporary with, the church. An interesting stone ridge-piece of the original church roof survives, with the attachment for the roof finial, in the graveyard to the E, similar to the roof finial piece at Derrynaflan church. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011