Grave Yd. — Aghowle Lower (shillelagh By.)

Situated on a level area on a gentle W-facing slope. A Romanesque church (WI042-019001-) stands on the site of a monastery reputed to have been founded in the sixth century. b y St. Finnian of Clonard. In the graveyard (dims. c. 70m E-W; c. 65m N-S) is St Finden's high cross (WI042-019002-), undecorated except for sunken panels on the sides of the shaft and on the underside of the ring and arms (Harbison 1992, 10). The graveyard contains two fonts (WI042-019009-/010-) (pers. comm Chris Corlett), a possible third font (WI042-019007-) (Graves 1883, 72-6) and a gently tapering, earthfast, granite graveslab with a lightly incised Latin cross on the E face (WI042-019008-). An early wedge-shaped cross-slab (WI042-019006-) previously recorded by Crawford (1925, 66) with a Greek cross in a circle on one side and a human face on the other side was not located recently (pers. comm. C. Corlett, 28 April 2011). An additional 12 cross slabs, two cross bases, a number of architectural fragments and two fragments of a mill stone have recently been identified by C. Corlett (pers. comm. 12 June 2012). In 1944 the state issued Aghowle National Monument Order No. 8 which prohibited the burial of human remains within and around the area of the Romanesque Church. The curvilinear shape of the graveyard boundary wall probably follows the line of an Early Christian ecclesiastical enclosure (WI042-019004-). Situated 100m to the SE of the site is an earthfast granite bullaun stone with four basins (WI042-019005-). (Ordnance Survey Letters Wicklow 1838-40, Corlett and Medleycott eds. 2000, 36-45; Graves 1883, 72-85; Owen 1886, 409; Price 1958, 368-9; Harbison 1970, 251; O'Riordáin 1978, 30, 39, 43, 44) The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Wicklow' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload/revision: 14 June 2012 Revised by: Claire Breen