Church (in Ruins) — Kilcumreragh

According to the Annals of Loch Cé the name Kilcumreragh is derived from 'Cill-Cruimther Fiachrach' meaning 'The Church of Cruimther (or presbyter) Fiachra'; or more correctly 'Cill-Cruimther-Fraich meaning the 'church of Cruimther Fraich' (ALC, 95). In 1401 the Annals of Loch Cé recorded the death of 'Tibbot Buidhe O'Maelmhuaigh' who was slain in Cill-Cruimthir-Fiachrach [Kilcumreragh] by the sons of Art O'Maelechlainn (ibid.). Gwynn and Hadcock (1970, 390) linked Kilcumreragh with St. Fiachra. O'Donovan (1837) wrote in the placenames book of the Ordnance Survey that he had no 'hesitation in asserting with every confidence that this is the Church of Comráire near Uisneach, where in the primitive ages St. Colman was venerated on the 25th of September'. Alternatively O'Donovan suggested that Kilcumreragh may be derived from Cill Comhrair, church of comhrair, a hill in Kinel-Fiach'. The medieval church ruins of Kilcumreragh stands on top of a low hillock in undulating countryside. Kilcumreragh Church depicted on the 1653-9 Down Survey map of Moycashell Barony (NLI, MS 723-4) as a rectangular building with residential or bell-tower at E end. On this map the church stands on the lands of Thomas Geoghegan who is described as an ‘Irish Papist’ and owner of 271 acres of land in ‘Killcrumriagh’. The terrier of the Down Survey parish map of Kilcumreragh recorded that there are ‘Scittuate in it the Church of Kilcrumriagh’. Situated atop low hillock in undulating countryside with post-1700 corn mill of Ballynabarna 110m to NNE and mill race or stream 70m to E. On the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map the glebe land belonging to the church is depicted immediately W of the graveyard and the boundary of the glebe is shown as a dotted outline in the same manner as the graveyard. The church is depicted on the 1837 ed. OS 6-inch map as a rectangular building with mortuary chapel (WM031-079004-) at E end of S wall of church. A second small mortuary chapel (WM031-079003-) aligned NE-SW is depicted standing a few metres W of the church. Present remains consist of the poorly preserved ivy-covered church standing in N quadrant of D-shaped graveyard (WM031-079001-). The building was impossible to examine due to dense cover of ivy on the walls of the medieval parish church (approx. ext. dims. 18m E-W x 7m n-S) of Kilcumreragh. Only the N wall (approx. L 18m) , E gable (approx. ext. L 7m) and E half of the S wall (approx. L 10m) of the church remains upstanding as depicted on the OS six-inch map. A small building (approx. ext. dims. 6m N-S x 5m E-W) projecting S from E end of S wall of church possibly represents the remains of a mortuary chapel belonging to the Geoghegan family. A second square-shaped building (approx. ext. dims. 5m N-S x 5m E-W) to the W of the church represents the remains of a second mortuary chapel. The church was described in 1867 (Cogan 1862-70, 539) as 'the old church measures in length fifty-three feet four inches (L 16.25m). The walls have been for the most part torn down’ Compiled by: Caimin O'Brien Date of upload: 9 January 2018