Kilmurry Church (in ruins) — Ballyneill (kilmurry Par.)

In undulating terrain, on a natural rise augmented by the graveyard, surrounded by pasture. Mentioned in the Papal Taxation records c. 1306 as 'Kilmurre, in the 'Obligationes pro annatis diocesis Lismorensis' in 1471 as 'Kilmore', in the Irish monastic and episcopal deeds in 1551 as 'Killnorenon', and in the Royal Visitation 1615: Diocese of Lismore as 'Kilmurry' (Ó Cearbhaill 2007, 176). The church is undivided and almost centrally placed in the graveyard (TS078-053001-), roughly aligned E-W. 'A little Church roofed' is mentioned in the Civil Survey (1654-6) in the lands of 'Ballyneale and Kilmurry' which in 1640 was owned by Hugh Neale (Simington 1931, vol. 1, 267). The church (dims. ext. L 26.6m; ext. Wth 8.1m; wall T 0.9m; wall H 2.65; W gable H 4.4m) is constructed of roughly coursed rubble sandstone, though lower levels are quite well coursed, with remains of a base-batter (H 1.35m; Wth 0.28m) on the S wall with the suggestion of a moulded string-course along its top. The church has been partially reconstructed and repointed. The quoins at the NW angle have been reconstructed imitating cut limestone blocks with punch tooling. There is an angle buttress at the NE corner, of sandstone with a moulded string-course at 1.3m above ground level. The E gable has completely collapsed and amongst the fallen masonry can be discerned the outline of two pointed lancet windows with heads, splays and sills still intact, as are some mouldings. The embrasure arch on the S side is clearer, displaying a semi-circular arrangement of voussoirs, moulded within. There are opposing doorways at the W end of the N (H 2m; Wth 1.2m) and S (H 1.8m; Wth 1.3m; wall T 0.85m) walls, both of which have been reconstructed. Roughly half way along the S wall, it kicks out, possibly indicating a division between nave and chancel or two phases of construction; this change in wall alignment is not apparent internally. Some patching, c. 2m from this projection, may be an indication of a window. Apart from the E windows, only two other windows are apparent, both towards the E end of the S wall. That nearer the E gable is a pointed single-light window with sandstone surrounds; W of this there is a blocked-up window with a crude internal render over the rebuilding. On the interior of the W wall a straight joint can be seen on the S end, 1.36m above ground level. The OS Letters c. 1840 describe 'a breach in the middle of the west gable extending seven feet [2.1m] in length and nine feet [2.7m] in height' (O'Flanagan 1930, vol. 1, 61). A hundred years later there is mention of a doorway in the W gable 'which would appear to be a later addition' (OPW files - ITA Survey 1942). It is possible that this later doorway provided a separate access to the 19th-century burial vaults at the W end of the church. N of this straight joint, the wall has been rebuilt and the S wall has been repointed internally. Within the church interior there is a late 16th/early 17th-century graveslab (TS078-053002) and five fragments of graveslabs (TS078-053003-; TS078-053004-; TS078-053005-; TS078-053006-; TS078-053007-) and an altar-tomb (TS078-053008-) of similar date. There are also a lot of headstones in the interior. West of the doorway the internal ground level is slightly higher, defined by a row of limestone blocks. There is a large, late 18th-century (1793) table-tomb in the centre of the interior near the N wall. A well-cut limestone corbel with masonry and limestone adhering to it lies in the rubble at the NE end of the church. Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011