Ecclesiastical enclosure in Ballygarran (gaultiere By.)

Situated at the crest of an E-facing slope on a slight N-S ridge. Power (1952, 215) considered this to be the site of an early church of which practically all trace had disappeared. The visible remains consist of a sub-circular scrub-covered area (diam. 27m) (WA027-003002-) defined by the remnants of a stone wall (Wth 1.8m) generally reduced to a scarp (H c. 0.6m). This enclosure (WA027-003002-) is traditionally considered to be a burial ground (WA027-003003-), and there is one grave-marker in the interior which is raised and stony. It corresponds with the SE quadrant of a much larger sub-circular tri-vallate monument (WA027-003010-) the full extent of which was revealed as a result of geophysical survey undertaken in 2007 (Bonsall and Gimson 2007); this provides an internal diameter of 80m and an external one of 95m for the enclosing elements. The survey also indicated the existence of a possible annex to the S. The monument was investigated by M.J. Bowman in 1940 and a reassessment of his results (Curtin 2015) indicates a multiphase site. The pottery recovered (B ware and E ware) suggests occupation in the medieval period and the presence of Leinster cooking ware is indicative of occupation in the 13th-14th centuries. Evidence of iron working indicates that the site was used during the late medieval or early modern period and a final period of use of the site was as a burial ground (WA027-003001-; ibid., 86). The onomastic evidence coupled with the presence of a grave-marker, a possible cross-slab (WA027-003006-) and the cross-inscribed pillar stone (WA027-003003-) clearly indicates an ecclesiastical context in terms of its occupation or use. (Power 1941; 1952, 215; Moore 1999, 165-6; Bonsall and Gimson 2007; Curtin 2015) Compiled by: Michael Moore Updated by: Paul Walsh Revised date of upload: 21 December 2015