Church (in Ruins) — Ballintogher (graystown Par.)

On a ridge of rock outcrop in upland region with panoramic views in all directions. According to Ó Cearbhaill (2007, 75-6) this church is the Cill Bhuí, or yellow church of Kilboy, whose name is now attached to the neighbouring townland to the S. The church is a simple rectangular building (int. dims. 5m N-S; 9.9m E-W; wall T 0.8m) constructed with coursed limestone blocks with dressed quoin stones and a high base-batter (H 1.4m). The W and E gables stand to full height and the N wall survives intact in places, while only the lower courses of the S wall survive (H 0.6m). Only the lower jambs of the original doorway (Wth 1m) survive, located W of centre in the N wall. Evidence of external rebated double-chamfered jambs with pintle hole at the base of the doorway inside the W jamb. Scattered remains of the doorway survive lying on the ground to the N of the doorway. There is a single-light, unglazed ogee-headed window in the E gable, with dressed limestone blocks used in the inner face of the E window embrasure and fine punch dressing within drafted margins on the external face of the jamb stones. Evidence of a robbed-out stone altar (H 1m; L 3.65m; Wth 1.3m) up against internal face of the E gable. Blocked-up window E of centre in the N wall and broken-out aumbry E of centre in the S wall. On the W gable is a first-floor fireplace and chimney which probably heated a priest's residence in the W end of the church. This floor was carried on timber joists, the support holes of which are visible at the W end of the N wall immediately W of the main doorway. A blocked-up single-light window in the W gable behind the fireplace indicates that the fireplace was an insertion, while coping stones crossing the chimney suggest that the roofline was altered at the same time. The ground floor of the priest's residence was lit by a simple slit ope in the centre of the W gable. No clear graveyard boundary wall could be identified. Evidence of earthworks (TS054-000002-) are suggestive of medieval or post-medieval settlement all around the church (TS054-009001-). Three possible house sites within their own plots have been identified (TS054-009003-; TS054-009004-; TS054-009005-) at 45m NW of the church, 13m WNW of the church and 20m SE of the church, respectively, as well as a large enclosure (TS054-009006-) 45m N of the church and a smaller enclosure (TS054-009007-) which encloses an area immediately NW of the church. A carved stone (TS054-038002) described as containing an image of the Blessed Virgin with our saviour in her lap (a Pieta), which was noted on the ground outside the destroyed doorway by O'Donovan in 1840, is currently located at the Holy Well in Kilboy (TS054-038001-), approximately 800m SE of church. O'Donovan also recorded the remains of a broken font located on the E side of doorway, and that there had been no burials there for a long time (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 2, 178-9). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011