What is recorded here

Killiney still holds a ghost altar beside Marino Avenue West, marked only by memory after the sacred thorn tree vanished. People once gathered around that rough boundary between human and nature, leaving offerings or simply witnessing the hillside breathe. The stones may have crumbled or been removed, but the absence itself becomes the ritual: a hole in the landscape where devotion used to have a shape.

The church is located on the Marino Avenue West, leading E off Killiney Hill road. Wakeman (1892, 101-103) describes a 'boreen' that once provided access to the church at Killiney. On the left hand side of this 'boreen' he describes a cairn, or altar, by which stood an old thorn tree. This was considered to be sacred by the local population. There is no trace of this tree. Compiled by: Geraldine Stout and Padraig Clancy. Revised upload on: 14 April 2018.

This remains an important historical record, but the official description says the monument is no longer visible or has been destroyed. The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.