Site of St.Berriherts Church; Grave Yard

On a gentle N-facing slope in a small wooded area surrounded by marsh and rough meadow, in the Glen of Aherlow at the foot of the Galty mountains. St. Berrihert's Well (TS074-011) is located c. 170m to SE. It is reputedly named after St. Berichter, a Saxon saint, founder of Tullylease, Co. Cork who came to Ireland in the late 7th century (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 104). The saint's pattern day is on the 18th of February and prayers were said at the Kyle and the well (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 105). There is a discussion on the saint's name in Ó Cearbhaill (2007, 61-4). Oval area (diam. 35.4m NE-SW; 26m NW-SE) defined by an earth and stone bank (Wth 2.45-3.3m; int. H 0.31-0.66m; ext. H 1.08m) which is referred to locally as the Kyle (Ó hÉailidhe 1967, 103). Of the church which once occupied the enclosure there are no visible remains and during the work carried out by the OPW in the 1940s 'no remains of old walls or foundations were found anywhere within the Kyle, the material for the stone wall having to be imported' (ibid., 103). In the S sector of enclosure there is a modern oval construction (int. dims. 5.5m x 9.5m) of mortared stone (wall T 1.1m), quite a crude structure built by the OPW in 1946 (ibid., 102) to display the cross-slabs and protect them from cattle damage. This modern enclosure is accessed via a style with steps in the W quadrant; the outer steps have partially collapsed and include a re-used stone with a deliberate groove. In the centre of the interior there are a number of small upright stones which mark the burial places of unbaptised infants (TS074-010005-) (ibid., 103). Compiled by: Jean Farrelly Date of upload: 26 August 2011