Cloneen Church (in Ruins) — Ballyhomuck

In grassland on top of a low rise of ground with good views in all directions. In the Ecclesiastical Taxation of the Diocese of Cashel in 1302 AD, the church at Cloneen or Clonynger was valued at 40 shillings (CDI vol. 3, 284). Ó Cearbhaill (2007, 59-61) equates this church with Kilburry or Cill Bhearaigh, the church of Bearach. The church in 1640 was a vicarage belonging to the Bishopric of Cashel. The glebeland of Cloneen church consisted of 2 acres of arable land which was worth 5 shillings a year and was situated in the lands of Milltowne. In the Civil Survey of 1654 Richard Brymiidgham (Bermingham) is listed as proprietor of the lands of Ballyhomuck which consisted of 109 acres, of which 80 were arable, 24 acres of pasture and 5 acres of woodland, all of which was valued at 10 pounds per year (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 167). This is probably the same Richard who died in 1672 and whose memorial is now located in the NE corner of the chancel. In the Civil Survey he is listed as an Irish papist in 1640 (ibid.). There appears to have been a small settlement clustered around the church which in the Civil Survey is referred to as a 'towne' (Simington 1934, vol. 2, 381). The church, built with coursed limestone rubble (overall ext. dims. N-S; 27m E-W; wall T 0.8m), consists of a ruinous early medieval nave (int. dims. 9.5m N-S; 16.4m E-W) and chancel (int. dims.7.5m N-S; 10.5m E-W ) and is situated in the N quadrant of a rectangular graveyard (TS071-003002-). Only the lower courses of the N wall of the nave and chancel survive while the S wall of the chancel has been removed and only the southern half of the W gable survives. Most of the S wall of the nave survives to full height. Originally there were two doorways into the nave at the W end of the N and S walls, but only evidence for the doorway in the S wall survives. There is possible evidence for a wall-walk along the walls of the nave, with evidence of a string course and drain holes at the top of the S wall of the nave, suggesting the roof sat below the top of the side walls. There is evidence for a rood screen which was attached to the chancel arch via beam holes which are still visible in the N and S jambs. A two-light window is barely visible in the ivy-covered E gable. Near the NE corner of the chancel there is a 17th-century memorial slab (TS071-003004-) dedicated to Richard Bermingham. A recent clean-up of the graveyard recovered a medieval floriated graveslab (TS071-003003-) which was used as a building stone in the fabric of the S wall of the nave immediately E of the doorway. There is evidence of a blocked up single-light lancet window off centre to E in the S wall of the nave and also for a destroyed window directly opposite in the N wall, of which only the E window embrasure survives. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011