Church

The National Monuments Service's description

On a commanding rise at the SW end of Kilchreest village. This rectangular medieval church (ext. dims. 20.85m E-W; 6.9m N-S) is fairly well-preserved but is overgrown with ivy. Both gable walls survive intact but the mid-sections of the side-walls (L c. 10.5m) have collapsed. The W gable (wall T 1.05-1.1m), which is more substantial than the other walls, extends slightly (c. 30m) beyond the side-walls (wall T 0.85m) and has a high base-batter. It bears a single bellcote at its apex. No trace of the original doorway survives. The main architectural features include a two-light ogee-headed window in the E gable, a single-light ogee-headed one (placed off-centre) in the W gable, various flat-headed and shoulder-arched single-lights at the E and W ends of the S side-wall, and at E end of the N side-wall. There is also a small wall recess at the E end of the S side-wall. A corbel in the SW corner suggests the former presence of a loft at this end. A number of modern burials occupy the interior of the church. The OS Letters (O’Flanagan 1927, Vol. 2, 43) noted that the dedication of the church to Christ - 'Cill Chríost' was very unusual as most churches were dedicated to 'their own country saints'. (Fahey 1893, 435-6; 43)

Compiled by: Galway Archaeological Survey, UCG

Date of upload: 20 February 2020

References

O'Flanagan, Rev. M. (Compiler) 1927 Letters containing information relative to the antiquities of the county of Galway collected during the progress of the Ordnance Survey in 1839. Typescript in 3 vols. Bray.

Fahey, J.A. 1893 (Reprint 1986) The history and antiquities of the diocese of Kilmacduagh. Galway. Kenny Gallery.