Church (in ruins) — Maginstown

On a SE-facing slope in undulating terrain, under pasture, just off the crest of a hill, with a castle (TS076-015002-) located c. 50m downslope to S and earthworks (TS076-015----) in the surrounding field. The church is indicated at this location on the 17th-century Down Survey map. According to the OS Letters this was 'called by some of the people a “Church” by others an “Abbey” or “Monastery”' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 3, 84). The church (int. dims. 7.4m N-S; 10.5m E-W; N and S wall T 0.76m) is aligned E-W and built of limestone rubble, randomly coursed, with a residential tower at its W end (int. dims. 7.4m N-S; 2.77m E-W; W and N wall T 0.81m) surviving to a height of two storeys carried on wooden floors. The coping stones of the church survive on the N side of the E wall of the tower, which rose above this probably by at least another storey. Only the E wall of the church and the E (L 7.4m) and W wall (L 5.2m) of tower survive. The E wall of the church survives to a good height and contains a central single-light window which is obscured by ivy but, according to OS Letters, was pointed. Foundations of the S wall of the church are visible, as is the return at the N end of the E wall. The tower was entered through a doorway at the S end of the E wall, but only two jambs survive. The ground floor was lit by a window in the E wall and defended by a horizontal gun-loop in the same wall. The first floor was lit by a single-light window in the W wall, with a wall-cupboard to the N and a fireplace to the S. The N and S walls of the tower have collapsed. However, according to the OS Letters 'on its south side near the top, there is a narrow, round headed window, and on the west side also there are two small and narrow quadrangular windows' (ibid. 84). There is no visible graveyard and according to the OS Letters 'there is no interment made here at present' (ibid. 84). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of revised upload: 22 September 2014