Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

On the E side of a N-S running road, in the centre of an early ecclesiastical enclosure (CO010-003001-). This roughly rectangular graveyard (c. 35m NW-SE; c. 30m NE-SW) is enclosed by a stone wall (H c. 1.5m; Wth c. 1.5m); it is entered by a stile to the W and by a gate at the SSW corner. It contains the remains of two churches (CO010-003003-, CO010-003004-), a saint's tomb (CO010-003005-) and a cross-slab (CO010-003011-); second cross-slab (CO010-003010-) and a stone cross (CO010-003006-) have been removed to the Mallow OPW depot. The graveyard is in occasional use; on inspection the earliest headstone noted dated to 1714. The graves are concentrated in the area between the two churches, with a few on the E and N sides. Outside the N wall of the medieval church (CO010-003003-) are two rounded 'cursing stones' placed under a cut-stone slab. 'St Fanchan's candlestick' (Power 1925, 65), was taken from the 'ruins at Leaba Molaga', and are now in the Presentation Convent, Mitchelstown; this is a cylindrical sandstone object (H 10in) with a cup-shaped upper end (diam. 63/4in, D 2in); the lower end is broken; it may have functioned as a cresset lamp.

An archaeological excavation (Cleary, 2000) of the enclosing wall on the W side of the graveyard showed it to be two-phased: a well-constructed early wall (Wth 0.8m) was built on a substantial plinth foundation (Wth 1.1m), and later widened by the addition of a stone-faced earthen bank to the inner side. The inner face of the wall incorporates many decorative fragments from the medieval church. According to Windele (Grove White 1905-25, vol. 4, 4), the enclosing wall was built c. 1820; his reference to a 'crypt-like passage' within the wall may refer to the later widening rather than to an inner core. Further archaeological excavation immediately outside the S wall of the graveyard revealed a stone surface running parallel to and contemporary with the wall (Cleary 2000).

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.

This is a National Monument in State Ownership (no. 18).

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009

References:

1. Power, P. 1925 St Fanahan's candlestick. Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 55, 65.
2. Cleary, R.M. 2000. Labbamolaga, Co. Cork. Journal of the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society 105, 27-48.
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.