Church

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated at Velvet strand off the main coast road. Dedicated to St Marnock. In 1172 it was granted to St. Mary's Abbey. It is marked on the Down Survey (1655-6) maps and described by the Civil survey (1654-6) as 'Chapell walls' (Simington 1945, 175). Comprises a long rectangular medieval building of roughly coursed limestone with dressed stone quoins on the west gable. It has an undivided nave and chancel. An iron gate has been placed across the chancel (int. dims L 17.2m, Wth 4m, T 0.7m). The nave is lit by a square-headed window under a segmental arch in the west gable that formerly encompassed a bellcote. There is a blocked up window in the south wall of the chancel and in the east gable. Within the chancel is a piscina with a damaged round-headed arch. The interior has been used for burial. In 2010 'improvements' were undertaken to the overgrown church ruin resulting in the removal of stonework loosened by ivy removal. At least four courses of the western gable and the upper stones of the northern wall were removed. Stone was piled within the church and includes some architectural fragments. Tree growth inside the church was dug up which in the exposure of skeletal material.

Compiled by: Geraldine Stout

Updated by: Christine Baker

Date of upload: 24 January 2015

References

Simington, R.C. (ed.) 1945 The Civil survey, AD 1654-1656. Vol. VII: county of Dublin. Dublin. Irish Manuscripts Commission.