Site of Church — Kilknockan

On a gentle N-facing slope at the base of Kilknockan Hill, in pasture. It formed part of a settlement with earthworks (TS070-011003-) in the field to the SW-W-N and a castle (TS070-011001-), which is no longer visible, 50m to the WNW. A ruinous church (ext. dims. 13.3m E-W; 8.6m N-S) which largely survives as a low, grass-covered walls (int. H 0.15-0.27m; ext. H 0.25-0.42m; Wth c. 0.9m), though a good portion of the W gable survives (L upstanding 5.6m, H c. 4-5m; T 1.1m). It is built of roughly coursed limestone rubble. The church was in a similar condition when visited in 1840, though the W gable, which is now heavily ivy covered, appears to have been visible as the OS Letters (O'Flanagan 1930, vol.2, 165-6) note that it ‘has two windows, one large and rectangular and masonwork inside, where it is seven and a half feet [2.3m] from the ground, and has a flagstone crossing it at top. Over this window at the top of the gable is a small rectangular one, by which it appears a floor was lighted above. The lower window is nine feet [2.7m] from the ground on the exterior and is rectangular and narrow and built with chiselled limestone bevelled. The upper one is broader but not high, neither is it bevelled and the stones in it are but roughly dressed'. There are tumbled stones on the ground at both ends of the W gable. Opposing gaps (S wall Wth 2m; N wall Wth 1.4m) in the sides walls 3m and 3.6m respectively from the W gable may indicate the position of doorways. There is a raised area (dims. 5.3m E-W; 6m N-S, H above ext. 0.25m) adjoining the E end which may be tumble or could be the remains of a small chancel, the N side of the raised area is flush with the N wall of the church and with the northern extent of the graveyard as indicated on the 6-inch OS maps, while the S side is 2.6m inside the S wall of the church. On the 1st (1840) ed. and 2nd (1903-04) ed. 6-inch OS map there is an irregular area S-SW of the church outlined by a dashed line which is indicated as the ‘Site of Grave Yard’ and ‘Grave Yard (Disused)’ respectively. The dashed line suggests that the graveyard was not enclosed. There is no visible trace of a graveyard, marker stones or headstones above ground. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 6 March 2012