Reglaish Church (in Ruins)

Reglaish Church / Reiclés: This church, described in the OSNB as 'an abbey church' (Prior, 22), occupies the NW corner of a small disused graveyard (KE097-025001-) which measures 25m x 22m. It is situated in poor pasture and overlooks Ballinskelligs Bay to E. The S portion of the graveyard contains about sixty, low, uninscribed grave-markers, which probably relate to its use as a children's burial ground (KE097-025002-) in the nineteenth century (OSL). A poorly preserved enclosure (KE097-046----) is located immediately to W, outside of the graveyard wall The ruined church is rectangular in plan and measures 9.4m x 5m internally. The mortared walls are built of large, roughly shaped blocks. Averaging .95m thick, they stand to a maximum height of 1.05m. The OSL notes that the external angle at NW was rounded, though this is no longer apparent. A gap in the wall at S, 1.7m wide, may be the original entrance. Lynch noted a cut stone from a window head lying loose in the interior of the church (1902b, 352), which is now infilled with rubble and blocks of bonded masonry. The above description is derived from A. O'Sullivan and J. Sheehan (compilers), 'The Iveragh peninsula: an archaeological survey of South Kerry'. Cork University Press (1996), no. 1095. In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research. Date of upload: 31 July 2013