Grave Yard — Knockroe (drangan Par.)

On a natural platform of a N-facing slope in hilly terrain. The graveyard encloses the medieval church (TS063-016001-) of Drangan at the E end of Drangan village. A roughly rectangular graveyard (dims. 60m N-S; 46m E-W) defined by a roughly coursed limestone wall encloses the church which is aligned E-W in the centre of the graveyard. It is possible that the graveyard, which is described in the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 74) as being 'a large graveyard…now much in use', was enclosed in the 18th/19th century. Within the graveyard there is a roughly sub-rectangular raised area (dims. c. 58m N-S; c. 20m E-W), which appears to define an earlier limit of the graveyard. This area extends N, E and S of the church but does not incorporate the most westerly portion of the church. Within the graveyard are a number of large drainage stones from a parapet which have been re-used as headstones. Though the church may have had a parapet, it is also possible that the drainage stones are from Drangan Castle (TS063-015002-), which lies c. 160m to the NNE. There are two 16th/17th graveslabs associated with the graveyard, one (TS063-016004-) is unlocated and the other (TS063-016004-) lies immediately N of the E end of the S wall of the church. The headstones date from the late 18th century onwards. In recent years an extension to the graveyard has been built to the S. A small archaeological excavation along the E side of Drangan graveyard revealed an older, but possibly post-medieval, wall base below the present boundary wall (Pollock 1996, 82). The NE corner of the graveyard appeared to be built over an infilled post-medieval quarry (ibid.). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011