Church

The National Monuments Service's description

In the centre of Kilgarvan graveyard (KE094-004003-). The ruin of a rectangular gable-ended church (int. dims. 15.6m E-W; 6.6m N-S) built of coursed rubble set in a lime mortar. Apart from the E gable the walls mostly survive to full height (H of side walls c. 2.4m) and are partially ivy clad. It is entered through a doorway (H 1.95m; int. Wth 1.65m) W-of-centre in the S wall. The door surround is missing but the rear embrasure is covered by a segmental arch. In the centre of the E gable is a window with a single pointed light (H 1.95m; Wth 0.22m); the splayed embrasure is covered by a segmental arch and the base consists of three stepped-down slabs. There is a lintelled window embrasure with a lintelled light (H 0.76m; Wth 0.18m) near the W end of the N wall and similar embrasure with a pointed light (H 1.1m; Wth 0.18m) near the E end of the N wall. There is another lintelled embrasure with a lintelled light (H 1.3m; Wth 0.18m) near the E end of the S wall. There is a wall press (Wth 0.6m; H 0.45m; D 0.45m) in the E end of the N and S walls, between the windows and the E wall. There is a broken stoup (H 0.46m; Wth 0.48m; D 0.24m) in the S wall, 2m E of the door. There is a graveslab (KE094-004005-) in the SW corner of the interior which is otherwise full of 18th/19th-century tombs and grave-markers. This is the remains of the medieval parish church of Kilgarvan. (OSL, 170)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Kerry. Volume I: South-West Kerry' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 2009). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 30 May 2011