Ecclesiastical enclosure

The National Monuments Service's description

In pasture, surrounding a low knoll, with rising ground to the S. This subcircular area (c. 140m WSW-ENE), bisected off-centre to the W by a N-S road, is defined by a low bank (ext. H 1.5m) from N to ENE with slight traces of an external fosse, by a field fence from ENE to E, by an inward-facing scarp from E to SSW (H c. 3.5m), by a sunken lane (D 1-1.5m) from SSW to W, by a farmyard to the W and by a field fence with an external drop of c. 1.5m from W to N. The causeway to the SSE slopes steeply down into the interior, ending in a low rise; c. 23.5m outside the enclosure to the SSE, parallel to the sides of the causeway, is a rectangular arrangement of four standing stones (CO010-003007-) which may have formed an entrance feature. A graveyard (CO010-003002-) is at the centre of the enclosure, within which are two churches (CO010-003003-, CO010-003004-), a saint's tomb (CO010-003005-), cross-slab (CO010-003011-) and bullaun stone (CO010-003008-); a second cross-slab (CO010-003010-) and a stone cross (CO010-003006-) were removed from the site to the OPW Mallow depot.

In the interior of the enclosure, immediately to the SE of the graveyard, is a small circular enclosure (c. 24m E-W) visible in aerial photograph (Dr D.D.C. Pochin Mould) as a shadow site of a bank or scarp with an external fosse. Excavations by Rose Cleary in 1995 (Cleary 2000) revealed four post-holes close to the external face of the W graveyard wall, 0.2m-1.4m apart on the N-S axis; S of these was a stony spread; S of this again a curving slot trench (F8) was found, possibly enclosing an oval area (c. 7m N-S; c. 5.2m E-W). Internally, between the W graveyard wall and the earlier church (CO010-003004-), was the burial of a young adult, earlier than the wall but probably later than the church (ibid., 36), as well as a child burial and a charcoal spread with iron slag both possibly 'pre-medieval' in date according to excavator. The presence of at least 12 quern stone fragments and the fragment of a horizontal millstone (diam. 0.88m) found during the 1995 excavation near the SW corner of the graveyard are evidence of a nearby mill (ibid., 41); the Pipe Roll of Cloyne (MacCotter and Nicholls 1996, 27) mentions mills at 'Neynan Molag' c. 1364. The site is named after and said to have been founded by St Molaga, who died c. 664 AD (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 1, 13); it is mentioned in Crichad an Chaoilli (Power 1932b, 30, 53) as 'Eidhnen Molaga with its termon', chief church of the Tuath O Cuscraidh Sleibhe.

See excavation summary: https://excavations.ie/report/1995/Cork/0001877/

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.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

References:

1. Cleary, R.M. 2000. Labbamolaga, Co. Cork. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 105, 27-48.
2. MacCotter, P. and Nicholls, K. (eds) 1996 The pipe roll of Cloyne (Rotulus Pipae Clonensis). Midleton. Cloyne Literary and Historical Society.
3. Grove White J. 1905-25 Historical and Topographical Notes, Etc., on Buttevant, Castletownroche, Doneraile, Mallow, and Places in Their Vicinity. Collected by Colonel J.G. White. [With Illustrations.]. 4 volumes. Cork. Guy&Co.
4. Power, P. 1932b (ed.) Crichad an Chaoillí, being the topography of ancient Fermoy. Cork University Press.

Image provided by and copyright of Amanda Clarke 2016-2022 https://holywellscorkandkerry.com/