Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise in a low-lying landscape, within a graveyard (CL026-051002-). This is the parish church of Kilraughtish, listed as Kilrathusa in the Papal Taxation of the diocese of Killaloe, and called Cill Reachtais in 1601 (Westropp 1900-02, 147). It is named ‘Kilraghtis Church (in ruins)’ on the 1920 OS 6-inch map. A rectangular structure (int. dims. 18.75m E-W; 5.55m N-S) with almost completely ivy-covered walls (H 3-3.5m; T 0.85m) constructed of undressed, roughly coursed limestone. The doorway (Wth 1.05m; H 1.65m) towards the W end of the S wall is probably inserted, as are the windows at the centre and at the E end of the S wall. There is an ivy-covered twin-light window in the E gable which also has a pointed aumbry and a blocked doorway (Wth 1.15m; H 1.8m) N of the window. There is a rectangular window in the W gable. Curry, in the OS Letters of 1839 (Comber 1997, 175), described the doorway and central window in the S wall as ‘semicircular’ (round-headed), and the E window in the S wall and the twin-light window in the E gable as ‘arrow headed’ (pointed). (Westropp 1900-02, 147)

 

Compiled by: Michael Moore and Mary Tunney

 

Date of upload: 17 November 2025

References

Westropp, T.J. 1900-02 The churches of Co. Clare and the origin of the ecclesiastical divisions in that county. Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy, Series 3, vol. 6, 100-180.

Large, S. 2011 A church and graveyard survey in County Clare. Database and photographic record. Clare County Council. Clare Heritage Forum. The Heritage Council. Comber, M. (ed.) 1997 The antiquities of County Clare: John O’Donovan and Eugene Curry: Ordnance Survey Letters 1839. Clasp Press. Ennis.