Church in ruins — Kilvemnon

On a rise with ground falling gradually to the S, in undulating terrain. The church of Meanmnán in this parish, with variations in spelling, is mentioned in the Irish monastic and episcopal deeds c. 1250, in the Papal Taxation records of c. 1302 and c. 1306 and in various other records throughout the 15th, 16th and 17th century (Ó Cearbhaill 2007, 165-66). The present ruins date to the late 18th century (Butler 2004, 109), though the church may have been built on an early church and fabric of an earlier church appears to be incorporated into the tower. In 1843 the church became redundant as a new church was built at a different location (Butler 2004, 109). On both the 1st (1840) and 2nd (1906) ed. OS 6-inch map this church is indicated as being in ruins. This church (int. dims. 6.4m N-S; c. 15.2m E-W), aligned ESE-WNW, is roughly centrally placed within an irregularly shaped graveyard (TS063-063003-). It survives as a low earthen bank (Wth at top 0.9m; Wth at base 2.7m; int. H 0.42m; ext. H 0.35m) on the line of the N wall and the E gable, with a rectangular tower, projecting from the W end wall (T 0.68m). There are 18th-century headstones on the line of the S wall of the church, the earliest dating to 1745. Immediately S of the church there is a late medieval graveslab (TS063-063004-) and an armorial plaque (TS063-063005-) from a wall monument. A building (TS063-063002-) in the SE angle of the graveyard appears to be a burial mausoleum of late 18th/19th-century date Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011