Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, on the N edge of Tullylease village and surrounding Tullylease church and graveyard (CO006-006005-; CO006-006006-). This roughly oval enclosure (c. 310m WSW-ENE; c. 210m NNW-SSE), is bisected by a deeply cut stream running W-E and by a road curving NE to S; it is truncated to the NNW by the late 19th century road (OS 6-inch maps), and obscured to N by a house and garden. Interior is mainly defined by two, low, grass-covered earthen banks (inner bank: int. H 0.3m; ext. H 0.7m, outer bank: H c. 0.15m) with intervening fosse and external fosse (D 0.25m) in parts. Banks are linear to SE, extending S for c. 60m from S side of stream. Aerial photograph (Dr D.D.C. Pochin Mould) shows the banks (as shadow features) extending W in line with the S wall of the graveyard and terminating c. 35m to the E of it. Section of defences to the S of the graveyard and to the E of the roadway are not clearly defined. A low broad bank (ext. H 0.7m) is evident SSW->SW, at the W side of the roadway, edged externally by a flat area, beyond which the land slopes uphill to the S. A broad, flat-topped bank (ext. H 0.7m; Wth c. 5m) is evident W->NW, in the field to the N of the stream, edged with drains internally and externally. 

 

Within the enclosure are Tullylease church and graveyard (CO006-006005-; CO006-006006-) SSW of its centre; St Benjamin's well (CO006-006002-) and St Bericheart's House (CO006-006003-) to the W of the road, on the S bank of the stream; St Mary's well (CO006-006004-) to the E of the road, on the N bank of the stream; numerous cross-slabs (including St Berichter's Stone, CO006-006007-) and a bullaun stone (CO006-006010-) within the church and graveyard. Clogh na h'Eilte bullaun stone (and a bullaun stone (CO006-006001-) is situated in Fair Field, c. 45m outside the SW bank of the enclosure. To the E of the graveyard, a slightly raised uneven area (c. 48m E-W; c. 44m N-S) and other low undulations are visible. Reeves (1858, 275) mentions that 'in former times', a structure called 'comharbach' or abode of the coarb was located a few yards from the burial ground; it was then barely visible, the landowner having removed the stones. In the field on the opposite side of the road and to the W of the graveyard is a square enclosure. This enclosure is defined by a low bank to the S, by shallow depression to the W and by a scarp to the N on the line of earlier field fence. A shallow depression on the W side appears to originate as drain in field to the N, c. 18m inside and concentric with the enclosure to the NW, and continues to the S of the stream as a slightly curving depression. According to Leask (1938, 104), the founder of Tullylease was St Berihert or Berichter, traditionally the son of a Saxon Prince who left England after the synod of Whitby AD 664. However the Annals of the Four Masters record the death of Berichter of Tulach-leis in AD 839, perhaps implying that he was a grandson of the prince. According to Reeves, he was also brother to three sisters, also with Holy Wells dedicated to them around North Cork: St Lasair (CO022-083003-), St Laitairian (CO029-076003-) and St Inghne Bhuidhe (CO031-034----) (Reeves 1858, 268).

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 4: North Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2000). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

 

See also: https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/2016/05/06/three-sisters-two-wells/

Date of upload: 14 January 2009

References

Leask, H.G. 1938 Tullylease, Co. Cork: its church and monuments. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 43, 101-8. Reeves, W. 1858 St Beretchert of Tullylease. Ulster Journal of Archaeology 6, 267-75.