Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Roughly wedge-shaped graveyard (70m E-W; 55m N-S) at W end of Killeagh village, enclosed by stone wall. Triangular area in W corner added in 1773; more recent (1905 & 1935) additions to SW (Henchion 1972, 76-7); inscribed headstones date from 1720s, still in use. At N end, C of I church built in 1812 (Brady 1863, vol. 2, 262), probably on site of ancient parish church of Killeagh (CO066-041003-). Plain rectangular nave (see photograph Henchion 1972, facing p. 76) with two twin-light windows in both N and S wall; tower with battlements at W end; very shallow rectangular chancel at E end with early-Gothic style window, this was added about 1873 (Cole 1903, 219; notice in The Irish Builder, Dec. 1, 1888). Roof intact but church no longer in holy use. Immediately S of church 1934 OS 6-inch map indicates 'St. Abban's Nunnery (site of)'. Smith (1750 vol. 1, 124) states 'at this place, was an ancient nunnery of canonesses, founded by St. Abban, in the sixth century' (see also Gwynn & Hadcock 1988, 391); Henchion (1972, 76) points out that 'another body of opinion .... claims in contradiction that the first church ... was raised by Id or Liber, a disciple of St. Finbarr'; no visible surface trace of ancient remains.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 2: East and South Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1994). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009